Down the west side of Wanaka

Our last day in Wanaka, we chose to go out West of town, through the country leading to the mountains.  The sheep were everywhere, grazing, frolicking, and if they were tired, they nestled into little coves of soil that the sun had warmed for their arrival.  There were also,several herds of deer, one group in the shade of some tall trees next to the highway.  They stand so alert and magestic.

Then a hiking trail caught Steve's eye.  10 minutes.  (Not according to my watch!)  It was a steep climb up to Diamond Lake.  But why stop there?

A nameless waterfall on the jet boat trip

Round Top from Lord of the Rings

If you climb 248 steps, that are broken apart 3 or 4 times by the same type of steep paths we experienced getting to the lake, you'll come to a lookout for the lake.  Gorgeous!  Greta and Steve took a jet boat trip in the afternoon.  It was a small boat and the trip was fantastic.  We travelled 21 kms up the Matakitaki river, saw a hanging glacier, walked a red beech hobbit forest, saw where the round top part of The Lord of the Rings was filmed, and where a snow scene from the new Hobbit movie was filmed.  We also travelled very fast!