Doing the Visitor Thing in Queenstown

I think I last visited Queenstown about 27 years ago. We didn't do any of the tourist stuff then, mainly because we didn't have much money with just one of us working. This time around I figured I wasn't going to wait another 27 years. So I sucked up the fear and RODE up the GONDOLA! Yep! Didn't want to think about the height - just DID IT!

Lake Wakatipu

On another day we took a trip on the TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak Station at the head of Lake Wakatipu. Did the farm tour (we didn't think that it would be any good, but we got a kick out of seeing children and tourists feeding the sheep, cuddling them and chasing them), and then of course was the afternoon tea! - well worth the time and money (ah! brings me back to my teenage years working in the high country).

TSS Earnslaw coming in to dock at Walter Peak Station

 

 

We also spent a few hours in Arrowtown snapping photos of the autumn colours of the trees. The weekend after Easter was to be their autumn festival, but I think that we saw it in the best colours. Here's an early morning shot - they had had a reasonable early frost!

Early morning - road to Arrowtown

Autumn colours - Arrowtown

We stayed 3 nights in Wanaka and took part in the ANZAC Day service - it was such a delight with a huge community involvement. It culminated with a march uphill to the Cenotaph and a fly-pass with a Tiger Moth - the weather just beautiful - the rest of the country mostly had rain.
Here is a panoramic view from the lake shore taken early morning:

Lake Wanaka