Sunburn to Snow!!



Lake Tekapo with cloud capped mountains

 We woke at Terrace Downs to find that it was raining and still blowing and was only 8 degrees.  Some brave souls were going out on the golf course there - we were due to leave after breakfast for our drive down to Queenstown.  It rained throughout the first leg with one 10 minute deluge which made driving quite tricky.  Fortunately as we approached Tekapo there was a break in the weather and, when we stopped to look at a monument to sheepdog there and a church with a stunning view over the lake, it was actually quite bright albeit still quite cool.

Lake Tekapo runs up to the foothills of the Southern Alps and is almost a 'Tiffany' blue - the photo does not do it justice.

The next leg took us past the next lake - Lake Pukaki - which is in the valley below Mount Cook, the highest peak in NZ.  At the time we could not see the mountains because of the cloud.  However, as we carried on the cloud seemed to be clearing so we decided to make the detour and head up the side of the lake in the hope of getting a sight of the mountain.  It was worth the trip for the scenery alone.  As we got further up the valley we were able to see some of the mountains, the snow on the top and the dry valleys that, after the spring thaw, must be torrents.  When we got to the hamlet below Mount Cook it started to snow!  We could not get a sight of the very top of the mountain as the cloud started coming in again. 

We headed back down the valley and resumed our journey.  It was sunny for all but the very last bit of the remainder of the trip.  We were driving through some stunning scenery and through the Otago vineyards.  We did not stop at any of the wineries to sample the local Pinot Noirs but there is a serious risk that we will give that a whirl this evening when we wander out for dinner in Queenstown