On Saturday (28 Dec), we drove through alpine country on our way from Methven (near Christchurch) down to Omakau. The road was winding through rolling hills from Geraldine to Fairlie, then it widened out into high meadows. There were impressive lake views at Tekapo and Pukaki (near Twizel) before we stopped for lunch at Omarama. The views continued with high meadows on the way to Tarras before driving down the east side of Lake Dunstan to Cromwell. The terrain turned rocky with brown grass – something we hadn't seen yet in New Zealand. The trip took less than 5 hours, a shorter time than we anticipated. The cottage in Omakau was nice and new, although somewhat compact (2 BR, 1 BA). The village is small, but busy with cyclists as it sits directly on the Otago Central Rail Trail (http://www.otagocentralrailtrail.co.nz/).