Sunday, August 19, 2007
Wanaka snow trip
Pics
http://luna.lsd.net.nz/gallery/wanaka2007
Day 1 - Rain and no power
Woke up at 5.15am and a taxi arrived at 6.10am to get us to the airport in time to check in to our 6.50am flight. We got to Christchurch airport at 7.30am and had a nice cooked brekky while waiting for our next flight to Wanaka. This was in a 19 seater plane. It was interesting watching the pilot and 1st officer flick all the switches and watch all the dials. It looks complex. The flight was a little bumpy but pretty good, I expected worse as the weather had been rough.
At Christchurch airport a staff member informed us that there was no power in Wanaka due to the rough weather. When we arrived at Wanaka airport the rental car hire lady who met us said that the power might be out for a couple of days! Luckily after about 1/2 an hour after we checked into the Lake Wanaka Holiday Park the power came back on. Whew.
We drove to the supermarket to get some supplies for the week. It rained all day so we couldn't do much else but drink wine, eat yummy cheese and crackers and read. Fab! Actually the rain did ease later on and so we went for a walk to the town centre via the lake front. We could see a peep of the mountains...a taste of what was to come. The shops were cool and I bought a tshirt and some trousers, both on sale. We also checked out what gigs were going on. Unfortunately Shapeshifter had sold out but we did get to buy tickets for Pitch Black and Minuet. Cool. There seems to be more live music gigs in Wanaka than Wellington! We thought we'd make the most of it.
Day 2 - Bloody chains and Pitch Black
The day dawned much brighter so we decided to drive up to Snow Park to watch the Burton Open snowboarding comp. Unfortunately our plans were foiled as we needed to fit chains but were not successful in our attempts and managed to damage the chains. Bummer! We went back to the hire place to fess up and get new chains and booked a 4 wheel drive car for the second half of the week.
We didn't fancy trying to drive up again so we went for a lovely walk along the lake front to brighten our spirits. The scenery in Wanaka is stunning. It's certainly one of the most beautiful places in the world. We enjoyed our walk and had a lovely lunch at Kai Whakapai cafe/bar. We overhead that it was crazy busy at both the Cardrona and Treble Cone ski fields so we were glad we didn't rush up the mountain.
That evening we went for a drink at a lovely small bar above Kai Whakapai and then on to Shooters for the Pitch Black gig. We stayed only for a short while before heading back to our cabin as we knew we had a big day ahead of us.
Days 3 and 4 - Bluebird days at Cardrona
We drove up to Cardrona and a nice Aussie guy helped us fit our chains. The mountain roads are not sealed so are a bit challenging.
Once we got up to the field we both booked into lessons. They were extremely valuable. I have been skiing for a little while now but have only had one lesson and had picked up bad habits. I can now say I'm at intermediate level. Yay!
There had been a good dump of snow over the weekend so the snow was perfect. Very forgiving and a delight to ski on. Joe was in heaven!
It was just as good the next day although as I didn't take a lesson I did more runs and got more tired. Practice makes perfect though eh.
Day 5 - Treble Cone
The scenery on the way to Treble Cone and once you get up there is breathtakingly beautiful. We didn't get to a great start as I had stupidly turned on the windscreen wipers when it still had ice on it and the rubber came off one of them. Luckily we went to the nearest mechanic and they replaced the rubber for a mere $5.50. Whew.
I had heard that the slopes on this field were challenging so decided to take another lesson which was great. After the lesson I decided to chill out in the cafe and enjoyed reading my book. Joe had a great time trying the more challenging runs.
There were keas in the carpark. Luckily they weren't eating the rubber on the cars like you see on some nature shows....or was it an ad? Anyway, they behaved pretty well.
When I was buying my lift pass I heard a big boom. I'd never heard anything like it before. It was a military plane flying low overhead. Crazy!
We exchanged our 2 wheel drive Mazda Capella for a 4 wheel drive Nissan Terrano. I had never driven a 4wd car before so it was interesting to feel the difference.
Day 6 - Cardrona again
The conditions weren't as perfect on this day so we decided to go easy on ourselves and go back to Cardrona. This was my best day for skiing as I felt much more in control on the step bits. We enjoyed the Captains side of the field.
When we got back down the mountain I returned my skis and we did some more shopping. That evening we went to see Miniut. This time we were able to stay for the whole set and the enjoyment was even more sweet as I felt like I deserved a good night out. Driving up the mountain early every day and skiing takes a lot of effort! But it's worth it.
Day 7 - Day off - Arrowtown, Queenstown and hot pools
Today we did some sightseeing. We first went to Arrowtown which was very quaint with lovely old wooden cottages and a cute main street with touristy shops. We had a lovely lunch in a nice cafe and then checked out a couple of arty shops. One stocked the tiles that my boss' husband's family makes and the manager said they were selling well. Check them out here - http://www.porteoustiles.co.nz/
We then drove to Queenstown. I felt like I wasn't in New Zealand anymore. It was very flash and there are a lot of new carbon copy apartments/rental properties lining the lakeside. The shops were very good and Joe bought a helmet and new Anon goggles. Pretty cool.
Before we got here I hadn't heard of the cool snow gear like Anon goggles (apparently a Burton brand), Skullcandy headphones or Nixon watches. You can spend a lot of money on this stuff!!
At the end of the day we went to the Oakridge hot pools and spas. It was heaven to soak in the hot water in a nicely landscaped environment. Fantastic...and my body thanked me for it.
That night we went to a restaurant called Tilikum which is the restaurant in Mt Aspiring Hotel. We dined alongside the Austrian ski team as they were staying at the hotel. Cool.
Day 8 - Snow Park Billibong Slopestyle comp and MTV gig
We caught the free bus up to Snow Park (an internationally acclaimed terrain park) to watch the Billibong comp. It was great to see highly skilled boarders strut their stuff. The park is set up well for viewing the action. All the kids up there had really fancy gear that I felt a bit out of place.
In the evening MTV put on a gig with The Mint Chicks, Savage and Mareko and Lupe Fiasco (an MC who I had never heard of but to the yoof seemed to be the bees knees). It was worth the long wait. A pretty cool venue....in both meanings of the word!
Had a wait ages for the bus back to Wanaka but got back in the end and had a nice Mexican meal.
Day 8 - Puzzling World and back home
Went to Puzzling World in the morning which was fun. If you are ever in Wanaka it is worth a visit. I think we completed the maze challenge in just over 30 minutes. The illusion rooms are fab.
What a wonderful holiday. We are keen to go back...it would be great to convince a few friends to come along too.
(1) comments
http://luna.lsd.net.nz/gallery/wanaka2007
Day 1 - Rain and no power
Woke up at 5.15am and a taxi arrived at 6.10am to get us to the airport in time to check in to our 6.50am flight. We got to Christchurch airport at 7.30am and had a nice cooked brekky while waiting for our next flight to Wanaka. This was in a 19 seater plane. It was interesting watching the pilot and 1st officer flick all the switches and watch all the dials. It looks complex. The flight was a little bumpy but pretty good, I expected worse as the weather had been rough.
At Christchurch airport a staff member informed us that there was no power in Wanaka due to the rough weather. When we arrived at Wanaka airport the rental car hire lady who met us said that the power might be out for a couple of days! Luckily after about 1/2 an hour after we checked into the Lake Wanaka Holiday Park the power came back on. Whew.
We drove to the supermarket to get some supplies for the week. It rained all day so we couldn't do much else but drink wine, eat yummy cheese and crackers and read. Fab! Actually the rain did ease later on and so we went for a walk to the town centre via the lake front. We could see a peep of the mountains...a taste of what was to come. The shops were cool and I bought a tshirt and some trousers, both on sale. We also checked out what gigs were going on. Unfortunately Shapeshifter had sold out but we did get to buy tickets for Pitch Black and Minuet. Cool. There seems to be more live music gigs in Wanaka than Wellington! We thought we'd make the most of it.
Day 2 - Bloody chains and Pitch Black
The day dawned much brighter so we decided to drive up to Snow Park to watch the Burton Open snowboarding comp. Unfortunately our plans were foiled as we needed to fit chains but were not successful in our attempts and managed to damage the chains. Bummer! We went back to the hire place to fess up and get new chains and booked a 4 wheel drive car for the second half of the week.
We didn't fancy trying to drive up again so we went for a lovely walk along the lake front to brighten our spirits. The scenery in Wanaka is stunning. It's certainly one of the most beautiful places in the world. We enjoyed our walk and had a lovely lunch at Kai Whakapai cafe/bar. We overhead that it was crazy busy at both the Cardrona and Treble Cone ski fields so we were glad we didn't rush up the mountain.
That evening we went for a drink at a lovely small bar above Kai Whakapai and then on to Shooters for the Pitch Black gig. We stayed only for a short while before heading back to our cabin as we knew we had a big day ahead of us.
Days 3 and 4 - Bluebird days at Cardrona
We drove up to Cardrona and a nice Aussie guy helped us fit our chains. The mountain roads are not sealed so are a bit challenging.
Once we got up to the field we both booked into lessons. They were extremely valuable. I have been skiing for a little while now but have only had one lesson and had picked up bad habits. I can now say I'm at intermediate level. Yay!
There had been a good dump of snow over the weekend so the snow was perfect. Very forgiving and a delight to ski on. Joe was in heaven!
It was just as good the next day although as I didn't take a lesson I did more runs and got more tired. Practice makes perfect though eh.
Day 5 - Treble Cone
The scenery on the way to Treble Cone and once you get up there is breathtakingly beautiful. We didn't get to a great start as I had stupidly turned on the windscreen wipers when it still had ice on it and the rubber came off one of them. Luckily we went to the nearest mechanic and they replaced the rubber for a mere $5.50. Whew.
I had heard that the slopes on this field were challenging so decided to take another lesson which was great. After the lesson I decided to chill out in the cafe and enjoyed reading my book. Joe had a great time trying the more challenging runs.
There were keas in the carpark. Luckily they weren't eating the rubber on the cars like you see on some nature shows....or was it an ad? Anyway, they behaved pretty well.
When I was buying my lift pass I heard a big boom. I'd never heard anything like it before. It was a military plane flying low overhead. Crazy!
We exchanged our 2 wheel drive Mazda Capella for a 4 wheel drive Nissan Terrano. I had never driven a 4wd car before so it was interesting to feel the difference.
Day 6 - Cardrona again
The conditions weren't as perfect on this day so we decided to go easy on ourselves and go back to Cardrona. This was my best day for skiing as I felt much more in control on the step bits. We enjoyed the Captains side of the field.
When we got back down the mountain I returned my skis and we did some more shopping. That evening we went to see Miniut. This time we were able to stay for the whole set and the enjoyment was even more sweet as I felt like I deserved a good night out. Driving up the mountain early every day and skiing takes a lot of effort! But it's worth it.
Day 7 - Day off - Arrowtown, Queenstown and hot pools
Today we did some sightseeing. We first went to Arrowtown which was very quaint with lovely old wooden cottages and a cute main street with touristy shops. We had a lovely lunch in a nice cafe and then checked out a couple of arty shops. One stocked the tiles that my boss' husband's family makes and the manager said they were selling well. Check them out here - http://www.porteoustiles.co.nz/
We then drove to Queenstown. I felt like I wasn't in New Zealand anymore. It was very flash and there are a lot of new carbon copy apartments/rental properties lining the lakeside. The shops were very good and Joe bought a helmet and new Anon goggles. Pretty cool.
Before we got here I hadn't heard of the cool snow gear like Anon goggles (apparently a Burton brand), Skullcandy headphones or Nixon watches. You can spend a lot of money on this stuff!!
At the end of the day we went to the Oakridge hot pools and spas. It was heaven to soak in the hot water in a nicely landscaped environment. Fantastic...and my body thanked me for it.
That night we went to a restaurant called Tilikum which is the restaurant in Mt Aspiring Hotel. We dined alongside the Austrian ski team as they were staying at the hotel. Cool.
Day 8 - Snow Park Billibong Slopestyle comp and MTV gig
We caught the free bus up to Snow Park (an internationally acclaimed terrain park) to watch the Billibong comp. It was great to see highly skilled boarders strut their stuff. The park is set up well for viewing the action. All the kids up there had really fancy gear that I felt a bit out of place.
In the evening MTV put on a gig with The Mint Chicks, Savage and Mareko and Lupe Fiasco (an MC who I had never heard of but to the yoof seemed to be the bees knees). It was worth the long wait. A pretty cool venue....in both meanings of the word!
Had a wait ages for the bus back to Wanaka but got back in the end and had a nice Mexican meal.
Day 8 - Puzzling World and back home
Went to Puzzling World in the morning which was fun. If you are ever in Wanaka it is worth a visit. I think we completed the maze challenge in just over 30 minutes. The illusion rooms are fab.
What a wonderful holiday. We are keen to go back...it would be great to convince a few friends to come along too.
(1) comments
