WANAKA BOUND (ONE)

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:02]The sun is setting on what was an amazing trip to the friends Joseph and Fox Glacial Township areas. Tomorrow we leave on our way to Wanuker as we travel further south before winter arrives.

[00:00:12]This video is part of the caravan series and is the first of two for this trip to Wanuka.

[00:00:24]I never really know what's going on.

[00:00:32]Look at me sometimes like all you want to do is run.

[00:00:40]Hear me out.

[00:00:42]Hear me out.

[00:00:53]If you enjoy the video, please don't forget to press the subscribe, ring the bell, press the like button, and leave comments and ask questions as required.

[00:01:11]Tell me now. I guess I never know.

[00:01:20]Losing almost all my energy.

[00:01:26]>> It's confusing.

[00:01:28]>> Step one, wake up. Going to rise to the sun. Step two, get some good food in you. Step three, you grow hard about what you want to be. It's about 9:30 a.m. as we pull out of the Friends Joseph NZMCA. Morning is gloomy with low cloud and far less helicopter noise than we've heard the rest of our stay. I guess flying conditions are less than ideal currently. Today's going to be a good day. Wake up. Today's going to be a good day. Wake up. Today's going to be a good day. Wake up. Today's going to be a good day. Wake up. Today's going to be a good day. Set your affirmations.

[00:02:06]aspirations. I got to do. The aftermath of preparation, good mood, buddy.

[00:02:12]>> We will be stopping overnight at Lake Piring campsite to break up the drive to Wanuka. It's about 90 km from France Joseph with roughly 200 km left the next day.

[00:02:22]>> And if I make a mistake, it's called education. I try to do this every day.

[00:02:27]Call it replication. Wake up. Today's going to be a good day. Wake up. Today's going to be a good day. Wake up. Wake up. Today's going to be a good day. Wake up. Today's going to be a good day. Wake up. Wake up. Today's going to be a good day. Wake up. Today's going to be a good day. Wake up. Today's going to be a good day. Wake up.

[00:02:51]>> Lake Pinga is a lovely campsite right on the lakes's edge. It's a little tight for a big rig, but still manageable with care.

[00:02:58]>> I'm barely breathing though. I always got to fight and hide from the demons.

[00:03:04]negative thoughts are poison they ride head full of FL so here come the clouds they'll never stop unless I can swap all the bad feel for the good in my head when I'm lost yeah so I'm a fake till I make it positive thoughts are overtaken I got patience one day at a time is how you operate gradings a flow you grow you show yourself a foundation stay away from all the that causes temptation I know that I like to do it cuz sensation. I live my life in my head like a narration. Don't expect greatness. Do my best, man. I'll take it. Wake up. Today's going to be a good day. Wake up. Today's going to be a good day. Wake up. Today's going to be a good day. Wake up. Today's going to be a good day. Wake up. Today's going to be a good day. Wake up. Today's going to be a good day. Wake up. Today's going to be a good day. Wake up. Today's going to be a good day.

[00:04:06]>> Go rise in the sun. Step two, get some good. Step three, grow hard about what you want to be. Step four, everybody just do your thing.

[00:04:25]The next day, we leave Pinga around 9:30 and continue on to Wanuka. Along the way, we plan to stop at two or three waterfalls, starting with Roaring Billy Falls.

[00:05:01]Is that 25 minutes each way or I think it is so 50 minutes.

[00:05:14]Oh, it says 1 kilometer return.

[00:05:18]I can do a kilometer in 15 minutes quite easy.

[00:05:35]Well, that's been attacked.

[00:05:37]>> This tree is draped in moss with a few vines hanging through it. Something you will often see in New Zealand's rainforests.

[00:05:43]>> It hasn't. That's bark with moss on it.

[00:06:15]come up to meet you. Yeah. Yeah. I'm sorry.

[00:06:23]>> If the weather hadn't been quite so dry, I think this would have looked a lot more dramatic. It's still beautiful, but not quite as wild as the name suggests.

[00:06:32]>> I need you.

[00:06:35]I set you aart.

[00:06:41]Tell me your secrets and ask me your questions.

[00:06:48]Oh, let's go.

[00:06:48]>> I'm glad we stopped to see this waterfall. And now we're heading on to Fantel Falls, which I expect will be less impressive, but we shall see.

[00:06:57]>> Fantel Falls is about half an hour further along our route. We'll skip Thunderf Falls on the way as we need to get to Albert Town and Monica.

[00:07:07]Nobody said it was easy.

[00:07:13]It's such a shame for us to fall.

[00:07:20]Nobody said it was easy.

[00:07:27]No one ever said it would be this hard.

[00:07:36]Oh, take me back to the star.

[00:08:00]This is fantastic. I was completely wrong. Fantel Falls is stunning and far more dramatic and beautiful than Roaring Billy Falls.

[00:08:10]Numbers and fingers pulling the puzzles apart.

[00:08:19]Questions of science.

[00:08:23]Science of progress will speak as loud as my heart.

[00:08:32]Tell me you love me. Come back and hold me.

[00:08:39]Oh, I rush to the star.

[00:08:46]Running in cles, chasing tails.

[00:08:52]Coming back as we are.

[00:08:58]Nobody said it was easy.

[00:09:05]Oh, it's such a shame for us to part.

[00:09:11]Nobody said it was easy.

[00:09:18]No one ever said it would be so hard.

[00:09:27]I'm going back to the star.

[00:09:51]After a little more time on the road, the northern end of Lake Wanuker appeared as if by magic. This is one of two glacial lakes formed 10,000 to 20,000 years ago by huge glaciers advancing from the main divide of the southern Alps.

[00:10:09]A little farther on, the road turns left and another lake comes into view on the opposite side of the car. This is Lake Har and the narrow strip of land between the mountains the road passes through is known as the neck.

[00:10:27]Thousands of years ago, the glaces which were at their peak were so deep that they merged over the rocky ridge known today as the neck.

[00:10:39]As the global climate warmed, the glaciers melted and retracted. They left behind massive piles of rocky debris and gravel known as terminal moranes. These morane mounds acted as natural dams, trapping the melt water from escaping, forming the two lakes here today.

[00:10:56]Lake Monica is 45 km long, 10 km wide at its widest point, and has a surface area of about 192 km. Its average depth is just under 100 m, with its deepest point greater than 350 m.

[00:11:14]>> Lake Har is 35 km long, 8 km wide at its widest point, and has a surface area of about 145 km. Its average depth is just over 160 m with its deepest point greater than 390 m.

[00:11:31]>> To the star running cles coming >> Lake Haria is the main water catchment supplying the Clyde and Roxboro hydroelect electric generation power stations.

[00:11:48]Nobody said >> Clyde and Roxboro power stations combined supply roughly 9% of New Zealand's total power needs to >> like how and then Monica are New Zealand's fifth and sixth deepest lakes respectively. me this hard.

[00:12:16]Oh, take me back to the star.

[00:12:23]Whatever statistics may say, two things are beyond dispute when driving along Lake Hara shoreline, especially now the sun has broken through and lifted the gloom of the day. First, the scenery is breathtakingly beautiful. Second, we are incredibly fortunate to be here to experience it.

[00:12:47]I was just guessing at numbers and figures pulling your puzzles apart.

[00:13:00]questions of science.

[00:13:04]Science of progress that don't speak as loud as my heart.

[00:13:13]Tell me you love me. Come back and hold me.

[00:13:20]Oh, rush to the star.

[00:13:27]Running in cirles, chasing tails, coming back as we are.

[00:13:39]Nobody said it was easy.

[00:13:46]Oh, it's such a shame for us to fall.

[00:13:52]Nobody said it was easy.

[00:13:59]No one ever said it would be so hard.

[00:14:08]I'm going back to the stars.

[00:14:11]>> We are entering Albert Town campsite where we'll settle the van for the night before heading into the township to see what awaits.

[00:14:39]Heat up here.

[00:14:52]Heat. Heat.

[00:15:05]Heat. Heat.

[00:15:18]Oh, >> did you set the alarm?

[00:15:33]>> No, I didn't.

[00:15:34]>> I was just wondering how extreme you were going to be.

[00:15:55]side to side a tiny bit more.

[00:15:59]Maybe an inch or two.

[00:16:17]Take the third exit onto State Highway B.

[00:16:32]From Albert Town is about a 5-minute drive to Wanuka Town Center. Though finding parking may add another 10 minutes, is a busy, bustling town.

[00:16:51]As we drive into Monica, we pass puzzling world. True to its name, it looks delightfully strange. A place of illusions, mazes, and playful weirdness.

[00:17:00]It's well worth a visit, especially if you have children or a childlike side yourself. Secret stay on Highway 84.

[00:17:24]Heat.

[00:17:28]Heat.

[00:17:53]So this is This is early to midafter afternoon in Monica. There are people everywhere, but it has a generally relaxed holiday atmosphere feel to it. There are kayaks high on the shore, restaurants and bars everywhere, and a huge park to roam around at the end of town.

[00:18:38]Before us, the lake stretches out in a sweep of vivid blue, framed by towering mountain peaks and water that invites you.

[00:19:05]Heat. Heat.

[00:19:28]Heat. Heat.

[00:19:56]Heat. Heat.

[00:20:19]Heat. Heat.

[00:20:40]Heat. Heat.

[00:20:50]Heat. Heat.

[00:21:46]Heat. Hey. Hey. Hey.

[00:22:15]This video was a brief but memorable look at our trip to Wanuka in In the next video, we'll share our highlights from our stay, including the Wanuka Park Run, which is more of a walk for us, our ascent to Royy's Peak, a visit to the Blue Pools, and a scenic wine and cheese cruise on the lake. We'll see you in the next one.

[00:22:56]Heat. Heat.