The forecast overnight had been for -2C and as we woke it was clearly very cold but the sun was out, the air was unbelievably clear and the view from our window was awesome. The contrast to yesterday could not have been greater and it was one of those very Wanaka days.
After a leisurely breakfast the management committees agreed that it was definitely the day for a cycle ride and off we went, initially to Waterfall Creek.
We retraced our steps to Edgewater and then on to Wanaka town, Eely point, Beacon Point and the outlet to the Clutha River. As I hope you can see the views were stupendous all along the way and cycling was frequently interrupted by photo opportunities. The LLW's cycling has dramatically improved and none of the inclines phased her at all. On a number of occasions I stopped to let her catch up only to find she was right behind me.
We stopped after 25Km and after a short rest at the apartment we decided to drive north west along the lake and see if there were any views of Mount Aspiring from the Clutha Bay area. As you can see there was some light cloud at the top of the mountains but Aspiring can clearly be seen in the distance. (Mount Aspiring, or Tititea in Maori, is NZ's second highest mountain, after Mount Cook, and is 3,033 metres high (9,951 feet))
After a walk around the Glendhu Bay area we drove on further up the valley viewing waterfalls and impressive peak after peak. The road turned into an unsealed surface, which is hard work, and we headed back after about 2 miles of unsealed road.
After a leisurely breakfast the management committees agreed that it was definitely the day for a cycle ride and off we went, initially to Waterfall Creek.
We were clearly not the first to arrive here and locals were out in force to enjoy the wonderful weather. Boaters galore, walkers, cyclists and even sunbathers were much in evidence.
We retraced our steps to Edgewater and then on to Wanaka town, Eely point, Beacon Point and the outlet to the Clutha River. As I hope you can see the views were stupendous all along the way and cycling was frequently interrupted by photo opportunities. The LLW's cycling has dramatically improved and none of the inclines phased her at all. On a number of occasions I stopped to let her catch up only to find she was right behind me.
We stopped after 25Km and after a short rest at the apartment we decided to drive north west along the lake and see if there were any views of Mount Aspiring from the Clutha Bay area. As you can see there was some light cloud at the top of the mountains but Aspiring can clearly be seen in the distance. (Mount Aspiring, or Tititea in Maori, is NZ's second highest mountain, after Mount Cook, and is 3,033 metres high (9,951 feet))
After a walk around the Glendhu Bay area we drove on further up the valley viewing waterfalls and impressive peak after peak. The road turned into an unsealed surface, which is hard work, and we headed back after about 2 miles of unsealed road.
Back into Wanaka and we went to explore the local butchers which is hidden away high about the CBD. We assumed this was as a result of high rental costs in the centre, driven up by the tourist shops and the need to provide parking. Whatever the case the Butcher’s Block and Smokehouse was excellent and we could have bought half the shop. Instead of which we settled for bacon, sausages and eggs for a brunch tomorrow.
We had investigated recommended restaurants and had decided to try Bistro Gentil which seems to be highly rated. We drove to the restaurant on Golf Course Road, which clearly has great views over the lake. Unfortunately fully booked for this evening but we booked for tomorrow. Back down to the waterfront to consider our options and we finally decided on Big Fig where we had coffee this morning and the food looked very good. It transpired to be an excellent choice, the LLW having slow cooked lamb and Ray choosing the lamb meatballs both accompanied with spiced Aubergines and Rice Pilaf (and Pinot Gris!). Everything was very, very good and it was lovely to eat al fresco in warm, brilliant early evening sunshine.
Immediately next door to Big Fig is a small iSite office and when we had visited this morning we noticed that there was a Chinese speaking assistant. Earlier this week there was also a Chinese speaker serving at Gibbston Valley Wines - a sign of the times in NZ. The slight downturn in tourists from the UK has been compensated many times over by the increase in those from China.
Tomorrow and Sunday promise to be very exciting in Wanaka as the town hosts Red Bull Defiance which is a "new and unique race format that combines off road running, kayaking and mountain bike endurance disciplines, with the creative element of undisclosed special stages." The first day consists of a 43Km mountain bike ride, a steeply uphill 11 Km run, a 100 metre abseil and a 20 Km kayak - phew!
Ray became very exhausted just looking at the web site https://www.redbulldefiance.co.nz/wanaka-new-zealand but is just heading off to meet the organisers and see if he can secure a late entry for the LLW.
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