When we lived in Olney, we often used to go for a walk around Harrold lake and country park, a few miles up the road. Couple of miles maximum walk around the lake and a lovely cafe` to put the calories straight back on! We've been staying in Wanaka for the past couple of days where the lake is a tad larger and the walks can take all day! By Canadian standards, a lake that's about 50 km long is a mere puddle, but it's pretty impressive to us Brits!
This place has everything. Great weather - it's averaging 28 degrees currently, not much rain, a selection of water sports readily at hand, skiing just up the road and a good selection of shops. If we had no ties back in the UK, this would be a serious contender as a place to live.
Scenery here is beautiful -water with mountains is always a winner.
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| Looks familiar! |
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| Snow capped mountains are never far away |
Went for a boat ride around the lake yesterday. Stopped at Ruby's Island which, it turns out, has a colourful history. Named after Ruby, who'd fled to Wanaka after an unhappy arranged marriage and fell in love with a local farmer. Ruby obviously enjoyed a good party and in the 1930's when prohibition was in force (!), she ran cabarets and dance nights on this little island in the lake, all accompanied by illicit booze. Sadly the dance floor burned down one night and that was the end of these early raves.
The weather conditions and soil around here are good for wine and we went and tasted a selection from the local Rippon vineyard. Donna would approve as the vineyard is biodynamic. Apparently that means that it's beyond organic and run according to Rudolf Steiner philosophies of following the natural movements of the moon and sun. Seems to work as the wine was delicious!
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| View from Rippon winery |
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| Rippon Hall Winery - could be Tuscany! |
One of the many joys of this type of meandering existence is the people you meet along the way. Yesterday we were joined in the wine tasting by a guy from Ohio (his tip is never to drink Ohio wines). He's in NZ for 2 weeks, one of which he's spending cycling. Nice guy if slightly mad.
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