Keara put to us the choice of two hikes on day three of our stay near Cromwell in Central Otago: Isthmus Peak up the spine of the Isthmus between Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea, and Roy’s Peak, the more ‘famous’ day hike for its Instagrammable protruding section at the peak. Here is a helpful blog post comparing the two, almost the same in length (~10 miles) and altitude, and both out-and-backs.
We settled on Isthmus Peak, all liking to avoid ‘scene’ 🙂 and to get views of both Lake Wanaka, and Lake Hawea.
The early miles meandered up farmland field side tracks before a section of steepening switchbacks on a wide fireroad trail. And then you need to turn on the quads for some stepping sections, the views behind you of Lake Wanaka just getting all the more spectacular, the tone of blue and stillness deepening with the altitude gained.
It was a day of cloudless skies, and one of those hikes that just endlessly inspires and has you thinking ‘why don’t I do this more…’?
