Wanaka, Wine and Alibaba

It's very windy on this Friday as we drive 20 minutes to the city if Wanaka at the base of Lake Wanaka.  This is a city tourists flock to, and is the location of the regional I-Site which provides tourist information.  Our first stop is the I-Site to get some local trail maps and other information.

Based upon a recommendation from our waiter from last night we drive 10 minutes out of town toward Mount Aspiring for a stop at Rippon Winery.  The view of Lake Wanaka is unbelievable.  During the wine tasting we learn of the bio-dynamic techniques used in the vineyard, including the use of Scottish Longhorn Cattle for fertilization and chickens for bug control.  In my estimation the 2012 Pinot Noir and the 2015 Gewürztraminer are their stars.

We return to the town of Wanaka to check out the shops.  I look for a wool sweater, but like most everywhere else all I can find is wool-possum blends (yes, the dumb animals that get run over in the road each spring).  I am not willing to venture there - what happened to 100% wool?

William spies Alibaba's Barber Shop.   With Paul and Kara's wedding ~ a week away, this sounds like perfect timing.  William puts his name on the whiteboard and waits his turn.  On Thursday evenings after 5pm they offer a free beer with a cut.  There's no beer in sight today, except at the bar next door. 10 minutes later it's his turn and another 20 minutes and $20 later he is neatly trimmed.

Since William did not get a beer with his hair cut and didn't partake of the wine tasting we stop for a local brew at one of the many restaurants facing the lake. Then we are off to the New World supermarket for some groceries.  As we walk through the aisles I hear at least five different languages being spoken.  So much fun!