Spending the day driving along the shores of Lake Wanaka, cruising to Makarora, stopping to take some photos or have a coffee… and living my best life 😉
Introduction
Re-reading my previous post (here), I realised that I kind of lied to you. I wanted less text and more pictures, but the post is nothing but long.
But this time, I swear, there will be less text.
Firstly, because I gave you most of the tips in the previous post. Secondly, because I spent the day driving and taking pictures.
And since I’m not going to write an essay about driving in New Zealand, which feels very incipide after the month I spent in the Balkans later that year (those stories will probably be published in 2025), I think I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.
So why Makarora?
If you are visiting New Zealand under time constraints, most of the time you have to arbitrage. Because frankly, most things are worth it.
And provided you know what to expect when traveling to New Zealand, that is, that wildlife and nature will be your main focus, then choosing what to do can be a challenge.
Do you want to go on a multi-day hike/trek? Do you want to go whale watching? Are you interested into to know more about the Maori Culture? Etc.
As my main focus was photography, I chose activities that gave me the most flexibility.
I would have loved to go on a multi-day trek. But for safety and organisational reasons I would have had to find a group. Planning in advance would have prevented me from making decisions based on the conditions at the time.
And remember, the Wanaka A&P Fair was going on at the same time.
So I decided to leave the hustle and bustle of this normally peaceful town and head for Makarora.
According to Lonely Planet, the drive along the shores of Lake Wanaka was worth the trip in itself. And the Blue Pools, just a stone’s throw from Makarora, were also worth a visit.
So I packed for the day, made sure my camera equipment was ready to go. On top I filled a thermos with hot water for Aeropress coffee if I felt like it. And I also got some supplies for my picnic and started the engine.
A little detour never hurts…
But before taking the road, I wanted to make a pit stop to see that famous Wanaka Tree.
After seeing a plethora of photos of this tree in all sorts of situations, sometimes with the Milky Way in the background, it was clear that this was an iconic place in New Zealand, or at least the South Island.
As the trick didn’t take much effort, I’m glad I made this little detour, which only took me about 30 minutes in total.
However, if you’re planning to come to Wanaka just for this tree, I think the hype might not live up to your expectations 😉
The road to Makarora
The decision was made to follow Lake Wanaka to Makarora and then on to the Blue Pools.
So let’s buckle up and enjoy the ride. Because today will be a treat
Cruising along the shores of the lake, stopping wherever we please
The road to Makarora takes about 50min. It follows first the shores of Lake Hawea.
Then, after about 35km, you pass a view point called The Neck, and end up on the shores of Lake Wanaka for the remaining 25km or so.
After about 35km you pass a viewpoint called The Neck and end up on the shores of Lake Wanaka for the remaining 25km or so.
Then, as mentioned before, the aim of the day was to visit the Blue Pools, a stone’s throw away from Makarora.
These are a type of water retention spots in the Makarora River, which forms natural pools of translucent water.
In the end it turned out that the path to the Blue Pools was closed, so it was impossible to see them. It seemed that some of the bridges had to be rebuilt.
Unfortunately, this information wasn’t shown on Google Maps. A problem I encountered many times in 2024 on various trips.
So don’t put too much faith in it. And try to rely more on the official website if there is one 😉
But in the end, the trip was clearly worth it. And as I had more time on the way back, I was able to stop and take even more photos of Lake Wanaka.
The light had changed during the afternoon so it felt like I was in a different place.
Ending the day where it started
I arrived in Wanaka in the late afternoon. After a short walk along the lakeshore to stretch my tired legs after a long day in the car, I ordered a takeaway pizza from Francesca.
The place was packed and after two Asian restaurants in a row, I was in the mood for something more European. So I took my pizza and headed back to the hotel to enjoy a well-deserved dinner and do my laundry at the same time.
What a well organized man no 🙂 ?
So I’ll leave here for today.
And as always, you can tune in for the final instalment of the South Island adventures -> here <-