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Published: February 29th 2008
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After spending a smashing few days at Fox Glacier with the Dotty Duo, Jo & Tony, (so called as their van, 'Dotty', has red, blue and yellow dots painted all over it - can't miss them driving around NZ!) we parted company, us heading south to Wanaka, Jo & To north to Hokitika to see Billy's cousins at the Shining Star.
Wanaka was windy. Very pretty lake and spectacular views, with the most amazing Toy & Transport Museum - a really incredible collection of old cars, fire engines, aircraft, Barbie dolls, Star Wars figures etc. And Puzzling World, a bizarre place with an outdoor maze (challenging, but we got fed up after the first 10 minutes and used an 'emergency exit' to get out) and a 'tilted house' with a sloping floor that warps your sense of what's horizontal.
However, Steve's sniff of gold urged us on to a place where dreams have come true, Arrowtown. The Arrow River is said to have been one of the richest sources of alluvial gold in the world, and in the 1860's attracted a bustling population of gold miners. The town has historical feel to it, with some of the original shops
and cottages still in use. It's got a pie shop, a chocolate shop, a sweetshop, an ice-cream shop, and all the other essentials - pharmacy, post office etc.
But most importantly, it's got gold in the river, which the Lichmeister can smell from miles away. And he's been convinced he's going to find a nugget the size of his head that all those gold miners have overlooked for years.
With a panner, a spoon, a water bottle, reading glasses and other technical equipment, Lichie set off up river on the quest to hit the jackpot. The thing is, if you do find a lump of gold the size of your head, what do you do with it? Do you hand it in to the government as NZ heritage? Or do you try to get it back home, through customs? Not put off by this potential huge dilemma, the Lich panned and panned.... and panned... and found a few gold coloured stones... and panned some more...
.... and panned.... and panned.....
and panned some more....
.... and I ate ice-cream... and a pie... and had a few coffees... and some chocolates from the lush chocolate shop...
and Lichie carried on panning....
Perhaps I could find some gold spray paint, spray a few stone and slip them into the panner when the Lich isn't looking (an excellent suggestion from Soph, who knows her dad very well!). Or I could pinch, I mean buy one of the nuggets from the Gold Shop in town, 'Wow, look you've found gold, let's go now'.
But that would only encourage the Lich to pan for ever more...
...I can see him now, all bent over from years of panning the river, living in a little shack in the mountains, with food and small animals in his beard...
But after several hours of dredging and sifting, and finding nothing but gold coloured stones, the Lich put away his panner and went to eye up the nuggets in the Gold Shop instead.
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bob davies
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Hi both,glad to hear that all is going well.No luck with the gold then Lichie?Great reading your daily activities.Keep safe.