Welcome to part one of New Zealand: The Sights - Otago, a continuation of my first venture into the gorgeous country. Leaving Tekapo behind, we got the wheels rolling and started the long journey to our next township down in Wanaka.
Another botched sunrise attempt
Need I remind you, it was the dead of winter
Reaching about halfway, we arrived at some ominous looking roads. Plastered with cautionary signs and abandoned remnants of vehicles, we entered Lindis Pass - a scenic drive nested in the border of Canterbury/Otago. Forced to take it slow due to treacherous conditions like icy roads and shitty drivers, I could understand why many succumbed to accidents. That and probably the fact people most likely averted their eyes from the road, completely enthralled by the magnificent sight presented.
I mean, how can you not?
From top to bottom, every mountain was enveloped by a blanket of stark white snow. It was absolutely breathtaking and I never use that phrase. Feeling ill-equipped, we had to forego any ideas of climbing up the snowed over track heading up to the lookout. Not sticking around any longer, we couldn't do much but move on.
Once in the clear, it was smooth sailing until Wanaka. With scenic views more or less the same and roads emptier than my bank account, it couldn't have been a better drive.
Upon our arrival in Wanaka, we stopped for a different type of sight. Puzzling World, an attraction with tricky puzzles, fancy optical illusions and an outdoor maze. For NZ$22.50, we opted for the combo pass allowing access to everything available. That was a mistake. Standalone pricing for the maze/illusions was NZ$18, clearly to rope in naïve people like me for the full package. The maze was a strong meh and wasn't worth my time, money or thought. On that note, I found many of the illusions to be mediocre as well. However, the tilt room (found in illusions) alone was worth the price of admission. I had an absolute blast with the trippy sense of balance.
No words…
ew
As for the Wanaka township itself, it was a bigger Tekapo with more sights, bites and delights. However, this expansion didn't come without its faults. With an increase in size came an influx of tourists making my tourist experience a bit more irritable, especially in regards to parking spaces. Other than that minor gripe, everything else was gravy.
Back to our regular sights, we returned to the open road and just drove. Simply following the heart, we found ourselves at the Diamond Lake, and as an added bonus, there was a hike to see Lake Wanaka in all its glory.
The lake view was bust since it had frozen over with the worst lighting conditions possible. Views along the hike were sub-par with a lot of same same. Speaking of, the hike itself was no walk in the park. Gradation levels were intermediate and the amount of steps that had to be climbed... not fun. Like the Tasman Lake track, it was just mindless walking with a strong yearning for the finale. At some point, we were released from the cover of the trees and were exposed to open air. The end was near. Clocking in another five or ten minutes of walking, we claimed the sweet fruits of labour.
lone bench
just asking for a cheesy shot
Rejuvenated with the short break, we made the insufferable return to the car and by extension to Lake Wanaka for a botched night of astro.
The next day saw us return to aimless driving. Due to my miserable attempt at visiting locations, I only yielded us an emptier tank of fuel and feelings of disappointment. Besides this mishap, the only notable occurrence was our visit to Roaring Meg, a stream that powers a hydro-electric plant. Though there wasn't much to the place, its smashing sights and soothing sounds would make it a good place for a pit stop.
Like that, our first foray into the Otago region comes to a pause. While not as spectacular of an opener like Canterbury, I have very much enjoyed my time despite its shortcomings. Thank you for reading and join me next time for more New Zealand eye candy.