After a few days of indulging ourselves in Christchurch we were ready to put back on our hiking legs.

It was nice being in a city. The opportunity to aimlessly walk around and spend some money was a welcomed change to tramping up mountains.

Hawke's Bay's Dylan du Ross is sharing his travel experiences around New Zealand.

Even just sitting in a huge public library, where everyone around is so purposeful, was a refreshing feeling.

Mass amounts of construction was still occurring from the 2011 earthquake which was sad, but made me feel proud of the determination of this country.

But as I said in the beginning, it was time to go, Wanaka was beckoning.

Lake Tekapo

After a few hours of admin, a week of grape picking had been promised to us which led us to book into a holiday park for a weekly rate to save money. My bank account was in dire need of a cash injection and 50 hours work in Wanaka was the perfect solution.

The lady never called back, despite me having three separate conversations with her. I mean we could have been stuck in worse places for a week but it was still annoying. We had to make the most of it.

With stunning weather and no plans, the idea of a morning run captivated Maggie and I. We went up a hill, down a gravel road and then swerved right at the lake. Having a view of ice capped mountains with a beautiful, calm lake, must make this particular run one of the most spectacular in the world.

We pass three trees growing from inside the lake that looked like neglected triplets. They were almost identical to the famous Wanaka tree that people across the globe make a point in seeing. I bet 99% of those don't even know these trees exist. After a couple hundred metres of running we finally saw the sibling that everyone loved. Admittedly everything about it was perfect.

Its distance from the shoreline, its backdrop, its proud stance. I can see why this was Wanaka's icon, but I still felt uneasy that no one even bothered about the other three. A step back and a check on my emotions made me laugh, it's just a couple of trees Dylan, it's just a couple of trees. I’m sure they would rather be left alone anyway.

3:45am. Wake up time, well kinda. I hit snooze four times until it's 4:25am. A flurry of movement occurred and somehow we were ready for the most famous track in New Zealand, Roy's Peak.

When we arrived at the destination it seemed we were already late to the party. 25 cars had already arrived before us. By 6am you could already see flash lights up the top, 60 minutes before you could even see the sun. I felt bad as the thick clouds squash the possibility of a picturesque sunrise.

The track’s popularity gave me an impression that it would be an easy ascent. I was wrong. There was one direction, up, and there was 8kms of it. Being in the dark avoiding fresh landmines planted by sheep the whole way didn’t help either. Only in New Zealand could you own the land to one of the most famous, stunning tracks in the world, and then still put sheep on it. Suppose it makes Roy's Peak a cultural lesson as well.

By 8am we reached the summit. Coldness quickly set it in, seamlessly passing through my clothes and going straight to skin. The sun was playing tag with the sky as it ducks in and out of clouds. Colourful photos were a luxury due to the land slipping in and out of a silhouette. It teased its natural artistry. This really was a special place.

We started to make our way down. At this point crowds of people were on the rise. Some guilty pleasure occurred as tiresome faces pass us, forgetting that I looked the exact same an hour before. We see an elderly man running up the track. It's nice knowing that if you work hard for it, these hikes can become a breeze, and better yet, feasible for the next 50 years. He was inspiring.

All in all, Maggie and I had a wonderful time in Wanaka. Indeed, there is a very visible tourism industry, but it does not take any beauty away from the environment. The town is small, busy and calm. It seemed everyone was in Wanaka for the same reason, to relax. If you’re ever looking for a holiday that is stress relieving, has cheap beer, and great Mexican just down the road. Wanaka is your place.

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• Lifestyle