The other day I spent some time looking through photos from my time in New Zealand. I was happily flicking through them but it was when I got to the album titled ‘Wanaka, Queenstown and Glenochy’ that I couldn’t help but stop and look at each photo again and again, thinking about where I was and what I was doing when each one was taken. I was filled with a complete sense of nostalgia, I think I’d somehow forgotten just how beautiful this part of the world is.

But looking at these photos has brought it all back to me. Arriving in Wanaka in May 2012 for my first ski season, hiking up Mount Roy, camping on the lake side, the dodgy drive along unsealed roads and through rivers to reach the Mount Aspiring National Park, and taking a road trip from Wanaka, to Queenstown and then on to Glenochy.

Wanaka, this is where I arrived first and decided to call home for most of my time in New Zealand. The town is set beside a beautiful lake and surrounded by snowcapped mountains. I love the mirrored effect you get on the lake on still days.

During my first week in Wanaka I hiked up to Roys Peak with Chris and our friend, Luke. It was a pretty tough hike, taking about 4 hours to reach the 1,578-metre summit, but the panoramic views from the top were pretty spectacular.

Before settling down in Wanaka for the winter Chris and I drove over the Cardrona Valley Range and on to Queenstown. This is the place that attracts all the tourists and is full of people anytime of year. But take a short walk, such as the Queenstown Hill Time Walk, and it takes you away from all that and lets you appreciate the natural beauty of the place.

Not happy to call it a day at Queenstown we continued along the road to Glenochy. This is where a lot of filming for Lord of the Rings took place. One night we slept next to a lake. We awoke in the morning with ice on the inside of our car windows and really struggled to find the motivation to get up! But when we did we found the lake was covered in a low lying mist. The atmosphere was mysterious and beautiful.

If you want to see more photos from Wanaka, Queenstown and Glenochy check out my New Zealand gallery.

Vicki Larkin