Lake Chelan and Manson

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We started our day with a trip into Chelan to view some of the history of the area at the Museum. It is a small museum, well presented, and documenting much of what we have experienced in the colonisation of New Zealand with mining, logging and horticulture development but also including the Indian and trapping history. The latter were the major differences for us. There were Indian clothes made of animal skins, furs and beading. A huge collection of arrow heads and implements showed their stone age development and their local history in the area. On the immigrant side the fur trapping, guns, lake history were the major differences. The later history around 1900 onwards showed the development of the fruit industry followed by wine. More later on this.

When you want a real coffee as we have at home, you have to ask for it otherwise you get drip coffee which seems to be the main type. So, coffee raises it's head again. We asked, we got, but it wasn't great. Too big, too watered down. Next time an expresso is in order to get a concentrated coffee. Isn't it weird how we've all become such coffee connoisseurs?!! Back to good old English Breakfast Tea.

Straight across the lake from our house is Manson which appears to be a much lower lying area covered in orchards and grapes and modern houses along the shore. To the back are three lakes. We decided to settle our curiosity with a visit. First we stopped to have a picnic lunch on the shore - sticking to the TTATs philosophy of sammies, apple and a Snickers bar. It was lovely until the rain rolled down the lake so we left for a drive back beyond the shore to see what lay there. It was a huge area of apple orchards and grapes covering the entire landscape. What a surprise. So much reminds us of Nelson. The same crops and rounded rocky soil that we have with the Moutere Gravels. The only difference seemed to be that they were not obsessed with the latest apple variety as there were some very fat stumped golden delicious apple trees. Remember them? They were so popular, then something better came along so the old ones were ripped out.

The sun came out and we headed back into Manson to take a look at the flat promontory on the Narrows. This was an exclusive area with many facilities and managed by security. Beulah Ridge looks very downmarket........

And back to Chelan for a walk down river beyond the dam for some exercise. It wasn't pretty but it was exercise and the path was good.

The whole area looks quite prosperous with only the smaller back streets being a little more modest. The workers cottages around orchards also reminded us of Nelson with the not so great accomodation.

So ends another day in Lake Chelan as we begin to make sense of our surroundings.

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Photos

Amusing road sign
We saw this sign yesterday and I just had to photograph it. Cute eh? No-see-um Road.