An unexpected link to Maryborough

Again we sleep longer than we originally planned - one of the perks of being on holidays and in a fab bed!  We had planned to get up at 7:30 am, but Michael has set the alarm for 8:30 - ha ha ha - he never was a morning person!

A quick goodbye to Scooter just after 9:30 sees us head in to spend the morning giving Arrowtown some serious attention.  Scooter is originally from Europe and even she comments on the cost of living here. She and Grant have a small cottage that they are busily renovating and remodelling. Today she says it is valued at $1.4 million. And it is small - two bedrooms only. The airbnb room that we occupied is in a new built in area under the house.

Dating back to the mid 1800s, its main street is filled with the small original stores that graced it in its heydays when gold was being mined.  All of them re-purposed now of course. But still quaint and very twee.


We're off to 'Provisions of Arrowtown' a purveyor of all things local and foodie for breakfast.  Michael orders the big breakfast (of course), while I choose the Buckwheat Pancakes with grilled banana, blueberries and marscapone. And coffees of course. Those pancakes were as light as clouds and Michael's 3 eggs were poached to perfection. We are sitting in a back room, overlooking a Quince tree laden with growing fruits.


Once sated, we amble up the main street, stopping in at most of the shops. Some are surprisingly affordable, others not so - some of the merchants are really trying to make the most out of the many Chinese visiting the area.  And then we pause outside the local Sotheby's office (sure that gives you a hint!).  This property was the cheapest in their window! 

There are gold, jewellery, clothing, woollen goods, souvenirs, artworks shop that are interspersed with lots of eateries all doing a roaring trade.  The really noticeable thing here is that everyone from the young ladies in the Visitor Information Centre, to the sales staff in the shops and the wait staff all treat their visitors with open willing friendliness, whether you are buying or browsing. It is really noticeable and contributes to a wonderful warm feeling all through town. And because everyone is so friendly, all the visitors and smiling. And spending!!  If only we could bottle it and shake it all over home.

Arrowtown had its birth in the 1860s when the push to mine gold from the Arrow River was at its peak.  The original buildings in the main street have continued to evolve into the retail and service offerings of today.  And just like in Australia, where there was gold, came the Chinese.  The first orientals in the area didn't assimilate and created their own little village in the back streets towards the river and much to the annoyance of the European traders, the Chinese even set up their own shops.

Once the gold mining stopped being commercial, the town faded into the backdrop, meaning that there are still more than 70 historic sites remaining. In the 1950s there was a resurgence of interest in the area as a holiday destination. It is less than an hour to the summer friendly Lake Wanaka and even closer to the winter ski fields.

We were lucky to be wandering around today as the local farmers market was on in the local park. Cheeses, salmon, cured meats, fresh fruits, baked goodies - a foodies heaven. But we were also unlucky. We were putting some purchases in the car when I put the keys down to move a bottle of water. Promptly shut the boot and the car automatically locked. With the keys still inside.  A bad design flaw in the Ford Focus if you ask me. An hour later and $160 poorer, the local AA man has us back in the car.


And now to the link with Maryborough.  Sister (now Saint) Mary McKillop came to Arrowtown 20 years after she had set up the first catholic school in Maryborough, where she also set up a school for the local children.  Funny the things that link us across the waters, isn't it.

And locally, Irene S and Ann C both asked whether the lolly shop still exists.  We can happily report that yes it does, and it is still doing a roaring trade of old favourites and new offerings.

It is now early afternoon and we hit the road to head for Queenstown - about 25 minutes away.  And while the day was a cool summer day in Arrowtown, as we get closer to Queenstown, the weather also is closing in with lots of clouds again rolling down the mountainsides.  Donna had said that one of the must does here is the Gondola to the top of Bob's Peak.  St Frances is with us again as we get a car park about 100 m from the entry as another can pulls out.  The rain is beginning as we leave the car.  We manage to get into our gondola and up the mountain in just very light rain, so get one reasonable photo on our way up the VERTICAL mountain.  But by the time we peak out at the top, the rain has set in. 

We sit with coffees and wonder at the sanity of people who race the luges in the rain, but even more so, to the mountain bike riders who pay up to $900 for an annual pass to ride the gondolas up just to plunge down the mountain side - the very steep mountain side - even in the rain, and as we are told later, even in the snow!

We hang around for an hour or so hoping for clearer weather, but it is not to be, so we head back to ground zero thinking we might catch a movie - but can't find the cinema, so we head for Mossburn for the night.  A couple of reasons we chose here - it is on the road to Te Anua and Milford Sound, and it happened to have a vacancy - many places are still fully booked. The entire drive along what must be stunning scenery with towering hills and deep gorges along the length of Lake Wakatipu. Today however, through the veil of water they are merely shadows and outlines.  Not fair.

And finally I am gobsmacked at the large number of sheep (and cattle) that they farm per hectare here. Without a word of a lie, there were about 1,000 sheep on a 3 - 4 hectare block.  The rain isn't worrying them, what with their greasy wool coats.  The cattle on the other hand huddle in tight lines at the most protected parts of their paddocks - hides are not so waterproof!

We pull in to the carpark at the Mossburn Railway Hotel to check in and have dinner just before 7pm.  The rain continues and the temperature has plummeted.  The hotel is dry and warm with a roaring fire going. Drinks and dinner ordered and done, we head across the road to their new accommodation units - Wheels and Reels. 
My crumbed Blue Cod was delicious and Michael loved his Fisherman's Basket complete with mussels and scallops!

There is or was another link with home here - up until the 1970s there was a combined rail and road bridge over the Oreti River - very similar (although not as high) as our Dickabram Bridge!

Tomorrow promises to be clear and warm and we are hoping to do a day cruise to  Doubtful Sound - quieter and less crowded than Milford Sound.

Wanaka - wanna what???

Those who know Michael, know that Wanaka is spoken about with reverence every second April.  You see, Wanaka is home to one of the southern hemisphere's greatest air shows.

And so off to Wanaka we go today. We slept in courtesy of a very dark room with the most amazingly comfortable king bed - yes, almost needed that map again! Finally we get away a bit before 9:30 for the 50 odd minute driv
e back over the Range.  Of course, the morning light brings a very different landscape to what we saw last night and as we pull in to the lookout, half of all the tourists in NZ seem to be there as well.  
Michael manages to get this great panorama photo with his phone.  Everyone is excited to see the snow which
hardly ever falls in summer.
We see a number of cyclists at this lookout.  I ask one if they ride it often and he tells me it is a first for him, from Australia.  I thought that it was only mad dogs and Englishmen - guess not!  At this point, they are probably about 20% of the way up!  Crazy people!!

And so to Wanaka.  As I really have no interest in the flying machines, I opt to be the 

warbirds widow and sit out a couple of hours in the Coffee Shop, enjoying a Chunky Beef and Blue Cheese Pie, a cuppachino, and two pots of peppermint tea.  And to while away the time, have a good read of the tourist literature on the areas to the south.  Hmm, a change in plans perhaps- we might not even get to the north of the South Island this trip - so much to see, so little time to see it all! 

"Flying a good airplane doesn't require near as much attention as a motor car." - Charles Lindbergh

The 'Warbirds and Wheels Museum' at Wanaka is a must whether you're smitten with or have an acquired cynicism towards modern transport. This museum is not just about aviation, it is a testament to the evolution of the modern motor car as well.


It is not a large museum but the exhibits which are displayed are of a restored quality. I was pleased with what I saw as there were two of my favourite aircraft on display, the Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a (WW1) and the superlative Hawker Hurricane (WW2).I drooled with awe at the other exhibits as well. As with the automobiles, I was thrilled to find a 1924 Rickenbacker Roadster and a 1938 Packard convertible. 

I returned to the cafeteria and found my Maria at a table reading a tourist guide.
"You've finished?" she asked (Stupid question!)
"Not yet." I replied 

So I sourced some lunch ate it and returned to the inner sanctum. Well, after having my fill of exhibits (sort of), I met Maria at the car to head off for Veronica Lake....hang about...Lake Wanaka!

When Michael is done, we drive a few hundred metres back down the road to the Toy and Transport Museum where I deposit Michael before I head off to the Wanaka Lavender Farm.  After a wander in the garden and a browse in the shop, I settle down for another pot of peppermint tea and a lavender biscuit, while reading Lavender and Old Lace that was serendipitously found on the table I chose to sit at! 

 

"I'm not a builder of buildings. I'm a builder of collections." - Leonard Lauder 
Now, this museum is in complete contrast to the former. It is not pristine or clinical, it is a mass collection dedicated to childhood, aviation, motor transport, fire fighting and military. Encompassing four hangers and each structure dedicated to a particular genre.

The toy exhibits are masterful, and displaying a Meccano section for which to die for. You can keep Lego. Transport is represented by a myriad of automobiles,trucks of all forms. Aircraft types exhibited from a 1934 Astor through to a 1969 MiG 10 - modern by no means, but a couple of rare types. Military exhibits in the form of a 1916 WW1 French Renault tank through to Mark V British Centurion tank. It isn't the most clinical of museums, however, there is a definite passion. The only other museum I can make a comparison with is the Auto and Technik Museum Sinsheim in southern Germany.


With Michael full of his childhood reminiscing, we head back into Wanaka to take in the views of the lake and have a wander through the town. Money here. Lots of it.  The properties are pristine with beautifully manicured lawns and gardens. The lake is stunning on this later summer afternoon and we decide on the spur of the moment to take a tour on it on the MV Dual Image of the Lakeland Adventures Wanaka.  All six of us - hang on here come another two people running up the beach.

Our captain Adam and the aide Rakesh are informative and friendly and with such a small group we get very personalised attention. The trip is a little choppy as the wind is starting to pick up, but nothing that even I can't handle.  Remind me to tell you the story of how Ruby Island got its name when we get home.  Suffice to say, it involves prohibition, sly grog on a bar on an island and a dancing girl in a town where the local policeman didn't have a boat!



 If you are looking for accommodation in Arrowtown, or somewhere within striking distance of Wanaka and Queenstown, lookup Scooter and Grant on airbnb.

Of glaciers and waterfalls and lakes and big open skies

Looking at the skies here, you would never know that NZ had had not one but two tropical cyclones in the space of a month.

And even though it is the height of summer, there have been fresh snow falls - creating lots of headaches for park ranges who are busy closing some of the walking tracks in anticipation of the localised flooding to start in the next day or two as that snow melts into the local streams.

We slept in until just after 8 this morning and once we heard Joan and Rodney up and about, rose and showered.  Joan was making a coffee and offered us one as well.  Nice, strong coffee, and hot!

There was a young Chinese couple staying in Joan's other room.  Saw nothing of them last night and this morning they surfaced just in time to leave.  Joan tried to engage them, to no avail.  The young lass was more talkative than her male partner, and we at least learned that they were from Shanghai!  Funnily enough, we ran into them a couple of times later in the day and the journey as well.  

Down in Franz Joseph looking in to flights over the glaciers, we sat in for breakfast to find them tucking in to thick steaks and salads. I know, I know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day - but that takes some beating!  Turns out that there is only one more flight today - this afternoon, and as we have a 5+ hour drive through to Arrowtown, 

the salesman's suggestion was that we (read Michael) takes the flight from the eastern side as we travel north later next week.

At the moment, NZ is filled with Chinese as travelling is seen as an auspicious way to start the Chinese New Year. And boy does their driving take the cake. Like many Japanese, they appear to be nervous of driving over 60 kph and when they come to a bend, any bend, the brakes are on and we crawl around at about 20 kph!  Makes for frustrated NZers and Aussies on the road.

And the other thing that the west side of the South Island is known for are its single lane bridges - actually gives northern Scotland a really good run for their money! I'll put you out of your misery and only include this one photo - although I am sure we have photos of 40 or more of them!

Michael is fascinated with glaciers and is keen to see both Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers.  So off to them we set.  He can get not quite within spitting distance at Franz Josef and is alarmed at how far it has retreated.  All the literature from the local Environment Department tells us that the viewing vantages are now all many hundreds of metres from the face of the Glacier. 
At the Fox Glacier a little further south, the path is closed even further back so he opts to climb to the top of the Sentinel Rock to get a good vantage point. Again it is shared with lots of Chinese - many whom are travelling with young children - predominantly girls.

Once he has had his fill of slowly creeping dirty ice, we continue our journey south.
The impact of not one but two cyclones is apparent in some places, with these buildings flattened.  Not sure whether Fehi or Gita did the damage - guess it really doesn't matter does it? 

The climate on the western side is much wetter and I guess it must also be a little warmer - there are myriads of fens and palms right along this stretch and heaps of waterfalls along the way and I think we call in at most to have a look.

There are some pretty amazing names given to these waterfalls too - Bride's Veil, Ninety Foot Falls, Roaring Billy Falls among others.  Along with Cyclone Gita came some rain (and snow) and so the many of the waterfalls are again at full flow. The fall into shallow and deep pools which topple into streams that eventually find their way to the sea.  

Rivers in this part of New Zealand meander across wide pebble filled beds - found only in a few parts of the world.  In the spring when the winter snows are melting, these becoming rushing torrents of water, covering the breadth of the beds, but for now, they quietly burble along, lazily washing over the stones, without the energy to carry them to the shorelines.

Before too long, we have come away from the mountain areas and are now travelling along the coast.  The skies are mainly clear with just a few picturesque cotton wool clouds for effect.  The waters are crystal clear and the most amazing aqua colour.  The sun is high, and gee, everything is right in my world right now!

We stop at a couple of the beaches - too cold for swimming but truly a welcome sight.  And the smell of the salt water is at once uplifting.

And while Paris and Venice and Sibiu might have their bridges of locks, the west coast of New Zealand have lots of cairns with quartz stones carved with lovers names and dates.  They dot the beaches and I wonder what some future archaeologist might make of them when in millenia to come they are washed up across a wide expanse! 

This is a very stormy part of the coast, open to prevailing onshore winds and the trees lean towards the inland, having been pushed and pushed by the wind.


Anyone who has a link to New Zealand has told us that we need to try the whitebait fritters.  Today, we found the first evidence of these little gems.  Caught in nets at the mouths of rivers in a short ten-week season, these little delicacies fetch $95 per kilo!  Mind you, there is a 25% tax on the commercial catch as well.
We pulled in to the Curly Tree Cafe where we do as instructed and honk twice and are soon joined by the gorgeous smiling Rachel who promptly pulls the lid off a smoking BBQ grill when we are ready to have our Whitebait PATTIES (not fritters, OK) which are simply a heap of whitebait mixed with a little egg to keep them together - think omelette like.
At $10 each, these small pancake-sized patties are not cheap, but served on warmed, buttered white bread, they are heavenly.  Locals eat them with mint sauce. We just used a small squeeze of lemon.
Wash them down with Bundaberg Brewed Drinks - another link to home. Around now Glenn arrives home and I cheekily comment that his cause is a lost one when he pushes a lawnmower over the stones on the drive.  He comes over for a chat and we soon learn more than we ever knew about whitebaiting.  Up for a chat any time Brian and Sally!!

By now it is well after 4 pm and we still have a few hours drive to reach Arrowtown. 
Rachel and Glenn had told us that if we go over the Crown Range Road we can save half an hour on the journey around the base of the range.  Might be so, but there are twists and turns all the way up the range that mean our average speed is between 40 and 50 kph.  Still, the scenery is amazing.  BIG open skies.  Rounded hills that lock in to each other. Land slips (including some very recent ones). Snow covered peaks at the back,and as we top the Coronet Peak range, the sun is setting over Lake Hayes - what a majestic end to the day.



We pull in to Scooter's Place found on AirBnB after 8 pm and she tells us that we should still be able to get a meal in town.  Off we head and call in to the only place we still find cooking - Postmasters where we feast on local seafood.
Scooters Place is stunning and very new, having only been open for 2 months.  Sadly, we only got this booking because of a cancellation and they cannot accommodate us for longer. :(