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 ...