Kawarau Gorge to Arrowtown

Destination: Arrowtown via Kawarau Gorge

After walking part of the Bannockburn Sluicing track, I headed into Cromwell to fuel up and top up with groceries.

Now that the fog had lifted, the day was second to none. Blue skies, along with a warm autumn temperature, made it a great day to travel. So, we set off along State Highway 6, which follows the Karawau Gorge - it's the main route between Cromwell and Queenstown.

I was looking for a spot to pull over to take some photos, and before long I spotted a sign indicating a rest area. As it was close to a busy road, I left the dogs in the bus. I was only going to be away a few minutes, while I took a couple of pics of the gorge and river.

As I was standing beside a couple of tourists admiring the view, a horn began beeping. It was a continual blast, not just a couple of toots. At first I didn't take much notice, but the incessant beeping sound made me wonder if someone's horn had become jammed? The couple beside me chatted about it and questioned why someone who be so insistent.
Then a thought flashed through my mind. Oh my goodness, could it be my bus's horn? 
Nah ... How could it be? But...maybe...just maybe???
And sure enough, my 'furry travel buddies', were the guilty party! One of them in their effort to get a better look of where I'd gone, had leant over the steering wheel, and yip - the horn was where they'd placed their paw! 
Haha ... thankfully others nearby, had also found it amusing!

Here they are, back on their usual perches, trying to look innocent!

Arrowtown was the next stop.
The avenue leading to the town centre is lined with colourful deciduous trees, displaying vibrant autumn hues. Arrowtown's first avenue was planted in 1867, the trees planted were Sycamore, Ash, Rowan, Oak and Elm. 

This picturesque, historic township, which sits beside the Arrow River, was established in 1862, during the height of the Otago Gold Rush. Thousands of miners flocked to the river and at the height of the gold rush the population reached 7,000.  

Arrowtown - known for its four distinct seasons and as an enchanted gold mining village, has many lovingly restored cottages. According to 'Google' there are over 60 historic buildings and features in the township.

As I drove through the town centre, I saw it was bustling with tourists. Cafes were overflowing, footpaths were crowded and everyone seemed to have a camera in their hand, savouring the moment. It was selfie-central!

It looked entertaining, but crowds aren't my thing, so I headed to the Arrow River. 

Ahhhh - it was bliss. Nothing but the crunching sound of fallen leaves underfoot, birds singing in the afternoon sunlight, the soothing sound of a babbling river, and just the tiniest hint of crispness in the air. Plus that earthy smell so commonly associated with autumn and last but not least, the kaleidoscope of colours. 

I scored the river walk, a 10 out of 10. It was stunning. Just imagine how popular it would be in summer. Here we were in May, and the swimming holes still looked inviting. Admittedly, I wasn't brave enough to validate it, but as for the dogs - they didn't give it a second thought!

Oakly - without a doubt, this little guy makes my world a better place - He's always by my side (my magnet, my shadow). I love him to bits.

My wee buddies enjoying the walk as much as I was. They're such great companions, always eager to go wherever I want to go and for as long as I like. As long as they're with me, they're happy. And the feeling is mutual. I love hanging out with my dogs - seeing them carefree and happy.

Forever hopeful a rabbit will hop by.

We left the River Walk and returned to the bus via quaint little side streets. On my right, was the hillside above the Arrow River. It was ignited with colour - golds, burnt oranges, shades of crimson, magenta and scarlet, plus various tones of green. It was as though the deciduous trees were farewelling the golden season as they prepared for winter. Their grand finale was impressive! 

When we got back to the bus, it was lunchtime. Time for a coffee and a bite to eat before setting off to Glenorchy. Sunlight streamed into the bus, so I sat on the couch, soaked up the sun's warmth, and had lunch. 

Not long after we'd bought the bus, we had the windows tinted. 

I hated the idea, of being like a goldfish in a bowl - visible, without any privacy. Having tinted windows is simply the best! We can see out, but people can't see in. And while having my lunch, I saw proof of how effective our tinted windows were.

A couple parked their car beside us, and as driver got out, he peered into the bus and must have noticed the windows were like a mirror. So he rearranged his hair and checked himself out from all angles - haha! If only he knew I was only a few feet away. Such a great way of people watching without being seen!

Next, we set off to Glenorchy. 

After navigating our way through Queenstown we were once again traveling along a country road. Previously, I'd only driven through Queenstown in a car, so I hadn't taken any notice of how undulating and narrow some streets were.  It's funny how you notice those things when driving something a little bigger (and slower). Even a few round-abouts through town were on an incline.

Driving along Lake Wakatipu was an absolute treat. It is such a long lake!

Being 80kms long, Lake Wakatipu is actually New Zealand's longest lake, and is the third largest (after Lake Taupo and Lake Te Anau). 

The 44 km scenic drive from Queenstown to Glenorchy is all sealed. At a steady pace it takes about three quarters of an hour, but allow more for photo stops.

The road is reasonably narrow and hilly with several bends (some of them are tight), but it's an easy drive. 
My only *gasp* moment was meeting a tour bus on a narrow bend, he obviously knew the road, but I didn't! And, yes, I admit my blink was muchhhh longer than normal.

A few interesting facts I discovered about Lake Wakatipu. 

• Did you know that Lake Wakatipu has a tide? It rises and falls 10cm every 25 minutes. It's been said it's because of its unusual shape (it's kind of shaped like a comical lighting bolt). Maybe it's the result of atmospheric pressure? It would be interesting to find out why.
• Lake Wakatipu was formed 15,000 years ago during the ice-age and is the result of being carved out by a huge retreating glacier. 
• Long fin eels, brown trout, salmon and rainbow trout can be found living in Lake Wakatipu.
• This huge lake reaches a depth of 397m, which means the lake bed actually sits below sea level. 
• Five rivers flow into Lake Wakatipu, but only one flows out, the Karawau River

There are lots of popular walking tracks that start from the Glenorchy-Queenstown Road. Some are lake walks and others are through bush. Either way, I'd be keen to walk them all, but this trip wasn't the right time. 
Maybe next time,  when Bernie's with me ... then he can dog-sit.

Blanketed by Fog and Another Lesson Learnt!

We woke to fog. Thick, dense fog. Everything was shrouded in grey, and the vibrant autumn colours were muted. And it was amazing.

Today our plan was to drive to Bannockburn, an old gold mining town, just 7km out of Cromwell. With all the fog about, my chances of getting some autumn photos weren't looking good, but being hopeful, I decided to go regardless, just incase there wasn't any fog in that area.

First, things first. Another walk around the lake's edge for the dogs. 

The reflections over the water had softened, and the vibrant golden hues had toned down, but wow, it was still incredible and breathtakingly beautiful. Looking at these photos, you might be mistaken in thinking it was cold, but it wasn't, it was mild. 
I felt content and very grateful to be experiencing this dreamlike setting.

Destination - Bannockburn.

The drive to the historic town of Bannockburn was an extra careful one. I could barely see a metre in front of me. Vehicles that were approaching had their lights on which helped, I too had my lights on but it didn't seem to make much difference with visibility. 

Still, I took it slowly. After about 5 kms of crawling along, I wondered whether I should turn back. It seemed pointless to carry on in this weather, the fog wasn't lifting and there wasn't much I could see! However, as there was only a couple of kilometres to go, I carried on.

Once at Bannockburn, there was a hint of some daylight, so I knew if I hung around long enough the fog would lift.

I had read about the Bannockburn Sluicing track, so I drove there.

A quick photo of the nearby vineyard and then we set off for our walk.

The walk started along an easy track, through barren landscape.

The track loops around what was once the Bannockburn Gold Field,. The area was sluiced and mined for gold from 1862 to the 1930s. 

Quarter of an hour into the walk, the fog was lifting, and it looked as though it was going to be a cracker of a day.

Don't you think, it looks a bit like 'The Wild West'?

The landscape was truly incredible and the fog added another dimension to it. To think that all this area had been changed by hand in the pursuit of gold. Towering cliff faces had been sluiced away in the hope of finding this precious yellow metal.

I remember, it was about here (in the photo below), as I was approaching a narrow track hugging the side of a bank, that I thought how pleased I was that I'd persevered driving through the fog and not turned back. And, immediately after that thought, my next thought popped up, which made me literally stop in my tracks!
Had I turned the bus's lights off when I parked? I had turned them on driving through the fog. But had I turned them off?
Now, if I had of been in my car and had forgotten to turn the lights off when I stopped, a beeping noise would remind me. However, the bus doesn't have this handy little gadget. So .... here I was 30 minutes into the walk, with a little dilemma. Do I carry on, or turn back? Had I left the lights on or had I turned them off?

I tossed up whether to continue walking and just hope for the best, or whether to turn around right then and there and head back to the bus.

I walked a few more metres, as I just had to see what kind of view would be around the bend, but then decided to turn back. If I carried on, I wouldn't be able to enjoy it as much. If I hurried back, and the lights were on, maybe the battery wouldn't have gone flat yet!

I was kicking myself! Grrrrr.....I really wanted to carry on with the walk because I had read there were remains of dams, water-races, tunnels, old stone buildings and stone walls ahead. From what I had seen of the walk so far, I loved it. And now the fog had lifted the views were sure to be even better.

Eventually we arrived back at the bus ..... and ........ YES! Dammit, I had left the lights on!

So, with some apprehension, I jumped in the bus, turned the key....and that sweet sound of an engine bursting into life greeted me. Phew!

Another lesson learnt. This trip was turning out to a be a journey of lessons...haha

Over Lindis Pass to Cromwell

One of the many rewards of this trip has been seeing how diverse the South Island's landscape is. Sometimes, the contrast has been noticeable within a short distance. 

Lindis Pass is an example of this. It's barren, remote, unique and breath-taking. 

Lindis Pass Scenic Reserve was formed in 1976, and was one of the first tussock reserves in New Zealand. The road through the pass is hilly and winding and is about 60kms long. 

The rolling mountainside (with an altitude of 971m) is covered in tussock grass, and for many months of the year you can see snow, sometimes down to the side of the road.

Lindis Pass links the Mackenzie Basin with Central Otago and crosses a saddle between the valleys of Lindis and the Ahuriri River.

The little bus chugged up the pass without any trouble, the long stretches of road made it an easy climb. Once near the summit, I pulled over, it was time to give the dogs a break and for me to admire the view.

After the dogs had sniffed everything in sight and stretched their legs, we were back on the road. Before long, without looking at any road signs, I knew we were in Otago. 

How? The countryside gave it away - the distinctive craggy schist rock formations suddenly appeared along the countryside. 

I was rapt when we arrived in Cromwell. Finally, we were here, in the area, known for it's spectacular autumn scenery! 

I was hoping to stay at the Rotary Glen NZMCA Park beside Lake Dunstan, I had read reviews about it being a nice spot to stay, however it has a limit of 10 campervans. Knowing there were other places I could park if there were already 10 campers, I went to check it out.

Luckily, when I arrived there were only two others there. So I drove in and parked beside some spectacular golden poplars.

And, as we always do. It was off with the key. On with the gas. And then the three of us set off to explore.
Directly across from the park, was lovely Lake Dunstan.

Lake Dunstan is a man-made lake and reservoir which was formed on the Clutha River when the Clyde Dam was developed.

The lake provides irrigation to nearby stone fruit orchards and vineyards. It's also popular for swimming, boating, waterskiing, fishing and rowing.

Clearly the smell of rabbits in the air was strong. The dogs were eager to check out every bush and cluster of plants in sight.

We followed the edge of the lake for an hour or more and then turned back.

Parts of the foreshore was lined with Briar Roses. Their thorny branches were hanging heavily with bright orangey-red rose hips.

Legend has it Chinese Goldminers back in the 1860s brought briar roses to New Zealand as a source of vitamin C. The Otago winters were (and are) harsh and as rose hips have many medicinal uses, the Chinese used them as an aid to help them survive the cold winters.

During WW11, due to the lack of citrus fruit, rose hip gathering was a popular and meaningful pastime in autumn and early winter. 

Rose hips are the fruit of the briar rose and also contain the seeds. Rose hips are high in vitamin C, which assist with immunity. They also contain anti-inflammatory properties and evidence suggests these properties are effective in relieving symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. 

Being rich in essential fatty acids (omega 6 and omega 3), makes them beneficial to skin care, e.g, dermatitis, acne, eczema, sunburn, scar tissue and wrinkles (*sigh* - if only I'd known that earlier, I would've collected bucket loads of those rose-hips and smothered my face with them! haha). I'll chalk it up, for another reason to come back and visit!

Birds and maybe rabbits, have helped disperse the briar rose seeds. Briar roses are considered a pest to farmers, they establish resistant thickets in poor pastures and can tolerate drought, hot to cold temperatures, and can thrive in low fertile soils. 

When we arrived back at the NZMCA Park, we were greeted by lots of rabbits. They barely glanced in our direction, obviously we weren't a threat.

The dogs were on their leads and they were truly mesmerised. They would've done anything to be let off!  

Honestly, I don't think Oakly slept at all that night! Every time I woke, he was sitting beside me with his face glued to the window. I could see the rabbit's silhouettes as they sat on the nearby ridge. Admittedly, they were entertaining, jumping in the air, twisting and spinning around (this cute behaviour is known as a 'binky'). Others were grooming themselves, licking their paws and rubbing their faces or just sitting still.

Thankfully, Oakly spent the whole night watching. He never made a noise. So Boo and I had a great night's sleep.