Notice today at the notorious skippers gorge 'road'.
Connie and 'M' went down the gorge in a 2 pony trap probably like this!
Burning a ton of coal each crosing .TSS Earnslaw on Lake Wakitipu.
From TSS Earnslaw. The 'fast' vessel she knew was soon to arrive.
No comment.
The Kingston Flyer.
KEA, a possible rescue bird with a broken wing but showing a hint of the bright red underwing. Totally destructuve , mischievous and intelligent birds.
A ten year old Tuatara, very long living and the most ancient reptile on earth. Known from 23 million years ago.Queenstown is a total tourist heaven, every thrill and adventure is available here. Mountains, ravines, fast flowing water are all available for jumping off, crashing over and soaring above. All the adrenaline you can produce can be can be stimulated for a fee. And for those of us less inclined to such excess there are walks, sails, drives and flights on water, land and air. Endless accommodation, trips, food, retail excess and printed information.
But then this morning it was wet, so I went for an easy option while I checked what the day would do, and went to the bird park so that at least I will have seen a Kiwi and and a Kea while I am here. There was a talk advertised for 11am so I went and found a dry seat under the tarpauline cover to wait. I glanced round and thought the profile of a woman in the row behind, just visible under a large waterproof hat looked familiar. A few glances later when she too finally looked round and It was true. This was Ian and Meg, friends of ours from England whom we hadn’t seen since they came up to Scotland for the midsummer Millenium party we held at Connie’s house in 2000! It seems we have been in the same places a few times lately and not met, now here we were sitting feet apart under a wet tarp in a Queenstown bird park. Those inevitable coincidences again. We ate a really excellent dinner together by the waterfront last night with a lot of catching up to do. As the day was improving I abandoned the birds and headed off up the lake side towards Paradise a small location that Connie had reached with much more difficulty than I. She had gone to the head of the lake by steamer – complaining at the new one that the owners were buying which would go more than 20 miles an hour to the ruination of the peace and tranquility. She stopped at Kinloch – where the old house still stands- then over to Glenorchy on the other side, then she had gone by Mr Aitken’s horse & carriage criss-crossing the outwash gravels of the twin rivers the Dart and the Lees. Even today the final 37 km to Paradise was on poor gravel road and involved fording several streams. I tried to get to the head of the road, a long way past Paradise but finally met my match with one ford that was just too deep for this little car. A man in a huge 4x4 came past and said just make sure the doors are closed and don’t stop in the middle . I watched him go across and realised this is not what you are meant to do in little rented cars so waved him on – he had kindly waited to see that I got across safely - and turned back. Anyway I had reached Paradise , just 2 houses, and cant say it quite lived up to my expectations although the scenery round about is truly amazing. I stopped to take a photograph and spoke to a young woman with 2 dogs who had the thankless and lonely task of pulling up the poisonous Ragwort plants. I asked how farming could be profitable in such a remote place and she said her boss made his money from Film companies wanting to shoot films and adverts here and that the cattle and horses were hired out as ‘extras’. A very new form of farming. Actually she also told me that she is coming to the UK in a few weeks hoping to find work on Organic farms so I gave her our contact details and she might yet end up collecting our eggs in a few months time. Another inevitable co-incidence?
Today ( and ~ I really still dont know which day it is) if the weather holds I think I am off to take a trip on the renovated steam ship TSS Earnslaw, that dreadful boat that replaced Connie’s more sedate version, and which hopefully does go more than 20 miles an hour.
It is now evening and I did indeed have a lovely cruise across the lake and back. A splendid old boat which now carries huge numbers of tourists. There is full access to the engine rooms and bridge and the old salons have been meticulously restored. Tourists , walkers, mountaineers and hikers began the invasion of these parts in earnest around 1900 and before, and we are seeking the same thrills today – only bigger, better, faster and more dangerous. And we come in far greater numbers. For now. New Zealand has now become very financially dependent on the tourist industry and the world wide economic recession will take its toll. So far it hasn’t been felt as most tourists had booked and pre-paid their holidays before the recession arrived, but next year might well be a very different story . There is not much optimism right now.
I also visited the Southern Lakes Museum in Arrowtown where the very helpful archivist helped me to track down the exact type of carraiges that Connie wouldhave travelled in. However you look at it - comfort was not an option!
But then this morning it was wet, so I went for an easy option while I checked what the day would do, and went to the bird park so that at least I will have seen a Kiwi and and a Kea while I am here. There was a talk advertised for 11am so I went and found a dry seat under the tarpauline cover to wait. I glanced round and thought the profile of a woman in the row behind, just visible under a large waterproof hat looked familiar. A few glances later when she too finally looked round and It was true. This was Ian and Meg, friends of ours from England whom we hadn’t seen since they came up to Scotland for the midsummer Millenium party we held at Connie’s house in 2000! It seems we have been in the same places a few times lately and not met, now here we were sitting feet apart under a wet tarp in a Queenstown bird park. Those inevitable coincidences again. We ate a really excellent dinner together by the waterfront last night with a lot of catching up to do. As the day was improving I abandoned the birds and headed off up the lake side towards Paradise a small location that Connie had reached with much more difficulty than I. She had gone to the head of the lake by steamer – complaining at the new one that the owners were buying which would go more than 20 miles an hour to the ruination of the peace and tranquility. She stopped at Kinloch – where the old house still stands- then over to Glenorchy on the other side, then she had gone by Mr Aitken’s horse & carriage criss-crossing the outwash gravels of the twin rivers the Dart and the Lees. Even today the final 37 km to Paradise was on poor gravel road and involved fording several streams. I tried to get to the head of the road, a long way past Paradise but finally met my match with one ford that was just too deep for this little car. A man in a huge 4x4 came past and said just make sure the doors are closed and don’t stop in the middle . I watched him go across and realised this is not what you are meant to do in little rented cars so waved him on – he had kindly waited to see that I got across safely - and turned back. Anyway I had reached Paradise , just 2 houses, and cant say it quite lived up to my expectations although the scenery round about is truly amazing. I stopped to take a photograph and spoke to a young woman with 2 dogs who had the thankless and lonely task of pulling up the poisonous Ragwort plants. I asked how farming could be profitable in such a remote place and she said her boss made his money from Film companies wanting to shoot films and adverts here and that the cattle and horses were hired out as ‘extras’. A very new form of farming. Actually she also told me that she is coming to the UK in a few weeks hoping to find work on Organic farms so I gave her our contact details and she might yet end up collecting our eggs in a few months time. Another inevitable co-incidence?
Today ( and ~ I really still dont know which day it is) if the weather holds I think I am off to take a trip on the renovated steam ship TSS Earnslaw, that dreadful boat that replaced Connie’s more sedate version, and which hopefully does go more than 20 miles an hour.
It is now evening and I did indeed have a lovely cruise across the lake and back. A splendid old boat which now carries huge numbers of tourists. There is full access to the engine rooms and bridge and the old salons have been meticulously restored. Tourists , walkers, mountaineers and hikers began the invasion of these parts in earnest around 1900 and before, and we are seeking the same thrills today – only bigger, better, faster and more dangerous. And we come in far greater numbers. For now. New Zealand has now become very financially dependent on the tourist industry and the world wide economic recession will take its toll. So far it hasn’t been felt as most tourists had booked and pre-paid their holidays before the recession arrived, but next year might well be a very different story . There is not much optimism right now.
I also visited the Southern Lakes Museum in Arrowtown where the very helpful archivist helped me to track down the exact type of carraiges that Connie wouldhave travelled in. However you look at it - comfort was not an option!
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