Lake Wakatipu is nestled in the mountains of Queenstown, New Zealand. when we were booking our accommodations for this part of our NZ road trip, the question came up of "how much do we want to spend?" there were cheaper places available, but once I heard the words "lakefront with mountain views" I was sold.
we ended up staying an extra night here. we arrived early, thanks to a gale force wind storm that ended our camping plans at Mt Cook sooner than expected. my disappointment of having to leave Mt Cook and not being able to hike the Hooker Valley Track translated into taking a hundred photos whenever I could, because who knew if I would be able to later.
on the way downtown for dinner, on the way back from grabbing a drink, any spare time we had just sitting in our rental... I would grab my camera and dash across the road to the lakefront. so this is why I have a hundred photos of Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables mountain range. the upside of this? I was able to capture this lake in all her many moods throughout our stay in Queenstown.
bright and sunny on the afternoon we arrived, my sleep-deprived brain snapped a few photos from our balcony. I was grateful for those pictures when I emerged from a nap to find the sky turned dark and stormy. it was a little discouraging, but I knew we had two whole days left to see this city.
the next morning I woke to a thickly overcast sky. it was raining, lightly, but I wanted photos more than I wanted to stay dry. so I wandered the waterfront, walking downtown and back. it was misty and melancholy and seemed to suit the lake just as well as bright sun and storms.
that evening, the rain stopped and the clouds lifted just enough to show the peaks of the Remarkables dusted in white. it was the first time I had seen snow in three years, and in spite of the biting cold I was in awe.
thick clouds threatened again the next morning. I woke early and sat on the balcony, watching them recede while leaving snow- capped mountains in their wake. and then the most glorious thing happened: the sun came out and the skies turned blue.
we walked downtown and through the Queenstown Gardens [more photos for another time] and then experienced a stunning sunset from atop the Queenstown Gondola. of course, we got stuck on the way down, but the views were still worth it.
on our final morning, the mountains emerged from cloud-streaked skies to say farewell. the weather can change so quickly in New Zealand, but I'm glad to have captured all kinds while in Queenstown.
so often while traveling, we get wrapped up in wishing conditions are other than what the weather gives us. more sun, less rain, more warmth, fewer clouds. but this experience helped me to be better about accepting the conditons as they are. you can't control the weather - but you can learn to appreciate what's presented to you.
and - let's be honest - Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables are beautiful no matter how they're dressed.
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