queenstown, and the road to glenorchy

Woke up in Queenstown, which felt like a ski town much like Telluride and looked like Alaska. Our original plan for the day was to take a helicopter to Milford Sound and then hop on a cruise, but the weather had other ideas, so we moved on and had an epic day driving to Glenorchy. One of the most beautiful drives ever!

Amazing light

Cafe stop friends

 Wow!

lake hawea and cardrona

Tuesday we had to make our way to Queenstown and took the leisurely route, driving to nearby Lake Hawea first

Stopped at the famous Cardrona Hotel, in Cardrona, an old gold mining town

treks, waterfalls and vineyards

We woke up and decided to hike neigboring Mt. Iron - a couple kilometer hike with 360 degree views of Wanaka

Ledge views before heading to beautiful Rippon Vineyards for some wine tastings

mou waho island

Sunday we decided to take an ecotour to an island, Mou Waho, in the middle of Lake Wanaka; the area was formed by glaciers millions of years ago and is home only to rare species of birds and has a hidden lake on the top - a lake on an island on an island.

 Hiking to the top with our guide Chris

 Finding the rare Buff Weka bird - an almost extinct bird that is much like the velociraptor, and ecologically 'naive,' hence its near extinction.

View from top of the world

 The rare Weta insect, which can be frozen for up to six months in winter and then be alive. Does their DNA hold the key to how to live on other planets? Cryotherapy?

 Planting a cabbage tree - leaving the island better than we found it.

 Time for a fire and some New Zealand pinot noir...

a fishing adventure

Decided to go fish for our dinner (as you do in New Zealand) - came across Hook, a true farm to table establishment you can fish your own salmon

Fisher portrait

Success!

How I really felt holding the fish...

Weighing our catch, a beautiful 1.3 kg salmon

And, our host Sarah's birthday, as well as fellow lodge guest Sabine's daughter

wanaka

If you're ever in Wanaka, stay at the Wanaka Alpine Lodge. Hygge to the extreme!

Went mountain biking for the first time...

 The place was ours! Felt like Scandanavia and Alaska and the South Pacific all on its own

Biked into town to find that Wanaka tree, a famous one that's been in the lake 70 years

Cafe stop

heading to the south island

Landed Queenstown and we hopped in the car and I drove on the LEFT over this crazy mountain pass to Wanaka

Greeted by coziness and crazy clear skies...

And woke up to this fiery sunrise

auckland!

After an amazing 24 hours in Los Angeles, 20 hours later I found myself in Auckland. Some wanderings...