Start – Wanaka
Finish – Wanaka
Daily Distance – 0 km
TA Distance – 2619 km
Bluff Distance – 421 km
Wanaka is a picturesque tourist town of the type that I’m generally excited to get to, but also excited to
leave. The huge lake Wanaka is lovely to sit by and there are restaurants and cafes for all tastes, but it’s all
just a little overwhelming. Going from seeing fewer than a dozen people for days to a bustling town of
1000s is a bit jarring.
Of course there is much to love about being back in civilization. Catching up on email, messages and blog
comments is actually my favourite aspect of town, even (surprisingly) beating out showers and food for
top spot. My favourite thing about Wanaka is actually not even lake or food related though. NZ seems to
have something of an indie-cinema heritage and Wanaka has a 3 screen, licensed cafe/cinema. Featuring
several Morris minors dotted about for decoration, an auditorium where the seating choice was between
armchairs or sofas and more legroom than you could shake a stick at, I may have been ruined for cinemas
back home. I also particularly liked having an intermission so people can refill glasses, empty bladders (a
pressing issue when taking a pint into a lengthy film) and not have to miss any of the film. It also helped
that I really enjoyed “Darkest Hour” (Churchill biopic) and thought Gary Oldman was excellent in the
lead as a wartime Winston. I was tempted to stick around for another show, but it was 20:00 and having
not slept well for a few nights, I tend not to in towns, I was beginning to flag.
For all of my moaning I have enjoyed Wanaka. The route to Queenstown sounds demanding though, so
I’m keen to get it done. From what I have heard, after Queenstown the route gets less mountainous and
gentler, which is a welcome change. Some tough alpine days before then though. Wish me luck!
