Two cats, Some Rest, and a Helluva View
During our time volunteering in Beaumont, a six-day pop-up catsit in Wanaka delightfully showed itself on Trusted Housesitters…and we got it!! Wanaka is a stunning lakeside town one hour north of Queenstown, folded delicately in the Southern Alps. It’s popular with tourists for its activities and dynamic views. And the house we were in definitely showcased that feature, as well as gave us unique perspective of what it was like to live as a local in this alluring destination.
Unfortunately, housesits in New Zealand are not as easy to come-by as in Australia so this would be our only post. We heard this is due to the short-term housing crisis the country is having so many locals are using housesits as a way to fill this need. We dropped $48 to join Kiwi Housesitters while we were there as well, but unfortunately, in three applications did not have any success, despite the testimonials loaded onto our website. In fact, we were told by two hosts that they’d prefer to have locals.
So…a good thing to note if you would like to housesit in New Zealand.
The sit arrived at an ideal time because we were already feeling quite burnt out from our month of fast travel. It allowed us the quick opportunity to recoup, eat healthier, grab some tasty New Zealand red and do a LOT of gazing at the mountains because we were completely ringed.
Oh, and we got to be in the presence of a ginger named Patsy, who was absolutely the cherry on top. The other cat, Lincoln was a quite a bit more timid. However, it didn’t take “Mandy the Feline Whisperer” too long to score a snuggle session.
Even when it was chilly and rainy, which it was several times during our stay, we were able to cosily sit inside under the blankets and appreciate the world on the other side of big picture windows. But when the sun came out, it was an even bigger gift, including several captivating sunrises and sunsets.
Patsy enjoying a patch of sunshine. The best part of waking up. Definitely not Folgers.
We also enjoyed daily helpings of apricots, which got delivered to us from the sweet neighbour. His back yard was evidently full of them!
The houses in Wanaka are unique and made of interesting materials and design. Unsurprisingly, quite a few affluent people are drawn to this town, which even included Shania Twain at one point. The house we stayed in was no exception.
Exploring Wanaka
The lakeside town of Wānaka is often said to be a quieter and chiller alternative to Queenstown, which we 100% concur and prefer. Although it is definitely dashed with tourists, most of them seem to either roll in independently by campervan, or arrive in bus loads from Queenstown for a day trip. It felt like at least half of those buses headed straight down the lakefront for an Instagramy tree, while the other half spreads out or participates in the many activities the tourist town has to offer from boat rides, kayaking, windsurfing, SUP, or walking/hiking. Regardless of what you do, it’s an utterly beautiful place to explore.
Lake Wānaka, New Zealand’s fourth-largest lake, stretches like a sheet of sapphire approximately 45k in length and 10k in width. It’s surrounded by mountains reaching up to 2,000 meters at its northern end. We got to see it from many angles, including the view of Wānaka Beach as we headed from our house down to the town.
Tranquil watercraft bobbing like corks under the springlike sky.
An iconic willow called the Wānaka Tree is now one of the most famously photographed trees in the world thanks to Instagram. It is unique because it is typically partially submerged by the surrounding shimmering lake so it appears to be floating amongst the Southern Alps backdrop. However, during summer, we experienced it with lack of rainfall so it’s not quite as poetic, though still undeniably picturesque.
It took us about 20 minutes to get the previous picture thanks to a hoard of people also trying to take a picture, which in reality could be taken easily by anyone, except a whole slew of these people had to have individual pictures of themselves WITH the tree, with complete disregard for others as they traipsed in and out of the frame. 🙄 #overrated
A piece of public art on the waterfront called “The Hand that Nurtures”symbolizes notions of nurturing, safety and protection as well as friendship, openness and honesty.
Windsurfers can catch some pretty gusty wind on this playground. We were there too!
Heading into Wānaka Station Park, we were entranced to find redwood trees.
A cute little Wānaka tuk tuk taxi, as well as a parked parade of campervans lined near the water’s edge. Welcome to New Zealand.
In the charming town of Wanaka, the rubbish and recycling stations throughout the country were discouragingly often missing a dropbox for plastic.
It was here we’d head to one of the many opportunity (op) shops to begin picking up warmer things for our upcoming camping adventures. We got a queen size blanket for about $3 and were able to wash it before we left the sit. Waiting on our bus back to Queenstown, we were STILL feeling the weight of our fifth wheel (roller bag) we found on the sidewalk in Melbourne. A fifth wheel that would soon save us a LOT more money.
How to Toilet…in New Zealand
Before we leave Wanaka, we must write a quick bit on the toilets in New Zealand. Anyone who has traveled knows that Japan wins the global award for luxury toileting experiences. However, we may have found a close contender in New Zealand. But unlike Japan, it’s not in the private use facilities, but the public ones, which offer an ultra-modern, hipper way to do your business. In fact, it’s positively space-agey….(and a little big brothery.)
Although not all of them are created equal, this one offered a sink where the soap, water and dryer were all built into this steel compartment and naturally, were also touch-free. Once you’ve locked the door, your robotic pooper snooper informs you that you are only allowed ten minutes to do your business before classical music begins to accompany your session.
It also states that “Toilet Will Flush When Hands Are Washed” OR “When The Cubicle Is Vacated.” In light of COVID, we were surprised it didn’t instead say, “Door will open when toilet has been flushed and hands have been washed.” However, this is fortunately New Zealand and not Singapore.
Anyhow, it’s very amusing.
