Wanaka, Wilderness & Penguins FARZANA CONTRACTOR drives to Wanaka a pretty lakeside town and onwards to The Wilderness Lodge near Haast, in the middle of rainforest where every year penguins comes to breed. About the best way to see New Zealand and more particularly the South Island is to travel by road, self drive in a good vehicle, an SUV preferably. That is what I did once I was done with Queenstown. Had a good breakfast and was on my way, driving north towards Wanaka. Part of the road was already familiar, having been down this way first to go to the Bungy Centre and again another day in the Jag to do Arrowtown. But it is past Arrowtown that you swing off the main road and go up what we would call a �ghat� in India, like if we drove to Panchgani or Mahableshwar. An enjoyable twisty road up the mountain, almost secluded. The drive to Wanaka takes about an hour and a half, if you make halts to shoot pictures. It is the gateway to the Mt. Aspiring National Park, internationally renowned for its glaciers and magnificent tramping and climbing. As you drive into this town, you see that the most dominant aspect of the place is the beautiful Lake Wanaka, and it is there everywhere to greet you. The town itself features a pretty shopping village with a lot of open spaces to relax in. The pace of this place is most laid back. People strolling along, someone walking a dog, a group sitting outside a caf� drinking beer. It�s a pretty place no doubt. And it is just as popular with overseas people as it is with the New Zealander. I was told at the peak of summer it is so crowded you won�t recognize the place. The lake beaches are home to sun-seekers. It is considered the second resort town after Queenstown and the township offers all the outdoor adventure and indoor luxury to make it a haven for people in search of the good life. The variety of activities in Lake Wanaka is huge with choices to suit all tastes and budgets. The airport offers tandem skydiving. In winter, there is skiing and heli skiing in the surrounding mountains which boast of four internationally rated ski fields. I opted to stay not at a hotel but at a serviced apartment in this town. The Lakeside Apartments are located at a stone�s throw from the lake edge and have spacious one, two and three bedroom apartments. There are times when it is a great deal of fun to go to the local super market and pick up fresh vegetables and fruits and meat and cook up a meal. Which is what I did. Mushrooms and Steak, fresh salad with Ceaser dressing, eight grain bread. Turned out staying at an apartment was a good idea. Eating dinner in the privacy of your own place in a large verandah, watching the moon come up. I went to bed secure in the knowledge that the car was safe in my private garage and that tomorrow was going to be another day of driving onward. And yes the next day I was on my way, driving towards Haast, to stop on the way at The Wilderness Lodge Lake Moeraki. The road on this route gets better and better. From Wanaka to Haast you go hugging mountains, pass over innumerable bridges with streams and rivers flowing. Here are some names that were thrown up� Sheepskin Bridge, Dismal Bridge, Chelsea Fall, Bishop Folly, Grave Creek, Dawn Creek, Kea Creek, Dicks Creek, and many more Creeks like, Stony, Red Jack, Butler, Vines, Clear Water, Hare Mare, Kiwi Jacks, Ribbon Wood, Bullock, Black, Cowhide, Horseshoe Bend, Flowery, Serpentine, Acre, Duffers, Woolhouse. The sweetest was Little Man River and One One Road.
The tranquility of the place is all encompassing. There are only 22 lodge rooms, and they are all ground level, spread over the large area. The rooms itself are modern and comfortable, offering respite after a long walk in the rainforest or down to the beach to watch some penguins. The Lodge also has a good lounge with the self serve coffee facility all day long. The view from here is most relaxing. Sculptured lawns going down to the river�s edge, where ducks quack and occasionally swim over to walk out to the lawns in search of food. Almost as soon as I reached the place, I went for a walk into the ancient rainforest around the Lodge, along with the other guests staying there. Swade, our guide pointed out trees like rimu, matai and the kahikatea whose lineage dates back more than 100 million years to the �dinosaur� forest of Gondwana. Beneath the canopy of these taller trees we discovered a myriad of perching and climbing plants, dense carpets of mosses and ferns and birds like bellbird, tui, fantail, wood-pigeon, grey warbler and tomtit that are common in these old forests. Most of the time I was there I felt it was all most unreal, the setting. It felt like I was part of a movie set that had been installed. The neat row of kayaks and canoes, the river, ducks and swans, the Lodge, no one around, the peace and quiet, birdsong� Dinner at the Lodge is quite a special affair. The Riverside Restaurant looks rather warm and inviting in the glow of candle light and Swade, the guide by day, turns bartender by night, taking your wine orders. You have a choice of eating by yourself or joining other guests. Either ways the chef excels. And then there is the historic Red Dog Saloon to head to, for a nightcap. Next day was going to be extra special. I was taking a picnic box and going with Swade down a forested hidden trail to a wild beach where we were hoping to catch sight of tawaki, the Fiordland crested penguins. The 15 minute walk to the beach and forest abounds in primeval tree ferns, kidney ferns, spleenworts and many kinds of mosses and lichens. We waded through four small streams and as we approached the coast we traversed through a tangled jungle of kiekie and supplejack vines before emerging onto a white sandy beach. A hushed walk along the forest�s edge we reached a spot to squat and watch these shy endangered penguins waddling back and forth between the sea and their rainforest nests.
However, a few moments later the two parted, one to go into the forest, the other to go back to the sea. And I saw a sight not often seen, a swimming penguin. The penguin going into the forest, shook itself and dived into the flowing stream and it actually swam inches past me. And I went click, click, click. Lakeside Serviced Apartments
Wilderness Lodge Lake Moeraki
PHOTOGRAPHS BY FARZANA CONTRACTOR |
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Well that was my past time while doing this journey to Lake Moeraki. The Wilderness Lodge is a peaceful retreat. It is located in South Westland in the heart of the 2.7 million Hectare Te Wahi Pounamu World Heritage Site and offers an unique experience in the largest unmodified rainforest valley on the West Coast. In its premises are beautiful ancient trees, the most interesting being an 800 year old Kahikatea on the banks of the Moeraki River.
Not very satisfied with watching the penguins from a discreet distance of 50 metres I requested Swade that we go and wait behind a fallen tree trunk and lie in wait to see one from close quarter. Our patient wait bore fruits and a pair came along as if on cue and passed us by. Its these moments that life seems so, so, so, special. I could have reached out and touched one of them, they passed that close. I stopped shooting pictures because each time I did so, the penguins would stop and try and listen and I could sense their anxiety and didn�t want to scare them.
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