Queenstown to Makarora

Reluctantly, but made easier by the fact that the clouds were down over the mountains this morning, I left Queenstown and headed towards the goldfields! Not much gold to be found these days but that's where gold was found in the 19th century, and why Queenstown and Arrowtown grew up! Arrowtown is very picturesque, retaining some of its old look, though I am sure there are some new buildings built to fit in with the old style.

The autumn festival was in full swing, and being Saturday there was all sorts of entertainments going on, The main street was closed today to accommodate them. I stopped to watch acrobats who did juggling and knife throwing. The girl was amazingly agile, twisting her legs behind her head, squeezing herself into a very small box, and working her way through a small hoop - doubled up!


There were also Maori singers who sang and danced, the girls sometimes using poi, the balls on strings that they twirled about very deftly! The men performed a haka and got some men in the audience to come up to the stage and learn how to do some of the movements! That was very funny, but they did it, following the lead of the Maori men!

I worked my way through the crowds along the street to find the old Chinese village that was built by immigrant Chinese gold miners on the edge of Arrowtown, not being totally welcomed or accepted by the white settlers! A few houses and the store remain, and a trail leads you from site to site, display boards explaining about these men who left wives and families at home to try to make a better living.

Time was getting on so I returned to the main street and hearing the sound of the bagpipes had to investigate. A group of pipers were accompanying a group of singers and a danceband. Not bad at all!



I continued my walk along by the row of the oldest of the old buildings. It was obvious that people were waiting for something to happen and were beginning to line this part of the street. I began to look at the stalls set up opposite, by crafts people, and watched a guy do acrobatics in the sky in a small plane. Up and up and round he went, looping the loop and flying up again, next stalling the engine to freefall downwards again, starting it just at the last moment and sweeping back up into the sky again! Amazing stuff!

Back to the craft stalls - jewellery, knitting, painting, handmade cards, a copper worker.... now his stuff was wonderful. I could have taken some of that home quite happily! Then the parade started which was what everyone was waiting to see. Led by the pipe band the local fireservice followed in a succession of historical vehicles to the present day. There were a good number of vintage cars next, and then different floats with the kids dressed up. There was a wonderful pirate ship, and one with the cubs and the scouts doing outdoor things that cubs and scouts do! Kids on unicycles, the juggler/acrobats..... it was great fun! Reminded me of our own Beltane parade at home, with a guy on a penny farthing, and the bus with the local old folk!



I really had to get on my way, but stopped again to listen to the pipeband play Highland Cathedral. Heading out, I bumped into a trio of women in purple and red, with red hats. Had to be some of the Red Hat Society! Having heard about the society from Eunice, I had to talk to them, two Helens and a Susan! They had come to the festival from Cromwell, not that far away!



So, at last I found my way back to the car and headed off to find the road I wanted, what was an unsealed road last time, and not passable for us in our hire car. Now the road is sealed and accessible so I zigzagged my way up and up a mountainside and over the ski-ing region, to the tiny hamlet of Cardrona! We have Cardrona near Peebles so I had to see it for myself! I can now say I have had a drink (of orange juice) in the Cardrona Hotel! It looks a lot more inviting than our own one at home!



Eventually, in the afternoon, amid beautiful mountain scenery I reached Wanaka, beside the lake. Photographed to bits, I left Wanaka behind in the hope of getting to Haast by the time dark fell and it falls around 6.30pm. No chance! I kept stopping to grab photos of Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka, so the car lights were in use by the time I reached Makaroa Wilderness Resort where I decided to pull into the motel. They have little cabins scattered around a woodland site, including couple of dorm chalets for a much cheaper price thanthe cabins. No-one lse is sleeping in them tonight so I have one of them to myself! Right now I am in the bar, listening to a load of kids enjoying a karaoke night - they are really having fun - and doing my thing here on the computer!



Tomorrow the scenery promises to be grand again, and I will head over the rest of the Haast Pass to reach the west coast. On up to Fox and Franz Josef where with luck I will get to see the glaciers. I think I might take a helicopter sight seeing trip!



Sorry no pics today! No time! So till next time.... night night!

Talk again soon.