We drove up, up, up a mountain above Lake Tekapo to see the observatory at the top. Wonderful views from up there.

Then we drove through more mountains to Lake Pukaki which is another glacial blue lake situated in front of the highest mountain in NZ, Mt. Cook (named after the famous Captain). We drove to Mt Cook's Village and went to the most wonderful National Park Visitor's Center. The exhibits were all about the sport of mountain climbing.

After a short walk to get an up close and personal view of the mountain, we drove on to Wanaka. Wanaka is a great little town located by another gorgeous blue lake, but this one has lots of boats on it, unlike Lake Pukaki and Lake Tekapo. It's famous for fishing and watersports. In the winter, Wanaka is a ski town. Obviously, the people who live here love their town. Who wouldn't?

We are staying in an RCI timeshare exchange at the Wynham Resort; we were pleasantly surprised at how nice our condo is. It is much better than the photos online. We even have a little private patio with a garden. The resort has a great pool, hot tub and outdoor grills for cooking. Everyone is so friendly.