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| Campervan |
I’ve spent the past two weeks travelling through the South
Island of New Zealand in a campervan with two dear friends; Kat and Lou. Lots
of lakes, mountains, adventures, driving and lots of fun!
Discovering some of the beautiful places not given enough
credit in the guide books was especially rewarding. My favourite hidden gems
are:
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| Lake Mapourika |
Ottos Corner
A three minute walk from Mac Donalds Creek doc campsite leads
to a beautiful beach by Lake Mapourika. Swimming in the icy water was refreshing to say the least!
The Information Centre said most people visiting Franz Josef
and Fox Glaciers overlook a visit to this lake which is such a
shame as it is as stunning as it is freezing!
Cardrona
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| Cardrona Hotel |
Marked on the map as ‘Historical Hotel 1868’ this tiny town is
definitely worth a visit even when the ski fields are covered with spring
flowers instead of snow.
We called in taking the scenic route from Wanaka to
Queenstown.
The few buildings that make up the town; the hotel, shop and
post office were low, ancient by New Zealand’s standards and picture perfect.
The single story hotel had a few rooms and a big garden which
felt quintessentially British as we sipped our coffee and tucked into the delicious
homemade banana cake.
Popping into the local shop we chatted to one of the town’s
sixty residents. The retired school teacher now writes and illustrates children’s
books. Kat, a dedicated primary school teacher, couldn't resist buying a signed
copy for her class.
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| Lake Wakatipu |
Carlin Creek
Driving out of Queenstown towards Milford Sounds the
Wakatipu Lake glistens on the edge of the road. Stopping for lunch at one of
the many picnic sites we followed the ‘beach’ sign and took the steep path to the water’s
edge. The walk was beautiful but I’d not recommend doing it in flip flops (or
jandals at they are called here)!
The clear blue water lapped along the shore feeling more like
the sea than a lake. Even though I was tempted, I decided not to swim in this
lake.
