Day #15. Lake Wanaka.

Dogs kill me.  They really do.  It amazes me how many times in a row they will run into frigid water, fetch a stick, and bring it back all giddy like it's the first time they've ever played the game!  That's what I did today.  No, no, no… I didn't swim out after any sticks.  I sat on the bank of Lake Wanaka for 2 hours reading my Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest book.  And whenever I looked up, that chocolate brown, curly haired dog was at it again.  He was really cute.  Ike was his name.

That is pretty much all I did today.  Just sat around.  Almost missed the bus this morning.  Alan (the Magic driver I've been with lately, for those who don't remember) had told me 8 am, but it was actually 7:45 am.  Talk about stressed out!!  Franz Joseph is cool and all but I did not want to spend another night and throw off my entire itinerary for the next 1 1/2 weeks.  When Rachel came running into the kitchen and said, "Heather! the bus is leaving!!", I grabbed all 3 backpacks, 1 tote bag, plus my freshly made egg sandwich, and beelined it out to the curb.

The bus ride to Wanaka was about 5 hours with a few cafe/restroom stops that aren't worth mentioning.  The weather was actually really bad for once.  Super overcast so we couldn't see anything at the overlooks.  Alan wasn't talking quite as much this morning, but he did have his one playlist looping (like it has been for the past 4 days).  Johnny Cash, Simon & Garfunkle, and Red Hot Chili Peppers seem to be his fav bands.  I was so caught up in my book it really didn't matter what was playing anyway.  It's getting SO GOOD!  Must have read 100 pages just on the ride over.  Kept looking up, though, every so often to see the scenery.  Again, I have to say that it's astounding how ruggedly beautiful the South Island is.

When we rounded the corner and Alan announced "Lake Wanaka!" I think every camera on the bus was ripped out of its case.  The lake was just gorgeous.  Framed by the mountains, reflecting the sky, hardly a ripple anywhere.  It looked like glass, or a lapis lazuli stained window.  I was sitting next to an Asian girl who of course recorded the whole thing on her video camera.  As soon as that lake came into view, I knew I had made the right decision to spend the night there.  Only about 8 of us got off the packed bus to stay overnight in Wanaka.  As soon as I checked into my room, I got out to the lake and just relaxed for once!  And watched Ike play fetch :)

I am no longer afraid of bed bugs.  Another devil bug has taken its place: the sand fly.  I've read so many stories of these horrible creatures eating people's skin alive that I have a deathly fear of them now!  I carry a bottle of deet everywhere I go.  Today I met my first sandfly and it was not pretty.  After my lovely farmer's market inspired dinner of fresh garden salad and red cabbage sauteed in olive oil, I went for the 1 1/2 hour sunset hike up to Iron Ridge.  As I strolled down the path, I started noticing that little black things were bouncing off the sidewalk whenever I took a step.  AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!  Sand flies!!!!  I threw my backpack down, yanked the canister of deet out faster than you could blink, and started dousing my feet and legs.  But it was too late.  I already got a nice fat welt on my right ankle.  They say the bites sting worse than mosquitoes and swell up a lot bigger.  We'll see.  Despite my ample layer of bug spray, anytime I came across some sand flies I would dance around on my tippy toes and run like a football player in training.

After such an exciting evening, I treated myself to the homemade lemon cake I bought earlier at the farmer's market.  It was gluten free, had a beautiful thin layer of lemon icing on top, and little curls of preserved lemon peel.  What a wonderful way to end the day!  Then I had to fight over the washing machine with some Israeli boys.  I won :)

Excited for tomorrow.  The bus that's leaving Franz Joseph in the morning is picking me up at 2:30 in the afternoon.  I get to sleep in tomorrow..…. nice.  Queenstown is the next stop.  Can't wait.

Plan:  hanging out at the lake all morning… then to Q-town!

Budget:  $31 hostel, $10 internet card, $6 laundry