After our time in Okarito, we started heading south for our ultimate goal of the Milford Sound. The sound is actually a fjord, and one of the most spectacular in the Fjordland National Park. An area about 4 million acres that encompansses the entire southwest corner of the South Island. It is also the most visited because it has an amazing road that leads into it and has several boating options to explore it. Due to the long drive we stopped in two towns along the way, Wanaka and Te Anau. I knew very little about these before arriving, but I was very impressed with each. Wanaka was on my list because of a new game I heard was being played there – golf cross. Now don’t feel bad if you haven’t heard of it; no one else in the rest of New Zealand had heard of it either, and I had only seen it mentioned in one travel blog. Te Anau was on the list because it was the closest town to Milford Sound and had campervan parks.
Wanaka is located adjacent to a very large lake and at the base of the Mount Aspiring National Park. This place reminds me of a Swiss mountain town. It was a beautiful afternoon when we pulled in and got a great camper site overlooking the lake and mountains. The camp parks have had some of the best locations I have ever seen. We walked around the town, watched some cricket get played and even had some locals give us the rules of the game. The next day we headed off to the Rippon Vineyard to try golf cross. I’m not kidding, the game was played around a local vineyard, and you could buy their wine and enjoy it while you played. Now this is a sport!! The game does exist, and it is quite fun. It is basically like golf, but the ball is shaped like a small football, and you hit it into nets instead of putting into a hole. We spent all afternoon playing and the only others on the course were the local sheep herd. Very funny to be walking up a fairway and have all these sheep walking/grazing in front of you. Spent three nights in Wanaka and really enjoyed it. Check out pics on”Where are the Reeve Boyz”.
Wanaka is located adjacent to a very large lake and at the base of the Mount Aspiring National Park. This place reminds me of a Swiss mountain town. It was a beautiful afternoon when we pulled in and got a great camper site overlooking the lake and mountains. The camp parks have had some of the best locations I have ever seen. We walked around the town, watched some cricket get played and even had some locals give us the rules of the game. The next day we headed off to the Rippon Vineyard to try golf cross. I’m not kidding, the game was played around a local vineyard, and you could buy their wine and enjoy it while you played. Now this is a sport!! The game does exist, and it is quite fun. It is basically like golf, but the ball is shaped like a small football, and you hit it into nets instead of putting into a hole. We spent all afternoon playing and the only others on the course were the local sheep herd. Very funny to be walking up a fairway and have all these sheep walking/grazing in front of you. Spent three nights in Wanaka and really enjoyed it. Check out pics on”Where are the Reeve Boyz”.
The town of Te Anau was our next stop and our lowest latitude we will be at – approximately 45 Degrees and 24 Minutes South, or about 1,500 miles from Antartica. Only other land mass this close to the South Pole is southern tip of Argentina. Only spent one night here because we had to get to Milford to do an overnight boat cruise throughout the Sound and out into Tasman Sea. I had seen good reviews about this trip and was wandering if my expectations would be met. They were met and exceeded…..
Did Charlie get chased by any Sheep!
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