Chapter 8: Hello from Wanaka!

2 December 2015

All of us were up early mainly because we could not wait to explore Wanaka! Lake Wanaka is actually the fourth largest lake in New Zealand.

Since it is so huge, you can go to several places to see the lake and take photos from different angles . Loving the blue sky and clear day!

This was by the road side. This is why I love New Zealand, you can stop by anywhere because it is picturesque everywhere.

Here to explore Blue Pools. So after our long hike in Mount Cook, I did not really want to do any more long hike lol. 30 minutes walk on flat land is reasonable.

A walk into the forest that I love. I loveeeee hiking simply because it allows me to see and experience nature closely. It is actually very calming for my hectic soul, so I prefer to walk slowly so that I am able to look at everything. I do not like to rush because this is a rare experience for me and I want to savour every moment.

The Blue Pools are located at Mount Aspiring National Park, a UNESCO, World Heritage Site. After about 20 minutes of walking (my speed of walking!), we could see the Makarora River! The water in the river may not seem as clear but keep walking.

There is a weight limit on this swing bridge so if there are a lot of hikers around, you may want to wait for a while before getting onto the bridge.

The gorgeous view of the crystal blue waters from the swing bridge.

Corrine who was the fastest among us was already checking out the river. I really do not know how she can walked too fast lol.

It was a little muddy probably because it rained a little while we were making our way there. Thankfully it was only light rain so we were not too drenched. Anyway, I came all the way here so I don’t care if I am wet!

The water was cold. If it was not too cold, I am sure there would be people swimming in it.

Some of the hikers did not go down to the water. You definitely should! Be careful of the rocks though, it can be pretty nasty of you fall and hurt yourself.

Or you can play with the rocks like we did.

I really like how we can take our time to explore. It was a little muddy and slippery and I almost fell (what is new for the clumsy me?) so it was good that I was walking slowly.

The thing I like the most about walking into a forest is seeing the uniqueness of trees and plants. I like trees a lot and sometimes, if you look closely, you may see other gems as well such as a mushroom, a rare insect, a surprise bloom, you never know. You just have to pay attention to all these details.

Judging from how this tree looked, I am guessing it must be really old. The texture of the bark was fascinating to me. I should have gone into studies about trees.

Our next stop, Fantail Falls!