NZ Week 8

Week 8 : Wanaka and Queenstown 

January 17, 2012

 The morning I went to hitch hike out from Fox Glacier the rain stopped.  The heavens opened up and and there was a bright and brilliant sun.  Good weather makes such an impact on your attitude when standing on the side of the road.  With a nice sunny day you’re willing to stand there forever, watching as cars and vans alike pass you by with plenty of space for you to fit.  You just smile and say it doesn’t matter, the next one will be stopping for you.  But if it’s raining, and you’re huddled under your umbrella like a wet sponge; then you curse the cars that speed by, splashing water on you as they pass.  Traffic was light that morning but after about an hour I caught the eye of someone familiar.  It just happened to be the two Israeli guys that I met my first night in Auckland nearly 7 weeks earlier.  What great fortune for me.  After I convinced them to pick me up we went to Fox Glacier, took more pictures, and then made our way down to the town of Wanaka in their van.

Wanaka is a fantastic little town that sits on the shore of a lake by the same name.  Sitting in a valley surrounded by mountains on all sides Wanaka is small but has a fun, laid back atmosphere.  After checking into the YHA hostel and I made my obligatory trip to the grocery store.  The cost of food in New Zealand is becoming detrimental to my budget, more so than lodging or even beer for that matter.  Nearly every other day I arrive at a new town and have to make a trip to the supermarket, only to leave with enough food for the next two days and $40 missing from my wallet.  I am not eating steak or drinking French champagne and still my bill never shrinks.  It is a wonder the local residents can afford to feed themselves and their families.  Vegetables for example are anywhere from double to triple the price that I would pay in the USA.  And you’d think their cheese was filled with gold by the prices they ask.  What’s even more strange is they make their own cheese and grow their vegetables so there shouldn’t be an exorbitant import tax.  Despite having something like 12 billion sheep on these islands the cost for New Zealand lamb is cheaper in England than here in New Zealand.  Someone is getting very rich over here.  I’d like to have a share of that pie, or any pie for that matter.

Today I met up with a German friend I had made back in Fox Glacier, Sebastian, and we embarked on a hike up to Rob Roy’s Ridge.  The mountain that contains the peak has a wide open face without any bush to block your view while you climb.  And climb you do.  Starting down at an elevation of about 300m at the Lake you take endless switchbacks until you finally summit at around 1500m.  The view was absolutely fantastic.  From this height you could see the full stretch of Lake Wanaka, the now speck of town of Wanaka, as well as a superb view of the other surrounding mountains ranges.  It was a grueling couple of hours to reach the top but worth every minute. 

January 19, 2012

So I left the serenity of Wanaka today, vowing to make it back here, if not this trip than on the next one.  I don’t normally book my hostel ahead of time unless a) I’m absolutely sure I will arrive in that town that day and b) I’m concerned it will be full up at the other hostels.  Some spots are more prone to this dilemma than others, and Queenstown being the adventure mecca that it is I made a reservation for the Absoloot Value Accommodation hostel.  Upon hearing that I would be hitching my way down from Wanaka (only a 2 hour drive) the man in the reception told me to make a sign reading “Queenstown – will swap beer for ride.”  I gave his idea some serious thought but decided I’d probably drink the offer before getting a lift, and besides, it would be a short trip so I could afford to stand around for a while.  It was a beautiful sunny day again and in about 30 minutes I was riding shotgun with Daryl.  Daryl was a triathlete and was in town for an upcoming Ironman event.  He was unique for a triathlete; he was quite large (100 kg) and confessed he didn’t really train much nor pay heed to his diet.  Unlike other competitors he thrived when competing in events not long after the previous and seemed to break the conventional norm for triathletes.  Admittedly he wasn’t going to win the completion but just being an Ironman triathlete to begin with was impressive enough for me. 

January 21, 2012

Now that it has come and gone I can say that my time in Queenstown was quite enjoyable.  Here I engaged in multiple day walks to scenic points, took in some nightlife and partook in some local culinary delights.   Queenstown is a small bustling town that is host to adventure junkies around the world.  It is here that the world’s first bungee jump was created and is also home to New Zealand’s highest jump as well.  If it’s not summer thrills you are pursuing then Queenstown can be your winter wonderland as well since there are multiple ski slopes to enjoy, making it a popular destination all the year round.  I personally did not shell out the cash for the adventure sports and instead struck out to climb up the surrounding hills and see the town from a distance, away from the other loud and clamoring tourists.  Surrounded by mountains, including the jagged Remarkables, the panoramas are surreal as the sun begins to set.  The town comes to life at night as the young and old alike hit the streets, partying until 3 or 4 in the morning and then queuing at one of the burger joints open to serve the masses.  Reminiscent of Banff or Whistler, Queenstown is definitely a place where you’d be hard pressed not to have fun.  I even abandoned my miserly food habits one evening and broke down and went to the eponymous Fergburger, a local burger joint renowned for their giant burgers and even bigger prices.  I put all my chips in and ordered the biggest one they offered, The Big Al.  A mass of beef and eggs and trimmings (including beetroot, which was actually delicious) all stuffed between a bun the size of Frisbee.   Absolutely delicious; and for $17 it damn well should have been too.