After freedom camping near Cromwell, we were less than an hour from Wanaka. The day was FINE so we decided to enjoy Wanaka for awhile before heading to the West Coast. We stopped at an Arts and Crafts show in the park, and then we walked to Waterfall Creek along the south shore of Lake Wanaka.

Then we drove past Lake Hawea and the north side of Lake Wanaka, then past the waterfalls of Haast Pass. It was a scenic drive.

When we arrived on the west coast we decided to take a side trip; we went as far as we could go on the southwest coast of the South Island. At the “end of the road” – literally – we took a nice hike to the shore to look for the Fiordland Crested Penguin. We were lucky and did see them.

We are camped at Haast Beach Holiday Park tonight. We took advantage of the communal kitchen to fix our spaghetti dinner; our little campervan kitchen just does not have enough space to prepare that meal. The communal kitchens in all of the campgrounds have been great. Many campers don't use their campers at all for cooking, and they are good about cleaning up after themselves. Unfortunately, tonight was our first experience with the dreaded sandfly!