It was a beautiful morning and we took a picnic lunch to eat beside the lake. We then had a superb walk around Diamond Lake and to Rocky Heights at 777 metres. The views were spectacular as you can see.
These little birds were around the campsite in Wanake, fed by the staff I think.
On Sunday we said goodbye to Wanaka and set off across the Crown Range, a road only sealed in 2000, to Queenstown. Impressive views and very tricky in winter as it reaches a height of 1100 metres.
We stopped for coffee on the shores of Lake in a small and sad little place called Kingston. The steam railway from here had just gone bust and there is nothing much else to attract the visitor. However they had the most high tech loos we have ever seen – electronic buttons to get in and out, gleaming stainless steel everywhere. I wonder what would happen if there was a power cut….
Sunday night we spent in Te Anau and on Monday morning we headed for Manapouri to start our journey out to Doubtful Sound.
The largest island in the lake is Pomona Island, and was indeed named after The Mainland of Orkney – named by John McKerrow in the 1800’s. It is now a bird reserve, having had all the vermin and pests eradicated.
There is a huge powerstation built below ground on the shores of lake Manapouri – which could supply most of the South Island of New Zealand’s power, but 85% of it goes to supply the aluminium smelter at Invercargill. These tunnels and concrete structure is all that can be seen above ground of this huge project.
Finally we arrived by bus at Deep Cove and found MV Friendship waiting for us. 12 passengers and 2 crew to look after us for the next 20 hours or so. The boat used to be the Real Journey’s original overnight boat, but now they have a much larger boat for 70 passengers for Doubtful Sound. We all agreed we were much happier on a smaller boat where we got to know everyone really well
The day was great and rainy (nor surprisingly – Fjordland gets 9 metres of rain per annum!). However it did mean we saw some spectacular waterfalls, which have been nonexistent for weeks apparently.
Can you see the boat (quite a large one) at the foot of this waterfall? Gives you an idea of scale.
Bill has 2 traps to haul – and we had 2 crawfish in the first one. Just big enough to keep , they were cooked and shared for our starter at dinner. Very nice. The bait was kept “safe” in a sniffer box, so it wasn’t eaten by the trapped animals and thus could keep attracting others. A very clever idea we thought.
This little hut on the side of one of the outer islands is where fishermen from the Tasman sea come in for a bit of R and R. Satellite TV and a beer fridge, and their own generator!
As evening closed in we anchored for the night (around 8) and then had the most beautifully dinner all cooked by Bill.
The next morning it was still grey, but dry and we motored up another arm of the Sound. Beautiful and peaceful.
This was our group photo (taken by Howard) and this is our last look back at Deep Cove and Doubtful Sound. 
We were back on the road again by lunchtime and drove back up to Queenstown. These are all scenes of Lake.. as we drove North.
By the time we got to Queenstown the weather was beautiful again. We strolled around the Queenstown quays and soaked up the atmosphere. Old and new buildings stood side by side. A visually really attractive town.
As the afternoon wore on we left to go to Arrowtown, an old mining centre, about 20 km away from Queenstown. A lovely little town, almost like something out of a Western movie set.The first picture is of our motel accommodation – run by a Newcastle lass.
We wandered around the old Chinese Miners houses, now preserved in an outdoor museum where you are free to wander. The Chinese suffered a great deal of prejudice at the hands of the locals and were confined to the outskirts.
We noticed signs for Mary McKillop’s house and searched it out, wondering who this person was. Turns out she is up for Sainthood and her canonisation had been confirmed only 4 days before we were there! We even met some “pilgrims” looking for her house. She was a nun that had lived here for only about an year or so, as far as we could work out! This is the church which stands close to her (tiny one roomed) house which she turned into a convent! Note the bowlers in their whites in the plot next door!
Since Lord of the Rings was filmed extensively around Queenstown we thought we must go on a LOTR tour and see where some of the filming was done. We were promised a 4WD experience and many insights into how the filming went on. Not to be unfortunately. Not only was it a rainy day but we had a driver who hadn’t even seen the films and knew less than we did. So a bit of a bust really but we got to Glenorchy and did a bit of off road. Jim, our driver, was a good raconteur, especially about cars as that was what he used to sell. So we learned more about cars than LOTR – oh well.
Where Orthanc stood and where Gandalf rode out of the forest
and where Sam, Frodo and Gollum first saw Oliphants. Yes we’ve checked the films and yes these are in there – we sad people!
Jim thought that we should take a photo of this sign…..!
Back in Arrowtown we looked for the Ford of Bruien, just yards form our door!
We left Arrowtown on Wednesday, heading north on the last leg of our journey – on to Geraldine and then to the airport at Christchurch. However as we left the Queenstown area there were 2 last things to check out – the original Bungy bridge, with someone going for it as we drove past! And the Kawarra river where there is quite a bit of while water rafting done…and where there was quite a bit of LOTR filmed as well!
On the way north we passed through Cromwell, heart of the fruit growing area. And these beautiful monuments stand testimony to that industry(!?). These photos were taken ONLY as a promise to a friend!
Just north of Twizel (yes Twizel!) we came across this canal – incongruous in such a landscape. This is part of another hydro electric system coming from Lake Tekapo.
We had a picnic lunch looking up this lake to Mount Cook, where just days before we hovered in a helicopter looking DOWN to this lake.
And one last spectacular gorge before we stopped in Geraldine.
Our only sight of Christchurch, from the plane as we took off. Next time…..!
And our last sunset in New Zealand, close to Auckland Airport as we strolled out to dinner. One tremendous holiday
