Wanaka to Te Anau

 Good Morning.  We had a three-hour drive with the most gorgeous scenery. Central Otago has unlimited beauty, glacier-carved lakes, and azure, endless skies. The scenery here is unequaled and acknowledged as so by numerous filmmakers who have used it as the setting for "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe," most of the scenes for "Lord of the Rings," and large sections of the "Hobbit."

So many different kinds of mountains in New Zealand, and they go layer after layer for as far as the eye can see. This area of mountains is called the "Remarkables Range," and it is remarkable!

We crossed over one of the main areas for the New Zealand Gold Rush.  I didn't know they had a gold rush.  But it is always amazing how much I don't know!

See those "W" looking things on our GPS: that is how curvy this road was.  You meet yourself coming.

We stopped in the small gold-mining town of Arrowwood. It was a find of quaint shops and lovely little restaurants.

Lunch was at the local bakery.

I had the Pesto Chicken Panini, which was cooked to perfection. Hot and gooey and delicious.

Dennis had a New Zealand favorite of Chicken, Brie, and Cranberry.  I had to beg him for a tiny little bite. Begging was worth it.  Both were so delicious.

The pharmacy was the oldest building in town, dating back to 1862.

Our hotel is in Te Anau, a stunning lakeside village.  I couldn't wait to get out of the car.  I was beyond tired of sitting, so I walked around the town for better than an hour.  I was most happy to burn off some pent-up energy. 

Look at these cute paddle boats!

Dinner was the best, and I really mean the best. Originally, when I walked around at 3:00,  there was a sign that said they were fully booked, but we stopped in about five minutes until 5:00.  I practically got down on my knees and begged.  Lucky for us, they had a cancellation seconds before I asked, and they moved some things around.  Taa daa Life is good! 

This vegetarian entree had a little bit of everything, including quinoa, roasted beets, carrots, onions, beans, and every other vegetable you can think up.  It was topped with tzatziki.  It was my favorite entree of the trip. I never met a vegetable I didn't like, and this dinner exceeded my expectations.

Dennis had blue cod beurre blanc, which tasted a lot like sea bass.  It was on a bed of crushed mascarpone potatoes and seasonal vegetables. He all but licked his plate clean.

We passed on dessert - sadly - but we were too stuffed.

Tomorrow, we have a cruise on the Milford Sound.  I really wanted to do the Milford hike, but you have to get reservations months ahead.  It is the most famous hike in the world.  I couldn't get that husband of mine to make up his mind until it was too late.  That aside, we both love New Zealand.