TRAVEL DIARY: DAY 6

ON THE ROAD FROM LAKE TEKAPO TO QUEENSTOWN

We loved our stay at the AirBnb but we had to move on.

It was a bit overcast when we left for our day.

Driving through Lindi’s Pass felt like stepping into another world — endless golden hills, quiet roads, and that feeling of complete stillness. No crowds, no noise… 

As we wound through the hills, the view suddenly opened up—snow-capped peaks rising out of nowhere. A quiet, breathtaking surprise in the middle of the drive.

Before we knew it, every car was pulling over—people stepping out to capture the moment. Lindis Pass had everyone in awe.

Lindis Pass sits within the Waitaki District. I wanted to go up to the summit signage, but my legs had other plans—I kept slipping on the ice and had to settle for admiring it from below.

Stopover: TARRAS

Tarras is a tiny village at the southern end of the Lindis Pass, just as you enter Central Otago. We stopped in for a coffee break at the cosy cafe and found a few lovely shops beside it selling merino wool and some local goodies.

As you know, I can’t help myself whenever I come across interesting doors…

And public art

And Seats…

Next stop was Puzzling World—but we decided to skip going inside. Instead, Jack and I had fun striking a few quirky poses outside by the famous tilted tower. Sometimes these photo ops are all you need!

We were hoping to grab a snack in Wānaka, but it was pretty packed—so we gave it a miss for now and headed straight to the Instagram-famous Lake Wānaka instead.

Lake Wānaka is pure natural beauty—golden autumn trees lining the shore, with hazy blue mountains stretching out in the distance – simply breathtaking.

And then there is the “THAT WANAKA TREE”. What is so special about it, you may ask? It might be “just a tree,” but standing there with the mountains behind it and the reflections dancing on the water… It’s peaceful, surreal, and somehow more powerful in person.

Driving on… Cardrona is a little alpine village tucked along the Crown Range Road—the highest main road in New Zealand. The drive itself is stunning, with winding roads and epic mountain views all the way between Wanaka and Queenstown.

One of the best parts of Cardrona is the old Cardrona Hotel. It’s been around since 1863, and with its rustic charm, it’s easy to see why it’s one of the most photographed spots in this party of New Zealand.

The hotel was packed, so we decided to try the little café just across the road instead. Turned out to be a good call—we got our order right away and didn’t have to wait at all.

In less than an hour, we could already see the snow tops of The Remarkables (mountains range) from afar.

And yes, after more than 3 hours of driving, we reached Queenstown.

I am linking this to:

Jo’s Monday Walk

Dan’s Thursday Doors Challenge

Xingfumama’s Pull Up a Seat Challenge

Natalie’s Photographing Public Art Challenge