Looking for a walk with less climbing and fewer people (notice what I did with the grammar lesson there) I picked the Lake Hāwea track I had spotted from the opposite side of the lake. First was an hour driving from Wānaka to the trail head. Most of this was on a gravel road which included several fords (almost dry) and a couple of gates to open and close. At the car park I met a couple who were cycling in to go fishing and told me how beautiful the track was and they weren't wrong:
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| Looking across to the main road and towards Mount Aspiring |
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| Sheep Station sign |
The first section was on a 4WD track that served a sheep station halfway up the lake (they also have their own airstrip). A couple of pick ups passed me on the way.
Much of the track was blasted out of the side of the mountain. The original track was flooded when a dam raised the level of the lake in the 1960s.
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| Looking north towards Silver Island. |
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| There were some running repairs |
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| Tree covered Silver Island. My destination round The Peninsula behind it. |
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| The view looking back to Silver Island from The Peninsula |
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| The campsite |
The campsite was a clearing in the trees with a toilet nearby. Met the anglers by the river just as they were leaving. No-one else around and I don't think the site is much used.
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| The Dingle Burn - you have to ford it to continue along the lake |
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Enjoying the solitude
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View north
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I had a quiet and relaxing time there, decided against any further side trails and just enjoyed the calm. Listened to the birds and the frogs (or toads?). Paradise Shelduck and terns (making me feel at home).
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| Cooling the feet |
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| On the way back |
A fantastic break. Then some quiet time in Wānaka meeting up with basketball contacts of long ago...
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