We started the day with breakfast at the Makarora Cafe. Bob had the "Full Cooked," which consisted of eggs, bacon, sausage, fresh mushrooms, hash browns, and toast. I had a smaller version, but it was just as good.

We drove back up Haast Pass a bit to take in the morning view at Cameron Flat and then to hike to the beautiful Blue Pools. The water in the Blue Pools is snowmelt and very cold, amazingly blue and so clear that you can see the bottom of the pools distinctly. It was a great hike.

Then we continued on our journey to Wanaka.   The route is through Aspiring National Park, named for its tallest peak, Mt Aspiring.

We came to Lake Wanaka which is a huge glacial lake and so blue. We stopped at a picnic area where a man having lunch took our photo. Then we continued alongside Lake Wanaka until we came to Lake Hawea, another gorgeous blue glacial lake. The two lakes practically connect at a spot called The Neck where the town of Hawea is located.  

After traveling alongside Lake Hawea, we once again came to Lake Wanaka and then the town which bears its name.   If I could live in NZ, this is the town I’d pick. It is charming, the setting is spectacular, and they have summer activities plus skiing in the winter. In 2012 National Geographic rated it as one of the top 25 ski towns in the world, and Lonely Planet rated it as one of the top ten places to visit. But here it is viewed as Queenstown's sleepy little cousin.

We checked into our campground, did some laundry, and then went into town to walk around a bit. We are staying here two nights, so we are looking forward to walking the lakeshore and visiting some shops tomorrow.