A single pita, a cup of tea and it is back on to the gravel roads direction Queenstown. Panniers void of food and a largely downhill grade make easy work of he 60km from Mavora Lakes to Walter Peak where the Steamship awaits to take me across the lake to Queenstown.
In a fantastic setting the "outdoor capital" of NZ is rather disappointing. Go there to party at outrageous prices, bungee jump, or jet boat but what was probably a fantastic point to start off for fabulous wilderness journeys is now merely a tourist trap. One night was enough.
The road out of Queenstown is another story. A stunning journey up Gorge road to Arrowtown then up the crown Range, New Zealand's highest tar sealed pass. The road climbs a few hundred meters through a series of switchbacks before levelling off on a plateau that goes on for distance before climbing again to over 1000m all the while giving a view of a valley and lake. The reward for all thus work aside from the view is a 40km descent to Wanaka. Woohoo speeds as high as 77km/h with no peddling!