tramping new zealand

No surprise that during the midwinter ski season, prices for accommodation in Queenstown and Wanaka hit a peak.

I was carrying a tent, but had limited ambition to save money in the nighttime sub-zero temperatures.

I’d become accustomed to a bed in a room with heating. So, I would have to range further afield.

The West Coast looked a good bet to get away from the icy roads and traffic, but the closest accommodation with an acceptable price was Makaroa.

A cabin was less than half the price of the sold-out motel rooms in the ski area, but how bad could that be?

The main issue would be food. Everything in the area that prepared food was closed for the low season, so I had to sort that out at the supermarket in 5 Mile, near Queenstown.

To be honest, it was a fairly crazy day. An early start on the road to Queenstown, which I mostly avoided, then over the Crown Range after lunch, in the absence of snow.

Wānaka was also avoided. No need to tarry, as by then shadows were lengthening. Instead, I stopped and spent some time overlooking Lake Hawea, admiring the bluebird day and the limited snow on the mountains.

I arrived at my accommodation just as dusk was falling, only to find that the office was locked up. No one at all around. Fortunately, I’d learned to book ahead, so my key was in an envelope, and I made my way to the room. Self-help all the way.

Yes, I seemed to be the only person around, although a car appeared early the next morning, so there were at least two of us at the big complex overnight.

Most surprising was that the room had been recently renovated, still smelling of paint, with the sheets still creased after being taken straight out of the packet for the first time.

Cold? Maybe the coldest night of my trip.

For sure, but you expect that even at the modest elevation of around 320 m in mid-winter.

No worries, I was wrapped up and plenty cosy.