Chilly Vanilli in Tekapo

Thursday 12 June

With temperatures barely breaking freezing point all day, and the cloud glowering down on us, we spent the day crunching about in the snow and trying hard not to fall over!

A morning trip into town for the coffee run brought us back to the NZMCA gates just as a couple were walking their two goldies in the snow… instant flashback - we’d met and walked together round the lake back in February! Poppy & Jackson were loving the snow and did not want to go home - they snuggled with me a bit, rolled and bounced in the snow and generally had a blast!

After lunch in our respective vans Louis and I set out down to the lake, mostly following other people’s tracks to save us from the deeper patches of snow. The black swans were hanging out between us and the island and were very beautiful against the steely grey waters and white snowy backdrop.

I was also very taken by the contrasting colours of the shiny white snow resting on dark willows with their hairy ginger beards of water roots - stunning! This was the only real splash of colour in a very monochromatic landscape.

Louis braved the cold to BBQ us a flat chook for dinner which we ate together at the Moho. A cold night to follow, thank goodness for diesel heaters and hot water bottles!!