QUEENSTOWN
With vivid sunshine we knew we’d be foolish not to get out and see as much as we could. Arrowtown was to be our first call, after stopping and taking photos of Lake Hayes.
The sun provided something special – with no wind, the mill-pond conditions gave us almost perfect mirror reflections. I was particularly pleased to get a decent and rather special photo of a stone house, there on the lakeside, with the shafts of sunshine pouring over its roof.
Arrowtown. Well, how can I explain how it felt, stepping back in time, in this tiny town. We didn’t get to the Chinese quarter, but that’s something I want a lot of time for. Founded during Central Otago’s gold rush, evidence of this booming era is everywhere. It’s still possible to pan for gold – and find some – in the river. When you look up and say it, there really IS “gold in them thar hills”!
Lunch was had, sitting outside in the sunshine, being in turn, half eaten by sandflies! We then paid a visit to some friends, who made us very welcome and introduced us to their equine family.
After saying our goodbyes, we decided to go to the other end of the lake, to Kingston. These pictures speak for themselves, the awe inspiring grandeur of the lake and mountains just leaving us speechless.
With its isolation, Kingston is absolutely stunning. The one thing it is famed for is its steam railway and the Kingston Flyer. This vintage steam train hauls its carriages for the sake of enthusiasts and is avidly protected and cared for by men whose skills have been honed over the years. Sadly the engine was in the sheds, but we were able to admire the deep green carriages, with their leather upholstery and wooden framing. The Pub, in what was once the ticket office, doubles as a café and the views made a coffee stop really enjoyable.
Just along the road, heading back around the lake, we passed a house with a close association with the engines of yesteryear. The whole place has its boundary marked by these engine wheels, used to make fences and gates. All in prime condition and maintained by a very careful owner!
Back along the lake, we came into Queenstown and explored the gardens. They are on the Frankton Arm, where TSS Earnslaw was in for her annual inspection. We had hoped to be able to take a trip on her, on the lake, but our timing was out this time. She is a beautiful vessel and gives an olde worlde view of the lake, if you can blot out the mass of hotels, motels and million dollar homes, clustered on the shores and spilling down the hills. Oh, to have been here 100 years ago and to have travelled on her, in her heyday!
Above the gardens, hang gliders and tandem parachute jumpers were soaring, having launched themselves from one of the platforms up in the mountains close to the gondola. The conditions were perfect and those intrepid enough for this thrill, will have amazing memories of their fun! We wandered around the town again for a while, then found the Irish Pub for some wholesome food, before hauling ourselves back to the hotel to flake out!
Other highlights of this trip were two rainbows as we travelled. Seeing Walter Peaks Station, nestling under the mountains brought home to me just how tenuous mankind's hold is on this glorious land and how huge the slopes looming behind really are!.
All too soon it was time to come home. Yes, I’d been homesick but I’d also seen some of the most spectacular views and scenery in this part of the world. We drove home with our eyes peeled, looking for more to enhance the trip and hoping to find plenty of fruit and vegetables for sale, in the roadside stalls we see so often in the orchard area of Otago. We weren’t disappointed and came home with walnuts, apples, cooking apples, pears, feijoas and peaches. With displays like this and prices to competitive, we were able to shop around, selecting the best from each grower!
A final stop had to be made below the old bridge at Beaumont. The stones on this beach area are of so many hues, it’s quite mesmerising. We picked a few up to bring home. There are warning signs there to watch for changes in the level of the water as with the Clyde dam upstream sometimes needing to release some of its content, it can rise dramatically and within a short time!
When we finally arrived home, we were tired but happy, having fitted a massive amount of travelling and walking into a hectic 3 day break. Next destination, Mitre Peak, but I MUST pack the sand fly repellent!