February 3, 2026
Lake Hawea to Wanaka
TA km marker 2616.2 to 2640.7
Hiked today: 24.5 km

The light rain that had continued for most of yesterday had stopped when we got up this morning but the sky was cloudy and the air cool as we set out to a nearby cafe for a bite of brekkie. Sondra stopped by for a coffee as she headed out and it turns out that she also plans to stay at the same hostel as us in Wanaka, also for 2 nights.

Today we just had to follow a nice bike path along beside the Clutha river to Lake Wanaka. We had frequent views of the clear, fast flowing river, and also enjoyed the groves of conifers and kanuka trees that bordered the path.

As we neared the town of Wanaka,  the affluence became apparent – big, fancy new houses with manicured lawns and well tended gardens fronted onto the river and there were nice playgrounds and a beautiful long raised boardwalk that was built to preserve the bird habitats on the sandy shores of the lake.

One very special surprise today was the meetup we had with our good friends Grant and Lorraine Pennycuik, who are on a short driving holiday in New Zealand. We knew they were going to be here, but thought it unlikely that we would cross paths. We all enjoyed dinner at Amigos restaurant who had on offer, Taco Tuesdays – $7 for soft tacos. We each sampled 3 from their menu. Hopefully we can spend more time with Grant and Lorraine tomorrow.