Queenstown and surrounds

After leaving Clyde we travelled to Queenstown, which was a culture shock after Clyde. I could easily have been in a mountain town in Europe. I was not impressed but then it brings in the tourist dollar and there were certainly hordes of them in the town.

We then travelled 45 km to Glenorchy, a small settlement at the end of Lake Wakatipu. This was a lovely trip except we were following a car with four Japanese girls in it, who thought that there was no oncoming traffic so meandered all over the road. Very nerve wracking! Glenorchy looked just the same as it was 25 years ago. Once (40 years ago) there was no road to Glenorchy. The only way to get there was by a steamer that called into every sheep station on the way. A fascinating trip watching all the stock being loaded or unloaded and sitting against the funnel in order to stay warm.

We travelled out to the beginning of the Routeburn track, which Darren and Emma will know well as this was the beginning of our five day walk in the mountains. The area was used when filming ‘Lord of the Rings’.

Luckily the four Japanese girls had returned to Queenstown so we had an uneventful trip back via Queenstown and Arrowtown (see picture) and up through the Crown Range. Spectacular mountains!