Wanaka

Wanaka is a relatively small town, which has an amazing number of large expensive holiday homes scattered around it. Brian took us for a drive around them and one is speechless at the size of the houses and their beautifully landscaped gardens. We also stopped at the Hawea Hotel, on the edge of Lake Hawea, in order for Brian and Walter to try the local beer. We also stopped at the Working Man’s Club to see if their beer was better. I compared the local soft drink concoction which consists of half orange juce and half dry ginger ale and I confess I am becoming quite addicted to this drink and have given up my previous addiction of ginger beer. I am still drinking red wine in moderation!

On the Friday night we joined Brian and Suzanne, and a large number of other golfers, at the Golf Club. We ate homemade pies, which were delicious and it was here that I was introduced to the new drink. Brian runs the 9 hole competition and gave a good speech and lots of raffles were drawn and prizes given out. The golf course looks out over the lake and even I felt inspired for a few minutes.

On Saturday we went back up the Cardrona Valley and had lunch at the Cardrona Hotel. This is a skiing and outdoor sports area now but it once was a gold mining town. The hotel did not have any ghosts but it did have two huge fires (in the fireplaces) which we appreciated as it was raining heavily outside. Brian and I ate huge bowls of French onion soup which gurgled inside our stomachs for some time after. It was also very difficult eating so much liquid with a spoon.

We visited the Motor and Toy Museum which has the largest collection of toys and cars that I have ever seen. The exhibits were everywhere – rows and rows of toys of every description and rows and rows of cars, trucks, fire engines with aeroplanes jammed in between the cars. We were able to relive the experiences of all the cars we owned or our parents owned. It is a private collection, started by the father and now run by the son.

I would like to inform Mavis that it only rained in Cardrona!