This is the first time ever Rosie and The Operator have been anywhere near the shops on Boxing Day….let alone waiting for them to open. We were camped outside Mitre 10 at 9.00am waiting for the doors to swing wide, there were no ques, there was no fanfare, it was all a little of a let down….Boxing Day urban myth dispelled. Supplies to fix the camper bought we fuelled up our own fridge at the supermarket due to the disappointing lack of Christmas day leftovers.
The Operator was confident that his repair would only take 15 mins to fix so off we went to Arrowtown on a decidedly cooler day to have a good nosey around. The road in and out of Queenstown is a narrow ribbon between the hills with the Shotover at the bottom, it is a lovely drive and Arrowtown is only 20 mins away.
Arrowtown sits on the Arrow river and sprung into being following the discovery of gold in the river. An X marks the spot on the bank where the first nugget was found by Jack Tewa in August 1862. Legend has it Tewa was not particularly interested in gold mining as he was a shearer by trade, word of his find got out however and this led to the Great Wakatipu Goldrush that drew miners from around the world and formed the foundations of the town.
The town today sits under a dappled avenue of trees that form a tunnel as you enter, the miners houses line the footpath still and there are over 60 original wooden and stone houses left in the town. The main street is beautiful with the mountains in the background. The shops are a lovely wander and there is something for everyone, from the touristy to the everyday.
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Rosie and the Operator headed to the Arrowtown Bakery, AreEye and WhyEye recommended we have to try their pies, WyeEye said she enjoyed hers so much she even went back and bought another! The Operator had venison and Rosie stuck with a traditional mince and cheese, they were beautiful, fresh pastry and delish gravy…..they were pretty big pies WhyEye for a little lady to have two! 
Arrowtown has the best example of a gold era Chinese settlement in NZ. In the 1860s gold was being discovered in California, Australia and New Zealand, many Chinese, mainly from the Goungdoung region of China came to NZ to make their fortunes with dreams of returning and having their families live a comfortable life at home. Annual wages in China for a land labourer were $15, on the goldfields the annual earnings were about $77.
The Chinese miners were subjected to alot of racism and were not awarded proper gold claims but were told to work the tailings or leftovers. They still pulled the gold out with their sheer determination and were resented even more. The Chinese lived in their own community, they built small thick walled single roomed huts where they lived. Each had a fire place to stave off the cold during the terrible winter snows that fell.
There was one shop, the shop keeper lived and traded there till the 1920s, he acted as a seller of imported Chinese goods, opium, was a money lender and bank, helped to write letters and keep in contact with families back in China. One in seven Chinese miners died in the goldfields, others never made the fortune they were expecting and never went home as they had lost contact over the years.
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There was one hopeful lass hoping to find a nugget of gold, she had her pan out and was going for it!
We drove out of Arrowtown and headed back towards Queenstown, the town was pumping, so many tourists all wanting something to do, everything was open and the cafes and restaurants that advertised ‘No Surcharge’ were full to the brims. We headed for the Skyline Gondola and boarded a carriage for the best view in town.
We were not disappointed!
The day was clear and the view spectacular. We wanted to book a ride on lake Wakatipu on the TSS Earnslaw but they were fully booked as they were only operating reduced hours because of the holiday. There she is chugging out on the lake far below us, it was an awesome sight! At the top of the Skyline there is a cafe, restaurant, a luge for the kids and not so small kids plus a souvenir shop.
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Queenstown is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen, perfectly framed by The Remarkables that soar above the town and crowned by the skiing mecca of Coronet Peak. All of this is rimmed by the meandering coves of Lake Wakatipu and the houses that rise from the lake shore up the hills. It is a town running on adrenaline if you are so inclined for any action and adventure you choose or can think of. It is a fine dining and party place too, it has excellent shopping and art galleries. The only thing about Queenstown is that you will want to come back in every season to see its ever changing face. Rosie and The Operator are so going to come back in the winter with all the snow on the hills….fly in jobbie me thinks though.
Back at the campsite Rosie has water again, yay, well done Operator you did a sterling job in fixing our leak….mind you my cupboard smells a little foosty, and its not my socks….The Operator assures me that no water got under there…..
Tomorrow we are off to Wanaka, then heading through past Hawea and onto Haast and the West Coast……new landscapes ahead.
