Wanaka: Quaint Mountain Village or Thrill Capital?

After winding our way inland through the Haast pass we arrived at the cozy town of Wanaka. Located right on the shore of beautiful Wanaka Lake and surrounded by Middle Earth time scenery, it is easy to see why people always end up spending more time here than they expected. I have very fond memories of Wanaka from my previous travels through New Zealand and was very excited about coming back.

Cinema Paradiso

Inside the Theater

After checking in at our very nice backpacker hostel our first stop was right across the street and the Cinema Paradiso. This mom and pop run cinema is a must do for any New Zealand traveler. The have one small theater filled with an eclectic mix of couches, loveseats, lazy-boys, and even a convertible classic car for seats. And it gets better. Halfway through every movie the screen goes black for intermission and the smell of freshly baked cookies wafts under the door. Everyone streams out to the concession to pick up their cookies and a beer or glass of wine before heading back to their uber comfortable seats. Last time through I saw Casino Royal here and this time Captain Phillips was playing. The movie was great, very intense, but I think you could see a bad movie and still have a good time at the cinema paradiso.

Skydive Wanaka

Coming in for a Landing

   It is easy to grab a cafe latte and hang out by the waterfront, taking in the scenery all day here. But we had other plans. After leaping 40ft into the blue pools the day before we were still on a thrill high. The weather had finally cleared up so I figured it was the perfect day to jump out of an airplane. We signed up for a 12,000ft sky dive and we couldn't have picked a more beautiful area to do it. After donning our jumpsuits and cramming into our tiny 10 person plane for a one way trip, we started to climb in circles. The views were amazing. We could see snow covered mountains on every horizon, beautiful lakes, and a turquoise river winding its way through the countryside. Then Myles and his instructor scooted to the edge of the open door.

Beautiful day for skydiving

Jump Team; Dai Mar, Jack, and Myles

  He was gone in the blink of an eye. Myles was first, then me, and Jack followed right behind. This was all of our second time skydiving so the instructors we were jumping tandem with had a field day. Flips and spins and a big screaming smile are what I remember during my 45 second freefall. It felt like we were falling forever. I remembered to take in the scenery as well, although we had plenty of time for that after pulling the shoot. Although the thrills didn't stop there. We spun, dipped, and dodged (all under control) until pulling in for a perfect standing landing. Everything about my second time skydiving topped my first. I wonder what the third will be like?

No injuries occured

Optical Illusion or Roman Toilet?

  On the way to the airfield we passed an interesting looking Puzzle World, so after diving we doubled back a few miles and drove in. A huge walking maze dominated the place. We accepted the challenge and promptly found our way...after about 30 minutes and help from some kid. Inside were numerous illusion rooms. Sculptures, holograms, and tricks on the eyes astounded us at every angle. One of my favorites was a hall of faces that followed your every move and a room where one person looked like a giant and the other a dwarf. I wonder if they used this idea while filming some of the hobbit movies. It was with difficulty that we eventually left Wanaka but knowing that Queenstown adventures were right around the corner made it a little easier.

Big Brother