New Zealand Day 7

Queenstown is gorgeous!

Today we took a much more liesurely pace. We didn't leave the hotel room until almost nine o'clock. Then we drove out along Lake Wakatipu toward Glenorchy. We made several stops for walks along the lakeshore, and the boys enjoyed throwing rocks in the water. One of the trails at Bob's Cove led to an old kiln built right down by the water. We were watching for birds and enjoying the rain forest. The boys even picked up and identified marble, schist, and pieces of gneiss. Luckily, it was a beautiful day. There wasn't a drop of rain, and the lighting was just right for pictures.

This is the most beautiful part of New Zealand we've seen.

The snow on the mountains looks like Lord of the Rings.

This lake was so pretty.

The road into Queenstown follows this lake for a long time.

The mountains, clouds, and water were the perfect combination.

Down by the shore, the waves were rolling in.

The trail was really quiet. We didn't see a soul.

Mom enjoyed the hike.

We took so many pictures of this gorgeous place!

The boys were on a mission to throw every rock back in the water.

This place was so peaceful. If the sun came out, you could see the beautiful turquoise water.

Mark showed me his rock he was about to skip.

The water is such a glacial shade of blue.

The destination was this ancient kiln.

The boys spotted a fantail, which is one of their favorite new birds.

Finally, we arrived in Glenorchy, which is a tiny town at the north end of the lake. We took another lakeside walk that followed the shore before heading into the swamp. There wasn't much to see, but we did enjoy each other's company as we walked along surrounded by the soaring mountain peaks and the waves lapped against the shore.

That old shed had absolutely nothing in it, but it did say Glenorchy.

Do we look ready to take the pass over the Misty Mountains?

It was a perfect day without a drop of rain.

The marsh we walked through was pretty, but we wanted to see more birds.

We followed the path out and back for about a half mile.

The boys liked playing Pooh sticks in the river.

There were so many great backgrounds for pictures.

We saw some pretty places.

We drove back through Queenstown, stopping for lunch along the way, and then continued out to a small village called Arrowtown. This was an old mining town, and the pace was much slower than the rush of Queenstown. We walked along the narrow main street, browsing in the small candy shops and souvenir places on the boardwalk. Eventually, we made our way up to the old gaol, as they spell jail here. Then we walked back through the mining section of the village. They have rebuilt several of the tiny homes that the Chinese workers lived in after gold was discovered in the 1860s. We couldn't believe how tiny the homes were, but the area was really beautiful. Then we took a back way through the canyon into Queenstown. It followed a narrow valley and passed over the Shotover River. We stopped to take a few pictures at the narrow gorge, and then continued back to the hotel. Since it was early for dinner, we relaxed for a little while before the big drive the next day.

Arrowtown was our favorite little town in New Zealand.

In honor of our visit Dax was placed on a postage stamp.

The gaol was locked, so we couldn't go inside. Seth asked a lot of questions about why it was spelled that way.

Dax visited the outhouse.

The boys looked like criminals!

This is Mark's best mugshot.

The recreations of the Chinese homes were built on their original foundations.

Most were built right into the hillside.

Mom opted for this luxury Chinese dwelling.

The bridge over the river was right out of a painting.

The immigrant houses weren't very big at all.

For dinner we decided to take the kids to a Chinese restaurant, whether they liked it or not. Randy's brother had pointed out a restaurant that Mom (Grandma Ockey) had enjoyed on her last visit to New Zealand, so we convinced the kids that was the reason we were going to eat there. As it turned out, the food was amazing. It also came at a very gentle pace, so though we arrived around seven o'clock it was quarter until nine when we left. The good news is that Seth was brave enough to try the fried rice, and he actually enjoyed it. Mark decided he liked Mongolian beef and ate nearly the whole plate. Dax did fine with the meal because he tries everything. And as it turned out, there was more food than even Dad could eat! We had a great time talking and eating all that we could hold.

On the walk back to the hotel, we stopped at a souvenir shop. Dax and Seth wanted stuffed kiwis, and Mark decided on a dishtowel that featured several of the birds he identified on this trip. Mom got a t-shirt and some gloves and Dad got a brand new tie with a pocket kerchief and cuff links he'll never use. We enjoyed Queenstown though there are a lot more tourists. The pace was a little easier, and we still found plenty to do.