2 Geckos Travelling Australia

18 degrees, overcast and still windy. Sent Kerry a happy birthday message.

Across a one-lane bridge over Manuherikia River and into little village of Omakau. The sky is clearing.

Back over the road (50km) we have already travelled to Alexandra.

Checked out Chatto Creek Tavern, est 1886, NZ’s smallest operating Post Office and the Ski Fence. Old truss bridge and gold dredging was done in the river here.

Continued on - just got a photo of the bike fence. All relics now that Ebikes and electric scooters have taken over.

Took the bypass around Alexandra. Nice rainbow colours as we pass Monte Christo Winery (est 1864).

Bypassed Clyde township too. Nice view from up the hill as we near the dam. There is a freedom camping spot on the other side.

Missed this eagle on our drive through here yesterday.

Picturesque drive back along Lake Dunstan even with the stark mountains. We didn’t find out what that path was for.

Passed the stabilising thing - looks like someone wrote on it.

Up to the Junction then over the bridge and into Cromwell.

Big fruit on the roundabout - World of Flavour the sign says.

Found a laundrette and got our washing done. Steve checked out the big gas pipes from the cylinder - not in copper!

Onto a new road now as we head to Wanaka up the western side of the north section of Lake Dunstan. Lots of orchards and wineries along here as well as grazing fields.

I spy snow/ice on the top of those mountains.

The lake ends near Luggate and we are back to it being the Clutha River. The orchards finish here. Turned off to cross the river with lights controlling the one-lane Red Bridge. Nice clear water.

Pulled into the Red Bridge freedom camping area. It was also a gold mining area. Info board too.

Looking down on the bridge - needs a paint job to give it the Red Bridge look again.

There is a Disc Golf Course here too. I think some of the guys Dan plays with have been over here and played. You can see one of the ‘holes’ under the trees.

Back down the hill and over the bridge View of the river the other way.

Turned right and continued on to Wanaka. Sky clear now over the mountains - more snow caps and more roadworks.

Another steel eagle sculpture.

As we enter Wanaka there is a big shopping centre which is good thinking as there is never enough parking in the towns. Wanaka was a gold-rush service town in the 1860s - the settlement was called Pembroke then. The name changed to Wanaka in 1940 as that was the name of the lake. Popular alpine skiing place in the winter and just perfect the rest of the time to visit for water sports.

Down the hill to Lake Wanaka. They do have good free parking at least along the foreshore. We went around to the end to walk to ‘That Wanaka Tree’. The tree was a simple willow fence post driven into the ground in the 1930s but it then grew and has become one of the most photographed natural landmarks in NZ. They just had a big Ag fest that the couple on the Milford Sound cruise said was amazing. There is also the Warbirds Over Wanaka on 29-31 Mar.

Steve found a nice sculpture first.

It is warmer but not that warm that we would be going in for a swim like these people. Mind you if they are backpackers it is probably their ‘bath’.

Easy to see where ‘The Tree’ is - just follow the tourists.

Managed to get a few photos without a tourist walking into the photo. Chatted with a couple from Sydney who had just been to Cairns. We swapped ‘places to visit’ notes as they were going in the opposite direction to us.

Here’s one I got off Facebook.

Walked back then along the foreshore a bit. More snow caps – we are in the Southern Alps again.

Very busy along the foreshore so we decided to go around to Eely Point for lunch.

On the way though we saw people on the jetty feeding the eels so I jumped out and Steve drove around the block as it was only bus parking here. Yucky big black eels.

Continued on around the lake and up the hill to get to Eely Point. Nice spot for lunch.

I walked down to the water - fantastic view and lots of big trees.

Great map showing the two lakes - Wanaka and Hawea.

Headed back out. This must be new as it isn’t on Wikicamps. Leaning tower of Wanaka.

Over the Clutha River which starts here from Lake Wanaka. There is also the Cardrona River comes down from the mountains and Hawea River from the lake which has is a hydro dam.

Continued on to Lake Hawea via Albert Town. More roadworks. Rugged mountains of the Southern Alps.

Checked for the cheapest fuel place - diesel is up to 278.9c/l now.

Pulled off into Lake Hawea Lookout. More water in the dam since this photo was taken.

This dam is a storage dam for the Clyde and Roxburgh power stations further downstream.

Back onto the road and across the ‘dam wall’ towards the village. Drove up and around through the homes then down along the channel. Lots of water being released.

Back over the ‘wall’ - good view down the ‘Hawea River’ channel.

Continued on the main road heading up the west side of Lake Hawea. Slow through more roadworks which gives me time for more photos over the lake and the mountains. Snow and cloud on one end. Green hills to the left - beautiful views.

Turning west now to the north-west end of Lake Hawea.

Over the low hills of The Neck to Lake Wanaka.

Pulled into the lookout spot - hard to read the plaque. ‘Several times during the million years this area has been covered by glaciers which carved out the surrounding valleys and scooped out the basin of Lake Wanaka. The highest level reached by ice was 3000 feet about lake level. Several rounded rocky hills in view are ice-sculptured and Pigeon and Ram Islands were part of a partly submerged ridge dividing the ice stream. A small branch of the Hawea glacier joined the Wanaka glacier by way of The Neck, the narrow strip of land separating Lake Wanaka and Hawea. Glacier action and and down cutting of the Clutha River dropped the lake level thus forming a series of beaches clearly visible at several points around the lake. As the 30 mile long lake is 1000 feet deep, its bottom is below sea level. In the early days a Maori camp was situated nearby but was abandoned after raids in 1836. Minaret Station is in Minaret Bay behind the low rocky hill across the lake. Until 1860 beach forest covered the lower slopes.’

I find it sad that people have to put their stickers everywhere.

Fantastic view with a perfect blue sky.

Pulled off into a cleared area by the water near Camp Creek – boat access and helicopter landing site. The wind has picked up.

Walked along the road and over the little bridge over Camp Creek to find a waterfall. Can just see it through the trees. More cascades further up the hillside. Lovely and hot in the sun - could nearly change into shorts. Only had a t-shirt on this morning - nice. 24 degrees the car says but the sun has a sharp bite to it.

Back to the camper for a cuppa then continued along the lakeside road heading north. Spotted a couple of waterfalls off the rocky walls on the other side.