On the road to Queenstown

Fox Glacier
see all photos »

It was after 9 before we headed out south out of Franz Josef towards Wanaka and Queenstown.

We drove through the glacier region on our way out and had a chance to see the Fox Glacier in the mid-morning sunlight...

The drive carried us along Route 6 which hugged the west coast, occasionally weaving inland through the mountainous landscape. After about 2.5 hours we stopped for petro in Haast and began our way through Haast Pass and Aspiring National Park.

The roads wound through valleys and up and down mountains, taking our small toyota along narrow passes and one lane roads. It's hard for the passenger to take a nap when traveling on the roads in New Zealand. Even the main routes extend typical hour drives into morning adventures. Ofter times the passenger spends the ride holding their breath as their side of the car edges so far near the side of the road centimeters away from vertical cliffs.

Lake Wanaka
see all photos »

Once through the pass we edged our way through the bays of Wanaka Lake. Cliff side roads made for picturesque scenery - a truly unforgettable ride.

We broke for the afternoon in the township of Lake Wanaka. The sun was out and everyone was spending their afternoon out on the lake. There was a cafe & ice creamery at the base of the lake where we indulged in delicious paninis and the all too famous hokey pokey ice cream!

From Wanaka, we found a shortcut through Routh 89 which took us directly through the mountains and into Queenstown. For the first 20km we drove through fields filled with wildflowers, sheep, catle & deer, inclosed by remarkable moutains. For the other 40km, the road creeped up to about 3,000 vertical feet and we were treated to 360 degree views of the southern alps and their surrounding lakes.

Town of Lake Wanaka
see all photos »

Before arriving at our hostel on the Queenstown Lake, we stopped briefly at Aimisfield Winery for a tasting.