A VERY NICE SPOT

Ahead of us today was a 260km drive south through the Southern Alps to Wanaka in the Southern Lakes.

This section of State Highway 6 is known as the Haast Highway after the german explorer who opened up the route.  It tracks the path of the Haast River, climbs over the Haast Pass and then follows the Makarora River to reach the shore of Lake Wanaka.  The Haast Highway was the last of the great New Zealand highways to be built and it was only completed in 1964.  We were informed that it would be a real scenic treat.

We left Glacier Country just as a cool morning mist was lifting so we could glimpse the stunning peaks of Mt Cook and Mt Tasman silhouetted against deep blue sky for the last time.  After numerous single track crossings of rivers and creeks, we climbed the hills above Lake Moeraki to reach the Knights Point lookout on the cliffs high above the Tasman Sea.

Knights Point Lookout

The lookout is clearly popular with coach tours, and the ever eager photo hunters were torn between the beautiful sea views and the small group of classic and vintage Jaguars that had pulled in to regroup their tour.

We crossed the Haast River on the longest single track bridge in New Zealand. Fortunately traffic was light as our direction had to give way to oncoming vehicles.  A little further on we found a very nice spot on the banks of the Haast River for a scenic coffee break.

Haast River

Coffee Break at Haast River

On reaching Haast Pass, there were civil works in progress to stabilise the sheer rock face above the road as there had been a recent major rock fall.  The 'stop/go' man had placed a cone in the road and retreated to his shelter so we knew it could be a long wait.

Road Closed at Haast Pass

Eventually the road was opened and we were soon through the pass tracking the Makarora River towards our lunch stop at the Blue Pools Scenic Reserve.  A short walk from the road through forest brought us to a delightful haven where the pure glacial waters were indeed blue; a very nice spot.

Blue Pools Scenic Reserve

Back on the road, we soon met our first breathtaking views of Lake Hawea and then Lake Wanaka.

Lake Hawea

Lake Wanaka

On reaching Wanaka, we were delighted to find that our hillside pitch for the night had a wonderful view across the Lake towards Mt Aspiring, which is often compared to Switzerland's Matterhorn because of its pyramidal shape.  Undoubtedly a very nice spot for our evening meal.

Wanaka Top 10 Holiday Park