Before we left the Mt. Cook area we decided that we had to get in 2 more hikes in the morning.  We packed up our stuff and drove 8 km to see the glacier lakes as well as the Tasman glacier.  A warning sign told us that there might be delays on the trail because of trail construction.  Well,  it was Saturday and no one was around.  As we started up the hill there was stair frames but no filling to complete the  stairway.  Up a short series of steps, we went left to the “Blue Lakes”.   After following a small trail & “bouldering” significant portions  (bouldering is “walking” over significant boulders vs. a trail), all we saw was 3 small  green murky lakes.  It was certainly not  worth the “death-defying” effort put forth to climb over the significant size boulders!  We finally ended up on a gravel/rock road.  After following it up the canyon for an hour further into the hills, we gave up and turned around.  No real “blue glacier lakes” were to be found.

Next stop was back up the hill to the “Tasman glacier views”.  We started from the parking lot again and up the hill we went discovering that the construction stair frames went all of the way up the rather steep hill – quite difficult to maneuver. We did it and struggled more to get down than up.  The views were nice but, frankly, not worth the work.

Then — off to Lake Wanaka, a 3+ hour drive.   We saw lots and lots of sheep & scenic farmland along the way.  Once we got to our “chalet” (which was adorable) in Wanaka, we were dazzled by the view  of the mountains & lake.  The downtown, which was a 5 minute walk for us,  was thriving with bars & restaurants.  What a cute town.  We dined at  Alivate, an Asian-fusion restaurant, while  overlooking beautiful Lake Wanaka with the snow capped mountains in the distance.