Young World Travellers: Day Forty-One, Forty-Two and Forty-Three

We had a long drive to reach Wanaka and were greeted with lovely views of a pristine lake and the surrounding mountains on what was a gorgeous evening with not a cloud in the sky. We found a lovely spot to freedom camp nestled amongst the hills just outside the town and enjoyed the Diamond Lake walk that trailed nearby. The water was crystal clear and it was so quiet and peaceful, with the walk back to the camper being just as the sun was setting which made it very memorable. After dinner we enjoyed a clear night with the sky full of stars, a very nice evening to round off a relaxing and enjoyable day.

Our location and the clear skies meant it was a very chilly night but once the sun broke over the hills, it didn't take too long to warm up. We drove back into the town, stopping at several sites for some pictures and to enjoy the nature. A walk through the centre of the town preceded fish and chips by the lake for lunch, before we headed to the famous Wanaka Tree, which stands alone, it's roots submerged under the water just off the bank of the lake. It is supposedly the most photographed tree in New Zealand and it's not hard to see why, surrounded by the picturesque Southern Alps. Our campsite for the evening was the best we've stayed at. Lovely hot and clean showers with underfloor heating in the bathrooms, a spa with hot tubs and sauna included as well as free unlimited wifi - all included for a very reasonable fee for our pitch. It was a lovely evening once again with the sun shining and a little session in the spa rounded off another brilliant day.

Wanaka was an incredible place on the whole, one of the highlights of our trip for the both of us and we will definitely be coming back. Unbelieveable scenery, friendly locals, plenty to do without effecting the peace and quiet - what's not to like?

There have been several earthquakes around the globe over the past few days, and New Zealand hasn't escaped unaffected. A 6.1 magnitude quake hit on Wednesday off the coast of the South Island before a 5.1 magnitude quake was felt in the capital, Wellington on the North Island later in the evening. We were right in between where they hit so we didn't feel a thing where we were, but mother nature certainly reminding us of her presence around the world this week.

We made an early start on Thursday intending to conquer the 6 hour hike up to the summit of Roy's Peak but unfortunately the route is now closed til December due to logging, construction and lambing - a great shame. The weather had taken a turn so we did what we were going to do the next day and spent most of the day driving north, over eight hours behind the wheel in total, driving through Fairlie where we made a pitstop for fuel before heading back through Christchurch where our journey began nearly three weeks ago. We ended up resorting to plan B as our original freedom spot in Rotherham was in a grass paddock and very soggy. We managed to get in okay but with heavy rain forecast all night we thought we may have had trouble getting out in the morning. The campervan once again showed great aptitude for adverse conditions and skidded and squealed it's way back out the gate and on to the safety of the gravel road before we made camp in Waiau nearby.

This morning we emptied waste and filled the campervan with fresh water before making a stop in the very quiet town of Cheviot this morning at their library ahead of another day continuing north, with the port of Picton in our sights over the next day or two.

Highlights - Diamond Lake Walk, Wanaka Tree, the town of Wanaka