Day 1 – More jaw dropping scenery
We set-off after b/f for the Mackenzie region which were
heard was beautiful. It was another 3-4 hours so we kept ourselves occupied
with our Spanish Lessons. I can just about order a coffee, a bottle of wine
(always good) and get a bed for the night. Glenn however is sailing along
nicely ordering tickets, getting directions and starting to converse. Guess who
will be doing most of the talking in South America?
The first stop was Lake Tekapo, another stunning lake
surrounded by snow topped mountains. We got out and stretched our legs and had
a picnic by the lakeside. Next we headed to the tourist centre where we were
informed about a scenic drive all the way around to Mount Cook. Given Glenn had
already driven for a while, we weren’t sure how much of the drive we would
cover but as the alternatives on offer were kayaking (too cold) and walking up
a hill to a café thing (couldn’t be arsed) we set off.
We were glad we did! Lake Pukaki was even prettier than
Tekapo, again with a stunning backdrop of mountains where you could see Mount
Cook in the distance. NZ definitely hasn’t
let us down on jaw dropping scenery. Every corner you turn you are rewarded
with yet another WOW moment as the views get better and better. We decided to
head on towards Mount Cook.
A direct but winding road took you to Mount Cook where
every now and again the mountain would come into to sight. It was a pretty
clear day for a change so we hoped we would get close enough for a good look
before the clouds set in, having to stop off occasionally to take pictures. I
promise there are no filters on these, look at the reflection from those
clouds!
We made it to Mount Cook just before the cloud cover came
down so were able to admire it and take some pics before heading to the town.
The town turned out to be a few houses and hostels so we looped around and
headed in the direction of a glacier we had seen sign posted on the road.
Arriving, we trekked to the top of a steep hill. The
Glacier itself wasn’t that rewarding (not if you’ve seen Perito Moreno in Argentina).
But again the lake was stunning and had a few ice bergs knocking around in it. Climbing
back down, we made our way back to the car for the 3hr drive to our lodgings.
Given it’s a national park, accommodation is pretty
scarce and everything was sold out when we tried to book. We had found a pub in
Fairlie which, although meant back-tracking the way we had came, had reasonable
priced rooms with shared bathrooms. We hadn’t stayed in a pub yet and given we
like the odd jar, was looking forward to it.
The pub itself was a bit run down and smelt, we were
given an upgraded (bigger bed) coz someone had peed on the floor of ours the
night before! We quickly secured our belongings and headed down to the bar for
a pint.
It was pretty empty apart from a few locals at the bar
and a couple of travellers. We orders a jug (cheaper) and waited for our food.
Given that we rarely eat out we were looking forward to it. I ordered their
highly recommended Blue Cod which turned out to be expensive fish and chips but
Glenn’s man sized mixed grill went down well.
Given it had been a long day, it wasn’t long before we
went back to the room to chill and watch some downloads.
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