A Summer Weekend of Adventure

It was inevitable that one of the first places we would visit in our brand new van would be Lake Wānaka. The town is just a short one-hour zip over the Crown Range from Queenstown or a ninety-minute journey round through Cromwell. If you are people like us (you know, the type who like to drag out every holiday and take in all the sights and sounds no matter how many times you’ve seen them before), I advise you to take the long way round.

We continued paddling along learning all about rogue tree roots, and spotting mystical ladies hidden in the ridgelines of the surrounding mountains,  powering on for half an hour under the baking hot early summer sunshine. A quick stroll around Ruby Island peppered with historical facts and we continued our paddle mission. We were on the home straight, heading into the wind but it didn’t stop the fun. As the sun so perfectly set over the mountains, we pulled up on the shores of town and saluted farewell to our new mate Austin.

I don’t know why, when, or how my love for quad biking came but there is something so exhilarating about pulling that throttle and going mental on a dusty track. We arrived nice and early at Cardrona Horse Treks and Quads.

Today was all about the horsepower behind the Yamaha rather than the beautiful creatures I could see down in the paddocks. Briefing over, helmets on, it was time to hit the hills. We followed the group carefully through the cow paddocks, stopping to listen to our guide and learning all about the local area. As soon as we hit the incline, we were on.

We made our way up and up and up further above the Cardona Valley, the views in just the first half-hour were incredible. We hung back to give the group some space from the dust tornados being produced from our wheels and it was in this time I put the pedal to the metal and buzzed out all the adrenaline I had cooped up inside.

Amazing, incredible, and so totally worth every second of inhaling the dusty ground. Safe to say when we finished the tour we looked like we had dropped out of the wild west. If quad biking isn’t on your New Zealand bucket list, let me heavily advise you to change your mind!

It started at the bottom. The bottom of a 60m high waterfall nestled in the hillside en route to Mount Aspiring National Park. We practiced on a small boulder, clip 1, 2, 3, 4 and move on. The process of via ferrata was drilled into us, in order to keep us safe while climbing the rock face.

Practice done, we hit the hill. A short walk up the hill leads you to the door into the Wildwire experience. An actual physical door – yes. Clamber through, clip-on and we were away. Five hours of climbing and pushing our physical limits await. The first level was easy, for us anyway. Enough height and manoeuvring to get your heart pumping, but relatively easy in what was about to come. We peaked at level two after crossing a three-wire bridge and shuffling our way up towards the waterfall. It was here we took a break and a breather. An overwhelming sense of calm washed over us all, we had nothing else to think about. Just clip 1, 2, 3 ,4 and move on. That, and don’t look down.

Wildwire was the gift that just kept on giving. A tremendous effort from the whole squad and epic feeling of achievement as I unclipped the last iron rung on level 3 and double high fived our guide, Mark. A small gap in the rocks allowed us a view down to the ground and Lake Wānaka looking even tinier in the distance. We stood under a canopy of trees as a river flowed beside us. It was like stepping into a woodland fantasy movie scene, simply stunning and otherworldly. So wild to think hours earlier we were hauling ourselves up a rockface and now at the summit, all I felt was calm.

It was epic. We just kept going, and climbing and clipping and climbing. We completed levels 1, 2 and 3 and managed the hour hike back down in record time. Seven hours to be precise, but seven hours of pure challenge and goodness.

Our jelly legs hit the ground and as I collapsed into the van cushions there was nothing more I wanted than a chill night by the lake. So guess what? I booked an extra night at the wonderful Glendhu Bay Campground, threw the back doors of the van open, and cracked a beer in celebration. I cheers’ed the air and the ever-wonderful Lake Wānaka for yet another memorable adventure.

I have said it before and I will say it again team: I’ll be back Wānaka, I will be back.