New Zealand

---

Saturday 20th November: Early morning start, off again, driving along Lake Wanaka then Lake Hawea. We passed a number of vine yards on the shore of Lake Wanaka. So many lakes! The bright blue water of Lake Hawea was just stunning. I read that it is 1,345ft approx half a mile deep in places, where Lake Wanaka is narrow but long, 22 miles long. We then stopped for ever more water, this time a water fall called Rouring Meg; what a racket! I read the information site board that said: 'It was named after a loud, fearsome woman'. After viewing the site we were back on the road once more this time heading for Wanaka town for some breakfast and a coffee and to meet some of the locals. Next stop Cromwell, another big wine growing region. Didn't stop as we wanted to get to Queenstown. (The town was established during the gold rush of the 1860's.) We arrived there about 11am, unfortunately raining heavy but we parked up and set off into the town centre. The town had a really nice feel about it, quite cosmopolitian and very clean. We were thinking about riding the skyline gondola which takes you up to Bob's Peak, but you couldn't see the top because of the low rain clouds, so we didn't go up. Queenstown sits along Lake Wakatipu. Yes, another lake. The Maori have a legend about the lake: ' The lake was formed by the inprint of a sleeping demon burnt to death by the lover of a beautiful Maori girl captured by the demon. Because his heart did not perish and still beats, the level of the lake rises and falls'. The Maori's love there legends. Stayed in Queenstown for most of the day and once the rain stopped you could see the hill tops and all the houses over-looking the centre. The harbour was busy with ferries ferrying tourist back and forth. after having a lovely meal in a restaurant on the harbour side and then enjoying the lovely friendly people we eventually got back on the road. We left about 4pm and got back on our faithful highway 6. Passing through Orone and yes, a lake, this time the Queenstown lake Wakatipu which we drove round to its tip at Kingston. Our destination was a small settlement called Mossburn and a hook-up site we decided to stop at for the night. A family run park with good facilities, so we could get some washing done, both ourselves and our clothes. Tomorrow, Milford Sound!

---