I slept alright and woke up at 0500. Since the Tailor Made Tekapo Hostel had quiet hours (until 0700), I read and packed before getting ready for my day. At 0715, I drove a very short distance to the waterfront. The sun hadn’t come and everything was quiet - I guess the day starts later in Lake Tekapo. While waiting for the restaurant to open, I walked around a bit near the waterfront. By the time The Greedy Cow opened at 0730, I was one of the first customers. I ordered breakfast (French toast, bacon and fruit) and took my time enjoying it. One of the first activities on the itinerary for the (canceled) adventure tour was a climb up Mount John, which was located just to the west of the town of Lake Tekapo. I had been dubious about how fun such a hike would be after 30+ hours enroute from the US and decided to find out for myself after breakfast. First, I tried to drive up to the summit of Mount John on the access road but discovered that it was closed until 1000. Undeterred, I backtracked to another trailhead I found on Google Maps (near the town's waterfront) and found a parking spot. I started walking the Track by 0830. As has happened several times on my hikes near water, I was serenaded by loud birds (geese/ducks?) - this time, I saw they were Paradise Shelducks. Along the way, I was accompanied by a LOT of rabbits! Conditions were cool (40s) and misty. After a steep climb on a trail that was well maintained, I made it to the South Summit. Finding a large clearing that offered a nice view of the town and lake, I snapped a few photos and concluded this hike would have sucked for a first day of an adventure tour... Instead of climbing higher, I decided to descend again. In addition to saving my knees and energy for another hike later in the day, this decision would give me a chance drive around to the other side of the mountain to access the paved road that climbed to the Observatory on the north summit. Before driving to the top of Mount John via the access road, I stopped to visit a pretty old building (The Church of the Good Shepherd) on the waterfront. While there, I had a nice conversation with an older Auckland couple (Ron and Judy). After getting some good photos, I left town for good. Driving west on Route 8, I returned to the Observatory access road (had to pay a toll to enter) and drove to the top of Mount John (1010). From the highest point, I was able to get another view of the town and lake - and some snowy mountains in the distance. I also explored the different telescope buildings. We were in and out of clouds at the top (3000 feet) so I didn’t stay long (done by 1100). Returning to Route 8, I drove west. When I saw signs for Lake Ohau, another stop on my canceled adventure tour itinerary, I took a detour to learn more about the area (1150). The terrain around lake was very picturesque, with most mountains ringed with clouds. The Lodge (where we were supposed to spend the night) was actually closed for a wedding so I couldn’t go inside (1220). Backtracking again to Route 8, I continued west. I got a bit of rain as I was driving though Lindis Pass. Despite this, I held my own with the speed and maneuvering and made great time to the junction with Route 8A. I’d been concerned that this road might be closed (it had been all week) but was relieved that it was open for the weekend. This allowed me to take a shortcut to Route 6. The terrain smoothed out and it stopped raining long enough for the drive to be enjoyable. I was getting hungry so I stopped at the first place on the eastern outskirts of Wanaka with a “Food” sign. This ended up being a winery, Paddon's Paddock, and I got some pizza (good) and wine flight (1415). During my tasting experience, I tried the Pinot Gris (white), Chardonnay “Daddy Longlegs” (white), Pinot Noir 18 (red), Pinot Noir 19 (red); I liked the latter two the best. While there, I spent a good bit of time talking with the owner (Chris) about how he had gone from being an engineer to owning a vineyard. Overall, I had a great time but may have missed some of the drier parts of the day - it started raining again by the time I finished my "linner". As a result, I continued into Wanaka (Routes 6 and 84) instead of looking for something else to do outside. I stopped at the Mount Aspiring National Park Visitor Center but discovered it was closed on weekends (strange...). My lodging for the night was at the YHA Wanaka and I was able to check in at 1530. My room, a six bunk hostel bedroom, was shared with (at least) four others. However, I only really talked to one (Kyle, from the UK, whose grandmother was from County Monaghan). I thought about going out for another hike but it was still raining and I felt like relaxing. A young lady (Nadine, from India) in the common area had been trying to find someone to play a pool game with her and she eventually asked me. Despite feeling rusty (I can’t even remember when I last played), I was already settled and dry inside so I agreed to play. We were well matched, skill wise, but I lost by sinking the 8 ball, unintentionally, with one other ball in play. She was gracious in victory and made me some tea (with milk and sugar). I went walking in town afterwards - it was sprinkling again but only very sporadically. From the waterfront, I had good views of Mount Aspiring on the other side of Lake Wanaka. Tried to locate the Wanaka Willow (#ThatWanakaTree) but didn't know exactly what I was looking for until I went to bed later in the evening. Instead, I took photos of the other pretty trees on the waterfront. After exploring the “downtown”, I stopped in for some beer (happy hour) at Speights Alehouse and stayed from 1700 to 1745. After that, I walked back (in the dark) to the YHA and talked to the receptionist, a young lady from Italy who was working (with her boyfriend) in New Zealand “to figure out what to do in life”. Back in the bunk room, I did some repacking (to reduce any noise I might otherwise make in the morning). I also spent a good deal of time reviewing brochures (to plan my drive to the west coast of the South Island) and talking with Kyle about hikes he’d done in New Zealand. I passed the remaining hours reading and relaxing. Went to bed (with everyone else) at 2130. It’s been fun to explore the Southern Alps for the last few days but now it’s time to head for the coast!