What a place for a road trip. It seems like every bend, every dip on the South Island roads reveals a view to die for. Stops are frequent and nature’s beauty observed in silent reflection. It’s not surprising that Chinese tourists from the likes of Chongqing or Zhengzhou are now here in their multitudes. Quite a change from when I was last here in 2015.
Popular places such as Wanaka are now transforming at breakneck speed. Development is everywhere and property prices have grown 18% year on year. The beauty is still there but Wanaka is no longer the restful, chilled place it was for so many years. Good for some, not so good for those who loved it as it was.
As usual we had mixed weather with some incredibly atmospheric days in the mountains. We skinned and skied, drank good coffee, ate delicious food (with a special mention for the steak at Mt Olympus) and generally had a very, very nice time.