Kidscorner

Sunday 27 January 2008

Queenstown

Part 2 wanaka holiday: Queenstown

From Wanaka we went for about half an hour drive to Queenstown. Queenstown is a popular resort town in the South West. It is built around an inlet of Lake Watipu, the longest Lake in NZ (201 KM) and the third largest.
After walking around the gardens in Queenstown we headed towards the centre. In the centre Mayke run straight into the lolly shop to buy some presents. The children were than delighted that they could have MC Donalds for lunch, despite our preaching how bad it is.
After lunch we bought tickets for a trip with the Tss Earnslaw Vintage steamship for a cruise towards Walter Peak Country Farm. The ship was launched in 1912 to serve the remote farming communities around the Lake, including Walter Peak.

On the boat we were told about the history and visited the little museum on the boat. I also joined in with the singalongs around the piano. My children kept distance not wanting to be embarrassed.

After a delightful trip we headed home and stopped on the way back in Arrowtown , a historic gold-mining town.


First we walked through The Chinese settlement which was built by Chinese miners from 1896.


Than we walked towards the centre of Arrowtown. Arrowtown was established in 1862 when gold was found in the Arrow River. The river became famous as one of the richest sources of alluvial gold.


Although most settlers lived in canvas tents Buckingham street became the street with permanent lodgings with hoteliers, merchants and above the post office.



After Arrowtown we had a stop by the Cardrona Hotel, the oldest in New Zealand.
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16 comments:

  1. oh...it's really great to travel and know each story behind beautiful scenarios.

    Be safe! ;0)

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  2. Hi Marja, Just dropping in via Dana's blog to say hi.

    Sounds like you are having a wonderful holiday. I have visited many of those historical type villages up the eastern coast of Australia and have always found them fascinating. Hope you enjoy the rest of your trip.

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  3. It is really wonderful how you describe all the information of the beautiful places of your travels. Beautiful pictures and I wished I could be there.

    Hoe prachtig de uitleg die jij geeft over deze plaats in Nieuw Zeeland. Spijtig genoeg is het zover van het land waar ik woon.

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  4. Hi Marja! You write the best travel accounts -- I love your awesome photos too. It cracked me up about your kids keeping a distance when you were in the singalong around the piano! I'm so glad you've had a wonderful trip.
    :)

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  5. Hi visiting via Dana to say hello - looks like you're having fun too - we've visited Australia but not New Zealand as yet :) Katie

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  6. Marja - the pictures and words are just wonderful. Until I met you I had never considered NZ as a holiday destination for me. Now I'm saving up!

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  7. Marja what a wonderful holiday you must have had!
    I am so enjoying the photos, and thank you for sharing!

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  8. Reign nice to see you Hope you are doing well

    Gypsy welcome and thanks for visiting. Yeh I enjoy tovisit these historical villages as well

    Thanks quintarantino. Will hop over for a trip through your portugal soon

    One day maybe you can hop over here
    Erik Start saving up

    Thanks for the nice words Clare. Yeh you can't do much good in teenagers eyes anyway

    Welcome Rainbow dream. Australia is a nice place too though

    Yeh and they got good drinks here Steve

    Great keith. Would love to meet you
    and show you around

    Thanks little wing We always have good holidays here. Although I miss holland sometimes as well

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  9. very nice pictures you have there in the slideshow. i remember queenstown from my first visit and next time maybe i will go with you to queenstown again for a bungeejump.

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  10. Thanks for sharing. Looks like you had a great holiday. I have been to Queenstown twice and really enjoyed the whitewater rafting.

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  11. Delightful scenery, Marja. My brother Bilbow says that he went all over NZ with the Morriston Orpheus Choir, and it is truly beautiful. (Probably not the rugby players though!!!!! Only kidding KB).

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  12. Lovely tour with you Marja. Thankyou for sharing your lovely photos.

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  13. Fantastic pictures again!NZ must be a dream!I wish someday in future I can visit NZ too!My sister was 2005 for 5 weeks there...

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  14. Hi Marja!!!
    I did not see this slide show, how silly of me, Very nice photographs those are!!!

    Though I like to see more of New Zeeland, as we almost have lived there too. do you know that my family could have moved to Nw Zeeland? Yes! Because my dad got this job and we all went to this information evening, quess what? My mom hesitated , she did not wnated to move, because of her family. Now two of her family moved to Canada (her brother and sister my uncle/Aunt) but we never were able to move again.... so sorry. I still have the "travel-riedles" that menas that I like to travel, like my dad....

    thanks for showing...

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Thank you!!