Arrowtown

Arrowtown is a historic gold mining tourist town, just north of Queenstown on New Zealand's South Island. We called in for breakfast and a quick look around, prior to heading to the airport at the end of our trip.

Here it is, or at least here it was, when I was there in 1990.

Here it is the other week. Looks about the same, except the cars have got bigger, and do a better job of obscuring the historic buildings.

There was just time to visit the museum, or at least the 'Tribal Warriors' exhibition there. There were warriors from all over the world. Except New Zealand that is. A bit odd, as New Zealand's Maoris pride themselves for their warrior past, or so I thought. The museum lady confirmed my suspicion that it has become a 'politically sensitive' issue.

Another Queenstown crazy thing

"Why the #$@* would anyone want to ride in that?" I rather undiplomatically asked.

"Why the #$@* wouldn't they?" was the rather obvious retort, from the driver of the thing.

We were talking to the 'Hydro Attack' sharknado* man on Queenstown's Lake Wakatipu. He was just closing up for the day, having put his shark machine to bed for the night, underwater maybe, as we couldn't quite see it.

We'd met him through our Irish mafia connection, and I think he was rather proud of his machine, and of the business. It's a very Kiwi  creation - a thing you ride around the lake in at breakneck speed, on but sometimes under the surface too. It rears up out of the water at times, dancing on its tail like no shark I've ever seen.

Like bungy jumping, it's rather expensive, and definitely not for all tastes. I gave this one a miss too, but perhaps I was a little curious, and a little harsh in my initial judgement. Maybe next time!


* My term, not theirs.

Bungy!

We called in at the original home of bungy jumping, the Kawarau Bridge over the Shotover River near Queenstown.





When I was last in the area the bus I was on stopped on the nearby road bridge. We watched a young chap standing on the edge, about to jump. Watched him for several minutes in fact, before he chickened out and retreated.
















This time there was no anticlimax. The young lady went ahead and did it.

She swung and dangled for a bit, while the retrieval dinghy came out to get her.

Nearly retrieved now.







And probably feeling glad to be alive!

Training them young

They're a fit bunch, those Kiwis. We kept encountering runners charging up mountains that some of us were somewhat challenged to walk up. And often there were mothers (or fathers) carrying their babies up quite challenging mountain walks.

Here at Fern Burn hut, after a 500m ascent and a three hour slog, this 14 month old Kiwi finally catches up with her mother. OK, it wasn't quite like that. Mother put her down 50m before the end of the walk so she could do the final bit solo. But we were still impressed.

Fern Burn

Here we are heading off up the Fern Burn valley, at the start of the Fern Burn Track, which is the first stage of the Motatapu Track, from Wanaka to Arrowtown, near Queenstown, in New Zealand's South Island last week. It's easy and level walking to start with.

Bùrn: Scottish Gaelic for fresh water (English equivalent - Bourne)

We then entered the antarctic beech forest of the Stack Conservation  Area, and it was a bit more up and downy. In all the ascent is about 500m, and the walk takes three hours or so each way.

Up above the tree line now, and after a few more ups and downs, the Fern Burn hut is sighted.

It's a great spot for lunch, and then it's off down again through that rather photogenic beech forest and bùrn.

Isthmus Peak, crowded mountain!

One of the many highlights of our New Zealand visit last week was the walk up Isthmus Peak. It's about 1000m of ascent from the start, near Lake Hawea, to the summit, so it's a respectable three hour slog. Excellent track of course, and fabulous scenery.

Nearing the top now.

Right on the snow line. And on the western side, beyond Lake Wanaka below, are very snowy mountains twice as high, including Mount Aspiring, the highest in the area.

The big climb didn't deter the crowds though. It seems to be peak tramping season in New Zealand, and dozens of groups of visitors from all over the world were doing Isthmus Peak that day.

Some locals, we noticed, were doing it the (relatively) easy way, paragliding their way up and then looking down on us.