Friday, November 8th - Saturday, November 9th - Days 60 and 61 - Wanaka and Arthur's Pass
On Friday we got the Twizel home cleaned, packed our food and clothes, and were out just as the 10am departure deadline was passed. We gassed up the car ($140 NZ for regular - about $80 US) and set off.
We had just left the town of Twizel before we came upon "High Country Salmon" - a fish farm that takes advantage of the pure glacial waters to raise salmon. Deb had read something about this - and clearly, word is out about the place because the parking lot was full, and it included at least one busload of Japanese tourists!
We went into the fish shop and were amazed at the selection of salmon preparations on offer - from whole fish to filets to a variety of smoked (hot & cold) offerings. We sampled the smoked salmon that had been covered lightly in powdered beetroot - it was delicious! There was a similar option with powdered truffles added before smoking. They also stocked a huge and amazing array of high-end food items. So, exercising great restraint, we left only with a bag of salmon pieces, a portion of the beetroot smoked salmon, and a package of lamb prosciutto! Fortunately, they packed them with a small bag of ice - this would become very important eventually
We went next door to the cafe to have our morning coffees - Deb her cappuccino and Munroe his Flat White. We also got a small tray of raw salmon and enjoyed that (with soy sauce & wasabi) while our coffees were being prepared. Buttery, mild, and extremely delicious!
We continued our drive and at a town called Omarama we noticed a spot called "The Wrinkly Ram" and pulled over. It was a cafe and wool-themed shop, and it was doing a lively business in both sections. Munroe had one item on his shopping list - a replacement for a now well-worn wool sweater that he had picked up outside of Queenstown on our last visit to New Zealand (2006). He found a nice selection of Merino wool sweaters which had been blended with about 40% Possum down and 10% Silk. They were incredibly soft and apparently very warm - and they were on sale! So we picked that up in a hurry - a nice charcoal color! Deb also found a nice merino wool neckpiece that will go with the lovely green wool cardigan she had picked up way back in Westport, Ireland!
We made good time from Omarama through the foothills of the Southern Alps and arrived in Wanaka at about 2:30pm. Check-in time at our studio unit was 3 pm so we drove to the shores of Lake Wanaka and watched the tourists make the trek in the pouring rain to the nearby "Wanaka Tree" - purportedly the most photographed tree in New Zealand. We resisted the temptation but did walk the 15 or so minutes to the tree after we had settled into our studio - and after the rain had stopped.
Gill (our very pleasant host) met us as we arrived at the room around 3pm - she lives in the front of the house with her husband and 'cockapoo' dog (lovely!). The studio was created out of what had been the garage of their home - it was lovely and comfortable, but only had a microwave so no cooking. Fortunately, there was a fridge with a (not terribly efficient) freezer so we could keep our perishables cold overnight.
After we got back from our walk along the shore of Lake Wanaka, we took up her suggestion and headed into town to get take-out from "The Big Fig" - a slow-cooking restaurant. You could request 5 portions (only one of which could be meat) from their buffet and they packed them into a cardboard tray. Deb had lemon chicken and a bunch of veggies and salads and Munroe had lamb swarma and four other sides. We ate these at our 'kitchen' table in the studio - and washed it down with a nice bottle of Stoneleigh Chardonnay from the Marlborough Sound area (a recommendation from Deb's friend Midge).
We had a slow start on Saturday morning - and enjoyed coffee and breakfast (Eggs Benedict!) at a cafe in downtown Wanaka.
The town is absolutely lovely - lots of outdoor outfitters, boutiques, restaurants and cafes. It has the reputation of being a more laid-back Queenstown - and we both agreed that this was the nicer of the two towns. Lots to do in the area also, so perhaps we'll be back!
As we left for our next Airbnb in Okarito on the West Coast, we stopped by "Cane and Able" bakery to get a nice loaf of whole wheat bread. 9Note: Bread in supermarkets in NZ is TERRIBLE.) It was about 1pm when we finally got on the road to Haast. Gill had said that the pass was a non-event - low and gentle. The sun was brightly shining so we were optimistic that the 3.5-hour drive would be a smooth one.
Emergency! Rain Washed out West Coast Road and Change in Plans
We had made it about 10 miles out of Wanaka - to Lake Hawea - when we were stopped at a police roadblock. The officer asked where we were going and told us that the overnight heavy rains had flooded the road before you got to Haast (the first settlement after the pass on the west coast) and it had caused 'slips' (landslides) that closed the coastal road (Highway 6) at several places. There was no way we could access Okarito from either the south or the north!
So we pulled into the park that was at the side of Lake Hawea and regrouped. The only way to the West Coast was through Arthur's Pass. We decided to book a place on the coast further north in Punakaiki that we had considered way back when we were making our reservations. Miraculously, it was available for the 3 days that we'd expected to be in Okarito, so we quickly grabbed that and set off for the 8-hour drive north. Our Okarito host approved our cancellation and Airbnb called as we drove to tell us they had refunded the entire amount of our Okarito stay.
Arthur's Pass
We backtracked our trail southward up to Mount Somers and then made the spectacular drive through the justifiably famous Arthur Pass. Deb took some pictures as we drove - Munroe was hell-bent on getting the drive behind him (nervous that the weather that had closed in as we drove north was going to present problems) and had a slim hope that they would get to the Airbnb before dark.
But there were no travel problems and we almost made it to the place before dark - arriving around 9pm! Luckily we had good directions and we were able to drive right up to the spot - and it is gorgeous! The place is large, bright, and hangs right over the water with a deck that looks out at the sea in a 180-degree panorama. The host - Angie - lives with her husband in a 'studio' just further up the hill. We have seen the property because they're selling everything and there is a nice video of their studio and our cottage that we have streamed and some lovely photos of both properties prepared by their real estate broker.
Deb got the wonderful High Country salmon sauteed and served it with some asparagus that we had picked up (along with other veggies and necessities, anticipating our stay in Okarito that is more than half an hour from any food supplies whatsoever, and we were warned that the selection on the coast was limited and expensive). It was delicious and a perfect way to end a stressful day. We were in bed shortly after that and slept very well!