I heart New Zealand

We may have said goodbye to our friends in New Zealand and spent countless hours returning to California, but there's a part of all of us that feels very much at home in Wanaka, something we can't seem to ignore.  I'm not sure if it was the ease in which we slipped back into the daily life, or if it was the countless friendly and familiar faces we saw around town or it was just a great family vacation.  But we've unpacked the bags, shed a few layers in the warm spring weather and figured out which way to look before crossing the street... yet we're all longing for another excuse to return, even if it means another 27 hours of travel.  

Skyline Traverse

Dan decided to do one of the classic Wanaka hikes while we were there, the "Skyline Traverse," starting in the Cardrona Valley and hiking up to the ridge of Mt Alpha and then over to the top of Roy's Peak.  The photo at the bottom is the view from the top of Roy's Peak.  The hike took him 7 hours from start to finish and he said the hardest part was the downhill.  We treated him to a beer after we picked him up at the trail head.    

Rippon, take 2

So the boys and I went to Rippon Vineyard earlier in the week and I sent a photo to my friend Debbie saying we should go, and used her birthday as an excuse.  Since Rippon doesn't sell wine by the glass, we "had" to buy the whole bottle, but thankfully Lynne and Debbie's mom Glenda, came along to help us out.  Truly, a glass of fine Otago Pinot Noir, a cheese platter, a view like this and some delightful company, what a great way to toast a Friday afternoon.    

Fall color in Wanaka

A few snap shots from down by the lake front in Wanaka.  The top ones were from a walk to Edgewater for a coffee and the bottom ones were from a play date at a playground.

Bremner Bay

Bremner Bay is one of those magical spots in Wanaka that's amazing every season.  I loved the picnics in the summer, the fall color and the reflection of the snow covered peaks in the winter.  The boys had a delightful time playing on the sand, the low tide provided plenty of opportunities to play.

Crown Range Walk

My friend Megan invited me to go for a "long walk" and after checking to see what would be a good option from Wanaka, we decided to try the walk from the top of the Crown Range.  (It helped that our friend Jeanie was heading to the Queenstown airport and was willing to help us out by dropping us off on one end of the route).  So Megan and I found ourself at the top of the Crown Range parking lot at 7:45am and started the walk up to the the top of the hillside.  You could see all of Queenstown and Cromwell from the top (all hiding under a dense layer of cloud), but we walked the ridge line and enjoyed the views.  The long walk took us 6 hours and we ended up at the beginning of the Meg Hut track near the bottom of the Snow Farm road.  I love that New Zealand hiking often takes you into very rustic places, while still being rather close to civilization.  And all we saw were sheep, no other people. We finished the walk with a beverage and a cheese platter at Ritual in downtown Wanaka, truly, what more can one ask for?

Lesley and Gareth's Wedding

Congratulations to Lesley and Gareth!  What a fabulous cermony and lovely reception.  We felt honored to be a part of it.