Wanaka

Good morning! 

 I decided to hike to Roy's Peak Track - rated difficult/expert. In 5 miles, hikers must climb a whopping 1,258 meters (4,127 feet) to the summit of Roy's Peak. This journey takes most people around 3 to 4 hours.

I noticed in the guidebooks that the trail was closed for about 6 weeks for lambing. New Zealand is still pretty much a farming community in many ways.

The scenery was magnificent The peak is named after outlaw-turned-hero Rob Roy MacGregor, who was known as a kind of Scottish Robin Hood. He explored the area and began farming in the Matukituki Valley in the 1870s. 

I crossed several of these steps to cross livstock fences.

This was one of the hardest hikes I have undertaken to date. I kept stopping to catch my breath. The trail zig-zagged relentlessly up in the steepest switchbacks I have ever encountered.  I made about 4 miles of the five-mile up when I ran out of water.  Forgot to top off my hydration system. Total Rookie Mistake! And to add to this sundae of stupid, I forgot to put sunscreen on my face.  There were no trees and no shade to be found on this trail, so I now look like Rudolph.  I decided not to add the cherry of dehydration to this sundae of stupid, so I made the supposed wise decision (not the heart decision) and turned around. I would love a helicopter ride but not on a stretcher. Although I only had a mile or so left, it was so steep that it could have taken me an hour.  When I looked at my Garmin watch, the temperature was 86 degrees, and I was soaked from perspiration. I didn't have a dry inch, including my hair, which looked like I just got out of the shower.  But it was totally fun, and I loved every minute except for not summiting.  Bummer.

The Thinker!

Incredible

So God gave me a different cherry.  As I was coming down, I spotted a young man unpacking his parachute for a hang glide.  I sat down and watched in fascination. I have never seen anyone prepare for a hang glide.

I

It took him six tries to launch off the mountain, which was so interesting. The skinny strings attached to the parachute reminded me of Cat in a Cradle if you know any of those string games like Jacob's Ladder. (For you yutes, this would be pre-video games or cell phones)

Finally, he got off the cliff and into the air.  

I am unsure how he learned to do this without killing himself, but it sure looked fun.

My final views before I got back to my car.

This magnificent art piece was on Lake Wanaka and entitled, "The Hand that Soothes you.'

This is a Grebe nest. There were only about 300 of these birds left and they were having trouble mating, so NZ environmentalists decided to help them.  They built nests that were far better than the ones the birds built for themselves.  Now the birds are fighting for them.   

Think the Beverly Hills of nests!

This is a painting of a male and a female Grebe.  The population has grown to over 600.  Every once in a while, we humans get it right.

Not a Grebe but a duck with a green bill and teal feathers.

Odd to see scissors in a garden, but what the heck.

I met Dennis back at our hotel, and we walked around a bit (OK, we had a couple of glasses of wine at a little corner bar).  Wanaka is a beautiful little town and the best place to people-watch.

We passed by a restaurant that was having its soft opening tonight.  I used every bit of my charm and then some to talk the Owner (?) into giving us a reservation at 5:00. It was worth my practically begging.

We started with a gorgonzola and pear salad.  Yum! And then a pizza of basil, tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella.  Double Yum.

The piece de resistance was a strawberry pavlova that was to die for.  Dennis and I agreed that it was the best dessert of the trip. The meringue was perfect, crisp on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. It was topped with strawberry mousse on which the freshest berries imaginable were piled. Heaven will have streets lined with this dessert.

As we walked back to our hotel, we saw this sign.  How appropriate!