Wanaka, Day 2: glaciers and sheep and carrot cake, oh my.

The plan was to get up early this morning and head to Rob Roy Glacier, since the weather was a little questionable. But I think the last week was catching up with me and instead of rushing out, I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and coffee and hit the road around 9am.

"The road" ended up being 50km of driving, 30km of which was on a gravel road and the last 10km of which involved fords (fortunately dry creek beds). Rappelling, rock climbing, treacherous/slippery/steep/alpine hikes, canyon swinging - whatever. That drive was probably the most stressful activity I would perform on this entire trip.

OK!

after 30km of gravel road, a warning

Finally headed out to the trail around 11am. It started steep and leveled off, all through a lovely beech forest with the river running constantly right next to the trail.

I want to live in a van...

And then suddenly Rob Roy Glacier was right there.

not a bad lunch spot

A few more switchbacks and I was a bit closer - but not too close. I ate my PB&J and marveled at the beauty around me, then headed slowly back just as the rain started. And then stopped and started and stopped and started and stopped.

looking back down the valley

The weather has been amazing this whole trip, and if the only bad day is Friday when I'm supposed to hike Tongariro Alpine Crossing, so be it. I cannot complain.

On the drive back I was treated to an unstaged sheep herding...

New Zealand traffic jam

...and a deer herding (complete with one lone confused sheep running alongside the deer).

just a cute sheepie, not related to the
aforementioned deer herding story

Back at the hostel I cleaned up and went for a coffee, which turned into a flat white and "famous" carrot cake at Ritual Cafe...

it REALLY IS THAT GOOD

... and then a few glasses of wine overlooking Lake Wanaka.

hey, it was happy hour and I was happy

I was in an amazing place, had seen some amazing things in/around this place, and the hostel and the hostel staff had found my iPod that I was sure was lost and gone forever. What was there not to be happy about? Other than the nearing end of my vacation, of course...