We left Queenstown for Wanaka, by way of Arrowtown. Arrowtown reminds me of a small New England town. It had beautiful foliage and historical buildings. We drove over the Crown Range to get to Wanaka. The pass was snowy and windy. The views through the mountains were amazing.
Wanaka is a much smaller town and has a bit more of a community feel to it. It is also located on a lake and had beautiful mountain views. My first impulse was that it felt like a smaller Taupo, but I can’t put my finger on why.
When we arrived Zhoel brought me to a pier that he had been really anxious to show me. There is no fishing allowed so I was surprised he would be so interested. When I looked into the water, massive trout and eels came to the surface expecting to be fed. I couldn’t believe the size of them.
We walked along the lake front by the shops. The downtown area of Wanaka is really just a few streets populated with restaurants and shops. It is definitely a ski town, just like Queenstown.
We stayed with Zhoel’s friend, Tom, and his partner, Dani. They are renting a massive house, just out of town. They have recently bought land and are planning to build a house. It was a good time meeting them. We played cards and chatted for hours.
The Marauding Maineiac 