New Zealand - Wanaka to Hokitika

Yesterday we drove from Wanaka to Hokitia with a few stop offs along the way. After a morning run around Lake Wanaka (to the tree and back) we had a quick breakfast at the motel enjoying the view of the lake then headed out towards Hass Pass, stopping of at the Blue Pools on the way.



The Blue Pools were an easy short walk from the road lined with moss covered trees. There were a couple of wobbly suspension bridges that took us to the bottom of the pools where we enjoyed the stunning blue of the water, and the serenity of the stacked rocks. There was no explanation for the stacks, but we decided to contribute to the mystery by adding a couple of stones to some stacks, and found that it was very satisfying.













Lunch at the Hard Antler in Hass Pass really hit the spot, so we only made a couple more stops (a lookout, and Fox Glacier township for a coffee) before arriving at Hokitika. The drive was really safe and beautiful, which was a relief because this is the part of the trip we were worried we might need snow chains for. Not a snow flake in sight!









We made it just in time to see the west coast sunset on the beach, which was familiar to but different from our Perth beach sunsets. The Hokitika sign, driftwood, pebbles, and recreation of a "moored ship" were a lovely foreground to the sunset, and we were pleased to find that there was plenty of parking, just like the TripAdvisor reviews suggested (the TripAdvisor reviews of Hokitika beach are unintentional comedy gold).











We picked up some pizzas from Fat Pipis Pizza, and some beer from the New World then enjoyed a cozy night in at the hotel watching Tickled with the sound of the waves crashing in the background. Tickled was wicked! I really want to watch the followup to find out more.