29/4 - Franz Joseph; Knight's Point; Lake Hawea; Lake Wanaka

Next morning, on the walk to breakfast, it was still dark. In the NE sky, just above the tops of the mountains, was an unusual configuration of the night sky, with the cresent moon adjacent to a bright Venus, portending another great day. After a decent breakfast buffet, we boarded the Intercity bus for our trip to Lake Wanaka.

Driving southward down the coast, we stopped at Knight's Point to view the Tasman Sea. Abel Tasman explored this area and Tasmania for the Dutch well before Captain Cook opened up the region for the British.

We also stopped at a salmon farm for a coffee break, and again at the half-way point of our trip to view the waterfall at Thunder Falls and to switch drivers.

The trip now turned inland and continued southward between two of New Zealand's largest lakes: Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka. Both lakes were formed by glaciers, and both offered spectacular scenery. Lunch at a roadhouse was mediocre.

The trip ended at the Edgewater Resort, beautifully set on the south end of Lake Wanaka. We explored the immaculate grounds bordering the lake before ending the day with a nice meal in the hotel's restaurant.