The Southern Lake District :: Arrowtown to Queenstown

If you're anything like me (a newbie photographer) you may find more often than not you get so excited on fresh outings and soaking in the beauty around you that you get a little snap-happy and take waaay more photos than anyone cares to endure as you give the play by play of your recent adventure...

This happens to me. Often. For those who know me well also know that I am quite skilled at over-complicating just about anything... I'm about the details, which can leave me down in the weeds on many occasion, requiring the hand of another to help me come up for air and perspective after a fresh survey of the land.  Basically, what I am trying to say is that I took way too many pictures on our outing to Queenstown and have had much trouble picking just a handful to share with you...

Queenstown was fabulous. Let me start there. I won't bore you with all the details, but I will say that this is one city I am excited to visit again in a few months when my parents come to town. And Queenstown is definitely an adrenalin junkies dream. Just a quick Google search will overwhelm the faint of heart by the plethora of options available to anyone intending to open their pocket book and take part in the hype. Perhaps next time I will. However, Shannon, Royal, and I took a more laid back approach to our outing. And it was fabulous!  Meandering the sun-soaked streets, checking out the little boutiques, and a wonderful lakeside lunch in the park complete with the locally famous Fergburger - A must try for the burger enthusiest! I ordered the lamb burger with mint jelly, garlic aoli, red onion and tomato relish. Delish! While Shannon went the more traditional route with beef, cheddar and the classic toppings.

Only 35 miles, but about a 60 minute drive from Wanaka, the landscape along this route is stunning! (again you are encouraged to Google!) We stopped for a number of scenic shots along the drive and sure enough one after the other, breathtaking views of vast alpine ranges and the deep green valleys below... If you're curious why it takes 60 minutes to only travel about 35 miles, its because just before you drop into Arrowtown the switchbacks become fierce as you decend into the valley and you must slow waaay down to avoid sailing off the cliffs Thelma and Louise style.

On our way to Queenstown we made a quick stop in Arrowtown. An adorable, teeny town trapped in the days of yesteryear, celebrating the Chinese settlets who migrated there in hopes of striking it rich during the gold rush. Honestly, I didn't realize gold was a commodity sought after in New Zealand, but this little town provides proof that at least at one point in history it was. There are many cute shops and cafes to checkout and I believe is definitely worth your time while on your way to Queenstown for that whitewater rafting trip, bungy escapade or hanggliding adventure.

The Southern Lake District :: Wanaka

I mentioned the other day that I was out of town last week. And, oh my, was it a treat! My friend Shannon invited me to join her with her son, Royal, on holiday in Wanaka for a few days, and goodness, am I glad I did!

This place instantly had my heart! From the moment I stepped off the bus I decided this was a town where I could put my stake in the ground.  Perhaps it was the dramatic juxtiposition of scenery I experienced, leaving behind a city of construction noise and still in many places resemblant of a war zone for stop-in-your-tracks breathtaking, postcard picturesque views of pristine, and in many places, untouched environment.. Or perhaps it was the seven hour bus ride that had me overwhelmed with joy to be rejoined with fresh air and solid ground... regardless, it was love at first sight!

The three of us spent our little getaway soaking in the sunshine, eating great food, sharing a few bottles of local wine (well, girls only), taking in a little tramp and exploring our surroundings. We even took a little day trip through Arrowtown into Queenstown for a little added site-seeing. I'll post more on our Queenstown excursion tomorrow. It was such a delight spending this time together, enjoying each others company by the lake.

In fact, I had such a wonderful time that when I got home I couldn't stop talking about it and actually convinced Mr. Robinson to change our upcoming holiday plans. Instead of traveling back up to Wellington again this year for our anniversary and New Years I convinced him that instead we must head south to the Lake District! We're currently looking for a place to stay and plan to spend New Years at Rhythm & Alps, a music festival set amongst the gorgeous landscape of Cardrona Valley... more on that later if our plans pan out... Meanwhile, I'll continue to basque in the memories of these photos 'til we can get back out there.

Thank you Shannon and Royal for inviting me to join you last week. I had such a wonderful time exploring and getting to know both of you a little better. Hope we get to plan another trip soon! Xx

Lake Tekapo

It's truly amazing the revitalizing impact 24 hours, open country road, alpine-spring fed hot pools, and a sleepy lakeside town situated at the foot of the southern alps can have on your mind, body, and spirit. 

 

 

Awwe, yes… I am so happy September is over. I can confess with certainty that it was one of the most exhausting and trying months this little family has experienced so far…. I’m not complaining. Really. Quite frankly, I know its just life. And I know that many of these stresses are self-induced or merely consequences of the choices and sacrifices we’ve picked. However, I am recognizing that several of these milestones have been significant and should not be glazed over as though they’ve left no impact on our home.

I know I am being vague. Honestly, I have been writing and re-writing this post, trying to articulate some of the things we’ve been struggling with, but I keep running into a wall that just doesn’t feel right…. This happens to me sometimes when I write. Usually, what this tells me is that the details I think I would like to print probably aren’t the necessary items to share…. And really they aren’t the reason I want to write this blog anyway. What I want to capture from this season and share with you are the good things; the positive moments or lessons learned from our journey as a recently married couple working together to create a new home from scratch in a country as far across the globe as you can get from the security of everything familiar to us… Really, in this case, what I want to share with you is the vast and gorgeous landscape we encountered last weekend while we spent some much needed family time reconnecting and rejuvenating together.

This was our first over-night trip since moving to the South Island. Yes, Drew and I spent nearly 2 months traveling the North Island coast before settling in Christchurch last February, but since then we’ve been spending every single extra penny on either setting up our new house or securing residency, so we haven’t had time or money to do much exploring of the region we now call home. 

Our residency application has finally been submitted (actually, we were recently notified that its now being processed - Yay!), and the medical expenses we’ve had to pay for my multiple recent and unexpected doctors visits are at a place where we can come up for air, so we decided it was the perfect time to indulge in a quick, romantic get-away to help us detox and relax.

Lake Tekapo is about a 4 hour drive south-west of Christchurch. It’s a sleepy pass-through town on the way to bustling and tourist infested Queenstown. It sits near the foot of the Southern Alps, is home to only about 300 residents, and is well known for a just few things - A secluded little set of hot pools fed by nearby alpine springs, which we immediately indulged in upon our arrival and were absolutely amazing! We decided next time we will be sure to budget more time at the Springs. The price you pay is for an all day pass so, really had we given ourselves more time we could have stayed far longer than we did. They have an onsite cafe and spa too, so if you get overheated or want to really indulge the senses you can easily make it an all day endeavor. 

The historic stone church fondly known as the Church of The Good Sheppard has one of the best views of the surrounding mountains situated right on the lake-shore. I was surprised to learn that it is still a functioning church and offers several interdenominational services a month (we just missed the start time, so we’ll have to come back to experience it). Regardless, it was a great place for a little picnic and quick photo opp.

The lake itself is known for having extremely intense blue waters, an effect of a particular species of algae living in it. However, the cloud cover and lack of wind throughout our visit hid much of its intensity and instead created some beautiful reflections of the surrounding landscape. The water was so still. It looked like glass.  The balcony of our little bungalow provided epic views of the lake all evening! Totally relaxing and mesmerizing!

Lake Tekapo is also known for stargazing. Yes. This town is known for stargazing. It is so far removed from any city lights that the night sky is supposedly one of the most majestic sights to behold. There’s an observatory in the town that offers night tours. However, at $125 a pop, we chose to pass! Perhaps next time we visit we'll splurge on the night tour. We did hear that its worth the money... but, considering the cloudy night sky we experienced that evening, I think we made a good choice to splurge on our little villa instead! It was totally worth it!

And although this early spring adventure was a mostly cloudy, somewhat stormy trip, we still managed to capture a few good camera shots and thoroughly enjoyed our short escape from the city noise and construction! Mission accomplished!