“If you don’t like the weather, wait half an hour.”

We woke to a pouring rain. Since we had not gone down to Nugget Point and lighthouse the day before, we thought we’d head out that way bright and early. We lucked out in that the rain let up and because it was early (8:30am), we were the only ones there. This was great for tourist-free photos. Fred got amazing shots of the area with “moody” skies.

We were not so lucky with our next venture – Millennium Track. From the Beaumont end, there is now signage stating no access for motorized vehicles. So we circled around to the Miller’s Flat end and it was nicely marked. Although the road is one-lane, it is well graveled and they certainly allow cars on it. We went as far as the Lonely Graves and the road continued further. But it was pouring rain and we had no inclination to get out of the car to walk the footbridge, nor see how far vehicles are allowed to go. We wondered if the no access signage on the Beaumont end was to keep traffic flowing in only one direction. That would be a miserable road to have to allow someone to pass.

We followed the Clutha River further and arrived at the town of Roxburgh. Right on the main road is Jimmy’s Pies, “the Rolls Royce of pies.” Neither Fred nor I have ever had a New Zealand pie so we asked the girl behind the counter what is best to start out with. She suggested Mince and Cheese. We ordered one each. They were yummy and very filling!

We headed onward to Bannockburn and the wineries there. I had researched the various wineries and picked Carrick because it looked like it was close enough to the lake to have a view, and had a nice variety of wines. They also served lunch, which we were not interested in. I have to say I was very disappointed. The tasting room and dining area are all one. It felt very haphazard and disorganized. There was no view from the tasting counter, or anywhere really. When we were poured wine, the bottle was not left in front of us, nor were we given a wine list of tastings. Neither Fred nor I cared for the wines unless you went to the high-end wines (>$85). We left rather disappointed.

So we decided to give Mt Difficulty Winery a try. I had thought that since Mt Difficulty was so popular on the forum, it would be crowded. They are highly acclaimed for their lunch and I presumed that those there only for wine tasting would be less catered to. But they segregate the lunch crowd from wine tasting very nicely. The wine was great, pourer very informative and attentive, and hilltop views were outstanding! We really enjoyed this and happily purchased a few bottles.

We picked up some groceries in Cromwell and went on our way to Wanaka.

I have to say that the drive along the Clutha River has a lot of variation and the road is very easy driving. We went from pastureland to rocky and dry to mountains and lakes. It’s a road less traveled by the usual tourists, but every bit as beautiful as other drives.

Coming into Wanaka, we passed Puzzling World to save for another day and decided to hike Mount Iron. Going anti-clockwise, the trail seemed to remain flat and we wondered if we were on the correct trail. So we turned around and went clockwise to the trig. We then came down the same way so we could fully see the views. Awesome! No regrets.

We found Peak SportChalet with little problem and were warmly welcomed by Alex and Christine. The studio we rented is right next to the main house, but the garden gives you privacy to sit at the deck. The studio is very cozy, although the kitchenette a bit smaller than what we’ve been used to. All worked out by placing the cutting board at the dining table and I played sous chef there as Fred commanded the two-burner stove.

The Adventure Continues>>>