Day 9 Afternoon

10 April 2010 PM

After a very satisfying breakfast, we went on our way to Wanaka. There are 2 different routes you can take to Wanaka from QT. We took the shorter way through the hills. I can't remember what was the hill route called, but it was a pleasant enough drive.

rolling hills

It was uphill for the first half of the journey and there are plenty of lookout points along the route. We took our time as the campervan isn't much of a climber. Arrowtown looked gracious & lovely, from afar, dressed in its Autumn attire.

a poor image but this is the best i've got.

It is moments like this that makes you wish you own an SLR or a semi-pro. Cost unfortunately is an issue right now, but it is not hard to commit such a scene to memory.

more 'sony' moments

I don't normally enjoy lengthy car rides, but driving in NZ is quite therapeutic after all. (Note: - Therapeutic is not the synonym for hypnotizing, ok!) I do agree the images don't do NZ justice, but most of these shots are taken while zooming by at 100km/h with a crappy Sony Cyber-shot.

downhill

It was probably because we were driving down a windy downhill road, that the hills looked very much alive to us as we approached at different angles. Also the sun was vivid and it brought out the layers of the hills by casting shadows in the valleys. Again, you shall have to take my word for it.

The names 'tussocks' suits these plants well. They look like a 'tussock' & feel like a 'tussock'.

We reached Wanaka in an hour's time, minus the stopping & gaping. Wanaka is another of NZ's picturesque lakeside town. Pity we did not bother with photos. Was in a hurry to visit the loo. Ate too much, the both of us.

We did however, stopped at a nearby i-centre and was advised that there are plenty of tracks we could explore. We decided to hike a 45-mins walk around the Diamond Lake trek, which was just 40 mins' drive away.

Hiking isn't much fun to read about and even less fun to execute (for someone who has forsaken exercise anyway). What started out as a 45-min trek turned out into a 3-hour trek as we advanced from the Daimond Lake trek to the Rocky Mountain trail. We did not have much up our sleeves anyway.

Rickety stairs

We trudged through sandy paths, muddy walkways, bushland and some rickety stairs. It has been a couple of years since my last trek and I was sweating more than a pig 30 minutes into the trail. Not to mention I can hardly breathe. I felt like a woozy, doozy ashmatic. Going uphill reminds me of how age is catching up...

But of course, we soldiered on. Climb every mountain, cross every stream eh? The thing about stamina is if you don't give up and keep going, it will somehow come back to you. I was feeling much better 2 hours into the trek. Besides, the the view was getting better.

Lake Wanaka

We had to pass through a ledge that hugs the edge of the mountains. The trail was tiny, rocky and steep. It was a long way to fall. The adrenaline we get walking along that narrow ledge fuels us on. We were almost near the summit.

dizzying heights

And finally, we arrived, just like that. It was as if stumbling upon a plateu, out of the blue. Where I was used to arriving at summits that announced itself with signs, banners or monoliths, there was nothing man-made / artificial on Rocky Mountains to suggest that we have arrived on a checkpoint at all.

as above so below

blue & gold horizons

"summit"

Rocky Mountain expresses its summit in the quiet beauty of its surroundings, and the astonishing colours of the lake, trees and meadows. And of course, thoughtful visitors would leave those trademark piles of stones to mark their presence.

me napping beside stone pyramid

Climbers collect stones & pile them up to resemble a pyramid as an environmental & sculptural way of saying, "we were here". I'm not sure if we were suppose to add to it, or make another one, but we didn't bother. These stone pyramids are quite a common occurence in NZ's hot spots.

Some other climbers

Of course, there were other climbers as well, besides us. This was a funny sight. D had to do the trademark "V in air" with a family sunning themselves in the background. We eventually ended up having a chat with them later on. It is food for thought, that we meet so many people on the trip & shared so many snippets of our lives, but we never exchanged names.

enya ~on my way home, i remember, only good days ~

After resting and chatting for some time, we finally got up and make our way downhill. There were more than 1 track so naturally, we took the other track.

4pm wheatfields

Going downhill was of course, less taxing, but more burdensome to the ankles and thighs. The track this way was more rocks, than views.

rocky paths on Rocky Mountains

more embedded stairs

Indeed, its one of those 'boring' entry, for the lack of a better word. Trekking is, I surmise not fun at all. It is in itself, slow, steady and highly rewarding. It is, free entertainment after all, and no 2 treks are ever alike. NZ offers memorable and challenging treks good for beginners and professionals. Try it. You may resent it. Or you may make it a lifelong hobby.