Success is getting what you want; happiness is liking what you get

Tuesday 3 April 2012

Lazy Days at Lake Hawea

If we really needed to be stopped in our tracks while waiting for the battery problems to be sorted, we really couldn’t have picked a more lovely place.  Here we are, on a flat plateau, overlooking the glorious views of Lake Hawea.  It turns out that this empty piece of land behind the hotel was actually a motor camp in an earlier life – and now plays host to visiting campers, albeit off power these days.  With a handy ablution block and laundry, we feel we are well served indeed at this “low cost park”.  To take our minds off those dratted batteries, and the large amount of money we may well have to pay out, we booked a table at the Lake Hawea Hotel  restaurant.  The restaurant covers some of the tables with white paper and provided crayons to keep the kiddie-winks happy - just take a look at what that cheeky young barman had written on our table! 

DSCF0415 The “Campers from Welly”, that’s us

Three of us enjoyed some delicious battered blue cod, chips and salad.  The other three decided to order ribs.  Robin was really looking forward to picking them up in his fingers and gnawing away.

DSCF0416 Ribs for Robin

We had the “best table in the house”, our cheeky young waiter told us, right beside the windows overlooking the lake.  Looking out the window, I think he’s right. 

DSCF0417 View from our table

This area was settled by (amongst others) the Capell family, and Claude Capell named many of the streets after his family members.  A statue of Claude stands in the front of the hotel.

DSCF0399 Claude Capell – keen fisherman

Sitting outside our vans enjoying the view over the lake, we have been entertained by a couple of Harvard aeroplanes buzzing around the skies overhead.  With the upcoming “Wings over Wanaka Air-show” taking place this weekend, we were getting a sneak preview as the planes went through their paces.  There’s nothing like watching our own private air-show from the comfort of our campsite, is there?

Now about those replacement batteries.  Would you believe that there was a “stuff up” on the transport front and they are stranded at Cromwell because they will not transport batteries on a truck carrying foodstuffs, and guess what our truck from Cromwell was carrying food. Also the replacement vans was in the workshop. The boss at the auto-electrician’s workshop was not at all happy and the transport company has been severely reprimanded.   He wants to complete the job and send us on our way, and of course we want to get moving too.   But just take a look at this lovely soft sunset over the lake, that’s got to make you feel better, wouldn’t you say?

DSCF0422 Sunset over Lake Hawea

No comments: