Our flexible itinerary showed Haast as our next overnighter. Bill wanted to get some fishing in and Alan, our man on Lake Wanaka suggested staying at Paringa. "About half an hour north of Haast. My mates look after the camping ground there. They'll look after you and the fishing is good" he said. Awesome! So Paringa it is.
A pretty good morning with sun and mostly blue skies. We muck about a bit, trying to fill and then buy a small gas bottle for the van. Cooking dinner last night, the gas ran out. No worries, we have a second bottle. Hook it up. Nothing! Great, it's empty. So we got one filled but the other one had an expired date. Excellent checking by the hire company! Again I am unimpressed with them. No bottles this size can be purchased in Queenstown.
But I digress.
We head towards Arrowtown, the same road we went to Wanaka however this time we took the route via Cromwell, so as to miss the Crown Ranges.
This turned out to be the most interesting and picturesque trip that we didn't expect.
We stop at AJ Hackett's original Bungy bridge over the Shotover River. Man, what an amazing set up with the main building, tourist centre, cafe and myriads of viewing platforms built into the side of a smal hill. International standard facilities for this tourist attraction. These was no lack of people jumping and going on the zip line. Oh how I would have loved to have done the bunny! But sensibility reigned supreme. The various issues I have with my body, (no rude comments thank you Danny) precludes me from taking any chances of further impairment! In other words, no go!
From Cromwell we found ourselves travelling through Lowburn and Pisa which forms the
Cromwell Basin. This areas contains the largest concentration of grape vines in an area bounded by the Kawarau River, Lake Dunstan and the Pisa Range.
What a fabulous feast for the eyes these vineyards are. Would prefer to feast my mouth with the wine! But ....
We stopped at Luggate (blink and it's gone), for a pie. Way the best pie I have EVER tasted. Bill was sensible enough to buy 2. Now we have had the best, we can stop buying them! Yeah right! But really, I must stop eating pies!
Past Lakes Hawea and Wanaka again, with amazing views every which way.

Damn, I didn't want this to be an epic read but it is heading that way! Anyway on we go stopping at various spots for more pics. Just can't help ourselves; another river spectacle, more autumnal coloured roadside tree, more lake reflections, more, more, more. What the hell, we love it!
At Makarora the road enters Mount Aspiring National Park.
We stop at the Blue pools for a 2km round trip walk through old lichen bearded beech/tawhero forest to a swing bridge over Makarora River. After crossing the river, we followed a boardwalk to a viewing platform over the Blue Pools. Then further on to another swing bridge to more Blue Pools bridge with great views up the river gorge. 
Another stop at Thunder Creek Falls, spectacular. However I did spot a strange Australian specimen lurking in the undergrowth that scared me somewhat!
We stop at the Gates of Haast bridge and look down to the river think of all the trout!
Through Haast Pass, which used to be the track used by Maori when travelling through to the West Coast, which like this whole drive is quite spectacular and on to Haast township.   The township was originally a Ministry of Works camp when the road was being built, but it has developed as a service centre for those living in the area. On we went to find the fishing spot at Paringa, as told to us by our fisher man on Wanaka. Well, there is/was a Paringa about 45minutes from Haast but no humans in residence nearby. In fact, no residence! No choice but to continue another hour and half to Fox Glacier for the night. Parked, at camp, went to toilet, got out the rum. We had an epic day, so you needed to join us for an epic read! :)