I've found a good internet wifi in Wanaka and it gave me the chance to Skype my family in the morning as I'd not seen the onscreen since December. All are fine and managing to stay out of prison.
Preparations were then made to climb Mt Roy (water, biscuits placed at top of rucsac) and off I went on an ardous six hours. She was a tough one and who should I meet at the summit but Chi, Ann and Lee. Three girls travelling New Zealand from Taiwan and paying their way by working at the wineries. I listened to their tales of 6am starts, scorching heat and backbreaking work bending to lift the plastix wrap at the base of each vine to clear away the grapes. Seemingly the vineyards only want grapes to grow at the top of the vines. So if you did not know that then say a wee thank you to all these hard grafters on the minimum wage as you quaff on your next glass. I will.
The girls pretty quickly cottoned on I had a car and I dont blme them. After six hours out on the hill the one hour walk back to town would be the end of them. Especially as they had no intention of doing the hike in the first place. It was supposed to be a ten minute short walk but Ann insisted they could not come this far and not do it.! Good on them it was hard going.
I dropped the girls off at Bombay palace resteraunt where they were going to feast and as I drove away I wondered was that the first and last of their hikes. Ali had told me they never walk in Taiwan and everyone uses a scooter even to the end of the street. It also never ceases to amaze me how many travellers have been to Inverness as was the case with these girls. I think its called haggis backpackers and they asked if I'd seen the monster. I had indeed and if they tried the whisky by loch ness there was a good chance Nessie would smell it and swim past but not too close as she is scared of cameras.
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