A Very Merry Birthday in Wanaka | New Zealand Road Trip

On our way from Te Anau to Wanaka, we passed again by the little town of Kingston, where we’d previously popped into a shop for coffee and wifi and found delicious plant-based pies. So, naturally, we retraced our steps and ate “butter chicken” pies for lunch, perfectly breaking up our journey. The entire drive was a little over three hours, which I did, giving Esme time to rest after her impressive navigation of Milford Sound the day before. 

We reached Wanaka in the afternoon, several sunny hours stretching ahead for us to enjoy. We spent more than one of those at the Lavender Farm. For a small entry fee, we could explore the grounds of the farmland, smell the fresh plants, and play games on the grass. 

There was a lot to see and do We wandered through a little town of fairy homes made by children, and reached a purple door in the centre of rows of lavender. There were purple tractors to climb on and games of bowls and checkers to play. Because it was a ‘lavender farm’, I hadn’t expected the wealth of farm animals we soon came across. Beautiful little lambs skipping, pigs sunbathing, huge cows hiding in the shade. We spent plenty of time admiring and being playful in the afternoon sun. Back at the entrance was a cafe and shop, where we decided to try out the lavender ice creams and sorbet. The sorbet was floral and sweet, beautifully refreshing after time in the sun.

Our campsite for the next two nights had a view of some horses across the road, who we decided we would make friends with…

The following day was my 24th birthday. Esme and I woke up and headed straight to the lake for a swim. We had learnt on our Cathedral Cove kayak that the most photographed landmark in New Zealand was That Wanaka Tree, a small tree that grows from the lake. Already, tourists were gathered and snapping pictures. Esme and I slowly stripped off on the beach. It wasn’t a particularly warm morning, but we’d had colder swims than this. We could feel the small, puffer-jacket clad crowd watching as we braved the water, wading in a short way before diving to submerge ourselves completely. When we broke the surface again, there was a smattering of applause. I grinned and called back to the shore, “join us, the water’s fine!”

They looked unconvinced, but impressed. 

Like some of our other lake swims, this one was also surrounded by stunning mountain views. I tried to take stills of them in my mind, wanting to store up the feeling of being there forever. I swam out to the tree — sorry to the tourists who were still taking pictures. There are strict rules to prevent people climbing on and damaging the tree, but I wanted to see it up close. To breathe in the incredible resilience with which it grows. Overwhelmed by gratitude and admiration and joy, I kissed the bark on its body before diving away. 

On the shore, we wrapped up in towels and made mimosas with orange juice and Prosecco we’d bought the day before. The orange juice was full of pulp and we had to chew parts of the drink but the thought and the warm adrenaline from our swim made up for it. 

Back at the campsite, we and Eve made pancakes and ate them as the morning turned from cloudy to clear. We ate leisurely and played a few games of cards, sitting in our camp chairs. That afternoon, there was a slot available to use the campsite’s hot tub, so we submerged ourselves in water again and relaxed for forty-five minutes (to recover from an intense morning of leisurely swimming and cooking breakfast…?).

We had found out the day prior that there was a winery opposite the campsite, and that they offered free wine tastings. So around 2pm, we headed over to Rippon Vineyard and climbed to the top of the hill where the land looked out to a stunning lake and mountain view. The sunlight lit the vineyard and lake gloriously. We tried six wines, a few of which we really liked, learning about the winery’s specific processes and the rarity of the grapes used. At the end, we decided to treat ourselves to a bottle of one of the whites. We left the winery and deposited the bottle back at the van, before heading into town. 

We had a late afternoon cruise on the lake booked. It was a ‘happy hour’ cruise, so when we got on we were offered a drink. After that, all the drinks had to be paid for but they were pretty cheap.

We made friends with some of the other passengers and after a quick briefing from the captain, we were off on the lake. We were allowed to roam around the boat, and we even explored the bow, where you could stand but the wind was too intense to feel safe (especially after a couple of wines!). We spent most of the journey admiring the water and mountains from the lower stern deck. 

We wandered through the town a little next, before deciding where to eat dinner. We found a cosy spot with a wide range of food options and grabbed a little table by the window. It was pretty busy, inside and out, and the place had a great atmosphere. I chose the nachos and we chatted and giggled, feeling extra silly after a few glasses of wine on the boat.

On the way back to the campsite we stopped at a play park and jumped around as the sun started to set and the sky turned pink. We went via our horse friends, too. I let one of them sniff and lick my hand but took it back again when I saw its large yellow teeth. However, because of the wine, and the fact that I’d been fine the day before, I forgot that I do have an allergy to horses…

I rediscovered this when, perhaps half an hour later, my face felt extremely strange. When I looked at myself in a mirror, I saw that half of my face was swollen and puffy. It completely changing how I looked, more reminiscent of the viral Bear Grylls bee sting look than myself. Esme and Eve were concerned at first, but when they saw how much I was laughing they joined in. Eve gave me an antihistamine and we got ready for bed, trying to wind down so we could get some sleep before the next day’s adventures...