With the morning sun, Isabella and I set out for Dunedin from Queenstown. First, however, I wanted to show Isabella and excellent view up Lake Wakatipu north to Glenorchy. I first laid eyes on it in 2005 on a trip to go horseback riding in Glenorchy. That day was sunny and virtually cloudless which gave a magnificent view of the Lake and the mountains behind. This day was a little cloudy which obstructed the view but did give the lake a sort of mottled blue and green surface.
From Queenstown we headed east on the highway to Dunedin. We decided that since we had virtually the whole day to get there we would take the scenic route through the Otago Highlands, a mountainous area filled with grasslands and tors. Our first stop, though, was Kawarau Gorge with its famous bridge, the birthplace of bungee jumping. When we got there there were many people, mostly foreigners I gathered and some were taking the plunge from the bridge to the river far below. I'm told that you choose the length of rope you want and you can either skim the river's surface or go for some form of immersion. But you can't do it on a whim as the price is a hefty NZ$180, which is a bit expensive in my opinion. However, to those who need the adrenaline rush, I'm sure it's money well spent.
Not too far away we stopped in a little highway fruit shop and Isabella picked out a huge quantity of greengage plums. These are plums, as the name suggests, but they have a sort of green and purple skin that makes one think they are unripe. I was a little apprehensive at trying them but once I did I immediately enjoyed them. Greenage plums are small but very sweet, despite their appearance. Isabella bout a box of about 50 or 60 for about NZ$4, I think, which was a steal. They were a source of nourishment for many days afterwards and in hindsight the choice was inspired. I went mad trying to find them in Australia but couldn't.
A little further on was a set of rapids called Roaring Meg, apparently named after a boisterous pub owner during the days of the local gold rush. As we drove on we eventually reached Cromwell, the center of the South Island's fruit growing area and if there was any doubt about that there is a large statue of fruit outside town. From Cromwell we passed through the likeable towns of Clyde and Alexandra before turning north onto Highway 85. Here the landscape became grassy with many rocky tors punctuating the landscape and there was a very real sense of isolation. There were few other vehicles on the road, though we did pull over on one occasion to let cattle pass. It kid of highlighted the rural way of life, that cattle were droved along the major highway without any real impediment.
The next town was Ranfurly, which at one point had served as an important stop when the railway ran through this part of the highlands. The railway has since been torn up but the old train station serves as a museum so Isabella and I decided to stop in. Inside there were various relics and photographs of bygone days and we were invited to watch a video on the railroad's history. I don't exactly remember why, but the video was just awful. I think it had been produced about 20 years ago and had terrible music and was quite boring. Isabella and I stayed as long as we thought we were being watched and then made a hasty retreat.
From Ranfurly, it was only a short drive to the Highway 87 turnoff which took us south towards Dunedin. For its whole length there were virtually no towns except for Middlemarch and that only just deserves the name as it is so small. Middlemarch, however, does have the distinction of being the end of the Taieri Gorge Railway, a rail line that runs from Dunedin along the scenic Taeri Gorge but is for tourism really. From Middlemarch begins the Otago Central Trail, a walking trail that used to be the rail line. However, at length, we reached Mosgiel, Dunedin's primary suburb and then drove into Dunedin.
We were booked in for 3 nights at Chalet Backpackers, which we found quite enjoyable. One thing I will compliment New Zealand on is its excellent quality of hostels. Dunedin would serve as our base for the next few days and we were going to make the most of our time there, seeing some of the city, but also some of the intriguing surrounding areas.
From Queenstown we headed east on the highway to Dunedin. We decided that since we had virtually the whole day to get there we would take the scenic route through the Otago Highlands, a mountainous area filled with grasslands and tors. Our first stop, though, was Kawarau Gorge with its famous bridge, the birthplace of bungee jumping. When we got there there were many people, mostly foreigners I gathered and some were taking the plunge from the bridge to the river far below. I'm told that you choose the length of rope you want and you can either skim the river's surface or go for some form of immersion. But you can't do it on a whim as the price is a hefty NZ$180, which is a bit expensive in my opinion. However, to those who need the adrenaline rush, I'm sure it's money well spent.
Not too far away we stopped in a little highway fruit shop and Isabella picked out a huge quantity of greengage plums. These are plums, as the name suggests, but they have a sort of green and purple skin that makes one think they are unripe. I was a little apprehensive at trying them but once I did I immediately enjoyed them. Greenage plums are small but very sweet, despite their appearance. Isabella bout a box of about 50 or 60 for about NZ$4, I think, which was a steal. They were a source of nourishment for many days afterwards and in hindsight the choice was inspired. I went mad trying to find them in Australia but couldn't.
A little further on was a set of rapids called Roaring Meg, apparently named after a boisterous pub owner during the days of the local gold rush. As we drove on we eventually reached Cromwell, the center of the South Island's fruit growing area and if there was any doubt about that there is a large statue of fruit outside town. From Cromwell we passed through the likeable towns of Clyde and Alexandra before turning north onto Highway 85. Here the landscape became grassy with many rocky tors punctuating the landscape and there was a very real sense of isolation. There were few other vehicles on the road, though we did pull over on one occasion to let cattle pass. It kid of highlighted the rural way of life, that cattle were droved along the major highway without any real impediment.
The next town was Ranfurly, which at one point had served as an important stop when the railway ran through this part of the highlands. The railway has since been torn up but the old train station serves as a museum so Isabella and I decided to stop in. Inside there were various relics and photographs of bygone days and we were invited to watch a video on the railroad's history. I don't exactly remember why, but the video was just awful. I think it had been produced about 20 years ago and had terrible music and was quite boring. Isabella and I stayed as long as we thought we were being watched and then made a hasty retreat.
From Ranfurly, it was only a short drive to the Highway 87 turnoff which took us south towards Dunedin. For its whole length there were virtually no towns except for Middlemarch and that only just deserves the name as it is so small. Middlemarch, however, does have the distinction of being the end of the Taieri Gorge Railway, a rail line that runs from Dunedin along the scenic Taeri Gorge but is for tourism really. From Middlemarch begins the Otago Central Trail, a walking trail that used to be the rail line. However, at length, we reached Mosgiel, Dunedin's primary suburb and then drove into Dunedin.
We were booked in for 3 nights at Chalet Backpackers, which we found quite enjoyable. One thing I will compliment New Zealand on is its excellent quality of hostels. Dunedin would serve as our base for the next few days and we were going to make the most of our time there, seeing some of the city, but also some of the intriguing surrounding areas.
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