Dodgy name, great place

Mt. Cook, reflected in Lake Mathison
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The only problem with Wanaka was that we didnt get to spend enough time there. All we had was one day and night there, which really wasnt enough for such a lovely place. We thought about staying there to work instead of heading to Queenstown, but figured since we were so close we'd just keep going.

The local people in Otago (thats the provice) look at Wanaka as being what Queenstown was 15 or 20 years ago. It's quite small, It's on a beautiful lake with stunning views, and its just waiting to blow up into the tourist trap Queenstown has become (and I dont mean that in a bad way). We spend an evening on the lake taking in the sunset and repeating to ourselves how lovely it all was, we almost forgot to go to the pub at one point. After a few pints and a quick dinner the night felt like it was fading away a little but somone came up with the idea of going to the cinema, which in Wanaka is more than just your average trip to the big screen.

we almost forgot to go to the pub at one point

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Wanakas Cinema is famous. it's an old place, with lots of comfy couches and lazy boy recliners...its even got a roofless VW Beetle to sit in if you fancy it. It's old style cinema and I loved it. There's an interval - you can go out and have a pre ordered meal or just grab a hot chocolate and a freshly baked cookie (mmmmmm...cookies). We had a really great night there - plus the movie was good too (wont bore you with a review).

The next day we were setting of early for the lovely Queenie but not before a quick stroll at the lake and a fulfilling breakfast from a texaco garage. The rich and varied life of a traveller eh.

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On the way to Queenstown, we stopped at puzzle world which is a mad sort of place with distorted rooms, weird mirrors and a maze to solve. You'll be delighted to know we got out of the maze and only cheated once which was far less than most. The distorted rooms and mirrors reminded us of Santa Cruz and the Mystery Spot (*re-read Santa Cruz entry, there'll be an exam at the end of the blog). Everything looked crooked and people rolled uphill...just what you need with a hangover! It was fun though, and passed an hour or two.

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Hope you like the pics..Queenstown next!