Wonderful Wanaka!

Wow, this is a pretty fantastic place if outdoor pursuits are your thing. In winter there's good skiing and at this time of year lots of walking, cycling, climbing and watersports to choose from.

We've had a couple of energetic days, with, first, a long walk along the edge of the lake (17km was about the day's tally in very hot temperatures - up to about 32 degrees - so a swim in the very cold lake was refreshing) and then, the following day, an excellent mountain bike ride on very straightforward trails along the Clutha and Hawea rivers.

At the end of the day's cycle we had a great evening with Graham's Godmother Sue and her family. Sue arrived here on holiday from Scotland 10 days ago with daughter Gillie to stay with her oldest son Keith, daughter in law Andrea and family. Keith, Andrea and their 3 children moved here from Christchurch just over a year ago (they were in the city when it was hit by both major earthquakes) and we can certainly understand why they chose Wanaka as their new base. We're finding it hard to leave but will head west towards Queenstown tomorrow for more amazing scenery.