On Saturday (25th) it was sadly time to leave Wanaka after a really lovely time there. However we had one more treat in store; Onsen Hot Pools. We visited them before on our first visit to New Zealand, and it was delightful to be back, they are so luxurious. Last time we were there in winter which was nice because the hot pools were a contrast with the cool weather. However this time, because it’s summer, the colours of the river and the valley below the spa were much more vibrant, with speed boats racing up the river far below us. We enjoyed our drinks and snacks and chatted and laughed in our warm jacuzzi.
We were only 15 minutes drive from Queenstown Airport so we were in plenty of time for our flight back to Wellington.
There is definitely a wine-tasting theme to this holiday! Today (Sun 26th) we drove up and over a range of mountains on a steep and winding road called the Remutaka Crossing, from Wellington to the Martinborough area, a very pretty wine-growing region. Again all of the wineries were very individual and beautifully designed to make you feel comfortable and welcome.
We started at Pallisers, then on to Poppy’s where a friendly young French wine expert was very helpful. Kerry took us to an extremely attractive little independent bookshop in Martinborough. Finally we went to the laid back and very popular Colombo for a pizza lunch where we saw some very cute and well-behaved children trotting about on Sunday afternoon family outings. The atmosphere was very happy and there was only one minor injury among the children! I drove back over the mountains as gently as possible with my sleepy carful of wine tasters. It has been another fantastic day.
No comments:
Post a Comment