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Day 12: Last Full Day :(
Today was another great day. We took our time in the morning as it was a little overcast. We stopped by our usual Curbside Coffee and Bagels for a matcha and flat white. We walked the streets looking for a Wānaka souvenir – the fact that there weren’t too many of these type sof shops…
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Day 11: Isthmus Sunrise
Big hike number 3 of 3! The plan was to get up with our 4:30 am alarms. We both looked at each other and agreed without saying anything that maybe we would just take a pass on this hike. After snoozing for 20-25 minutes, we then looked at each other and decided that since we…
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Day 10: Milford Sound by Sky & Sea
Big excitement for today. Woke up early to call the helicopter tour company (Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters) for the scheduled 8:15AM weather check-in to confirm the trip – green light! Upon arriving to the airfield, we weighed in and received a safety briefing. The first leg of the trip was a 30 minute helicopter ride…
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Day 9: No Whining, Just Wine
Today was our biking and winery day. Both of us were excited – we got engaged at a winery in Napa so there were already sparks flying. There was a bike shop next to our hotel so we went there first thing. We rented e-bikes and received instructions on how to use the bike and…
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Day 8: Off to Queenstown!
We took it easy on our last morning in Wānaka. We were going to this this place. It was awesome. We packed up and checked out of our AirBnB. There were still a few food spots in Wānaka to check off the list before driving to Queenstown. First, we tried a matcha latte at a…
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Day 7: Wāna Sunrise Summit With Us?
Our 3:30 AM wakeup call came quickly but we were both excited for this day! We had Roy’s Peak planned for sunrise, which was a 10 mile hike, with a little over 4,000 feet of elevation gain. When we arrived at the trailhead, there were already ~20 cars in the parking lot, but many of…
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Day 6: Our New Rocky Mountains
Despite setting early alarms, we slightly overslept and then hit the road to Wānaka. It was a 2 hour drive from Mt. Cook, and overcast with a slight drizzle. Obviously açaí bowls were on a must upon arrival. Drippin’ Bowls was a local food truck turned permanent establishment that had some pretty solid options –…
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Day 5: Legs are Cook’d
The beginning of the big 3 (hikes)! Over 14 miles and 4,000 feet of elevation were on the docket. With our packs full of snacks and water, we started on the Hooker Valley Lake Trail. This was a nice 6 mile, relatively flat, warmup. Each turn led us closer and closer to Mt. Cook –…
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Day 4: Now we’re Cook’n
Honestly, the hostel bed was pretty nice! Each bunk had its own curtain for privacy. Feeling rested, we had cereal topped with banana, peanut butter, and honey for breakfast. Our morning hike was Mount John trail. It had a little elevation gain at the beginning and stunning blue water views from the top. The walk…
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Day 3: Take us to Lake Tekapō
We woke up rested and ready for more! Our first stop was back to Riverside Market. We snagged a matcha and took our time with a little people watching, then it was back to the exploring! By this time, we had noted very cool street art on many of the buildings. These massive paintings were…
Wright to Wander 