Friday 17 February 2024

Our last day in Queenstown and we head for Glenorchy today. It’s 45kms north-west-ish of Queenstown and reputed to be a most spectacular drive. It doesn’t disappoint. We make several stops, including at this beach.

And another with a long walk, climb, up. Miraculously, we reach the top. Is this how Hillary felt? I am the oldest person at the lookout. The others my age have either succumbed to the climb and rolled into one of the many disused mine shafts the signs warn us of, or thought better of it and headed to Devonshire tea. But it’s worth it.

I mean, goodness, can one ever tire of this?

On to Glenorchy

and yet more amazing scenes

We met a man in a cap. An unfortunate hatcap. “Great Man” he said. “Inspirational”. “When he gets in we’ll be all good and the rest of the world can look after itself”. I think it was an American accent he had. Or perhaps it was fluent bigot.

Glenorchy is perhaps best known as the landscape in which many films have been shot, including Lord of the Rings. We resisted the temptation to visit Jacksonville, and instead just soaked that scenery up

Milford Sound tomorrow.