They wanted to try their luck in the goldfields, they now want to try their luck in the tourist fields! Queenstown and its environs is well renowned for its natural splendour. From the gold fields to the ski fields.

From the business of farming the sheep, to the business of farming the tourists. From the hardships of the life of the prospector to the relative ease for the life of the overseas visitors. From the thrills of winning the gold from the rivers and streams, to the thrill of jumping off the bridges and piers in a bungy jump. From travelling over land and dale in horse drawn carriages, to travelling over the rapids and spills in jet boats and white water rafts. From the building of stone structures to the keeping the same in the style for which they were used. From tents in the gold fields, to the high rise hotels in the middle of Queenstown. I may have not covered every thing, but Queenstown has it all.

Originally known as "Fox's". after Mr William Fox, a member of a gold prospecting team, Arrowtown is an old goldmining district in which there was feverish activity. Stone cottages and other buildings in the area today can bear witness to the fact that the first parties to discover gold in the Arrow Gorge took out more than 2000lb in a few weeks.   So much wealth has been won from the nearby Arrow river that it has became famous as one of the richest sources of alluvial gold in the world.

As Arrowtown is only a twenty minute drive from the tourst mecca of Queenstown, a number of tourists pay a visit, and awe at the condition of the stone buildings, built because a lack of timber in the district in the nineteenth century, when the gold fever was at its highest. No wonder people have been saying that Arrowtown is a place where time has stood still.

No trip from Cromwell to Queenstown is complete without the hour or so deviation to Arrowtown. Every time I drove to Queenstown, I would turn right, just after the bridge spanning the once gold enriched Arrow River. Motoring past the golf course, I soon found myself driving past the historic cottages, and making my way to park the car, overlooking the Arrow River. Wandering down to the river, I take five minutes to take in the atmosphere of the running water, and the bush clad hillsides, before heading back to the car, and the continual of my journey to Queenstown.

CARDRONA                        Cardrona Valley between Wanaka and Queenstown

In the 1860s this locality was the scene of goldmining activity chiefly in the bed of the Cardrona River. which flows to junction with the Clutha and Hawea rivers below Wanaka. Only a lone hotel stands midway between Wanaka and Queenstown on the picturesque Highway 89. But in the nineteenth century Cardrona was the scene of feverish gold prospecting, of which there is now very little evidence, only the Cardrona Hotel. Nowadays, the Crown Range road as State Highway 89 is also known, is the scene for many car rallies, with hairpin bends, sharp curves, and a climb to well over 1000 metres above sea level! The road is a public highway, but is sometimes closed due to inclement weather such as snow. When one considers the steep bank one can easily go over it is no wonder.

As a gravel road, there are hazards one must encounter, such as corrugations which can alter the control of the vehicle considerably, but the last years of the twentieth century the authorities felt it was high time the road was tarsealed. Work had been well advanced in November of 1999, when a flood hit the area, causing washouts in the road, rendering it unusable, until a major rebuilding is completed.

An upper tributary of the Clutha River, the Kawarau begins its relentless rush from Lake Wakatipu near the head of Frankton Arm. Here a dam was built at Kawarau falls at the outlet of Lake Wakatipu with sluice gates to control the outflow.  It was hoped by means of this device to lower the level of the river sufficiently to permit working of the rich gold deposits in its bed. As the river snakes its way downstream, it encounters two rivers made famous for their riches in alluvial gold, the Shotover and the Arrow. the amount of gold recovered from the Arrow made it one of the richest sources in the world! Then after it passes under the second bridge carrying State Highway 6, it encounters the A. J. Hackett bungy jumping enterprise. This is a hair raising activity, to which people trust the holding power of large elastic ropes and jump over the old Kawarau bridge. After witnessing countless brave souls jump, the river rushes past Gibbston, noted for its many wineries and vineyards. Then just after this locality, the river rounds Nevis Bluff, an unstable hillside, which successfully closed the highway a few times. The last time the boulders came crashing down, motorists were forced to use state highway 89, the Crown Range road. As it passes under the highway once more it comes to a natural bridge, which the maoris used in ancient times. Then it junctions with the Nevis River, another of the many gold bearing waterways in the district. As the river goes between the Carrick and Pisa ranges, the walls close in, making the Kawarau Gorge a very spectacular area. Two more noted streams are the Gentle Annie and Roaring Meg. The latter river powers an automatic powerstation. After the last ten or so kilometres of the gorge, the river enters the Cromwell district. The Carrick range gives way to the Bannockburn area, a wine making district, then onto Lake Dunstan. The river slows to a crawl as it hits Lake Dunstan, and so ends its fury, and often rapid descent down the gorge. It meets up with the Clutha River, and people can see the two distinct colours of the rivers as they merge.

This trout filled lake drains to the Kawarau River, about midway between Shotover and Arrow rivers. It is surrounded by a lot of farmlands, however like many other areas of thie magnificent Wakatipu Basin is currently being threatened with massive subdivisions. This activity if seen through will make the area so full of private residences that the scenery would be lost. Lake Hayes was supposed to be Lake Hay in onour of Mr Donald Hay, an Australian sheep farmer who looked for land in the area, however an impression that persists is that the lake was named after a notorious pirate Bully Hayes who tried his luck in the goldfields. Quite a picturesque spot, with many views of the small lake.

A satellite suburban area of Queenstown, and airport for the district, Frankton is located at the foot of Lake Wakatipu. The outlet of the lake is nearby, and was at one time controlled by a dam. This structure with its sluice gates was designed for the lowering of the Kawarau River for prospectors to stake their claims in gold. However this scheme was not successful, and abandoned. The dam is still there today, and is used by State Highway 6. There is a nice easy beach front at the lakefront, with willow trees as shelter. A great place to take the children for a swim. Near the junction of State Highway 6 and the road into Queenstown is a marina with boats and yachts at its moorings. Quite often I would spend time at the lake’s edge, and watch the planes take off from the airport. Once swam in the lake, and found it to be quite a pleasant dip.

Located at the shores of Lake Wakatipu, beneath the Richardson Mountains, near the mouth of the Rees River, Glenorchy is a place of pristine beauty. There are virgin beech forests in the area, containing some bush canaries, fantails, parakeets and kaka.

Longest of southern lakes, and noted for its many charming scenic attributes.  Of glacial origin, and its altitude is 1016 feet above sea level, yet it's greatest depth is 1,310 feet, making the lake floor 294 feet below sea level.

This lake is constantly being filled by the Greenstone, Dart and Rees rivers plus numerous other streams, and waterfalls. The three major rivers are at the head, fed by mountains, and their glaciers. The small township at the head is Glenorchy, where there are beech forests housing interesting bird life. The shape of the lake is like an "s" and has a unique breathing quality, where there seems to be a miniature tide. The town of Queenstown is at the second bend in the lake. It is this town that is the base for all activities in the greater Wakatipu region, people coming from all places on the globe to feel the freshness of the mountains, to be awe struck by its natural beauty, or to be thrilled by a number of exhilirating enterprises, such as jet boat riding, and bungy jumping. While the foot of the lake is at Kingston, its outlet is at Frankton Arm. That is because the lake is of glacial origin, and the mighty river of ice dropped its moraine at Kingston.

Quite often I would take a cruise on the T. S. S. Earnslaw, which is a vintage coal fired steam vessel, taking me to Mount Nicholas, some twenty miles away. Sitting below, I was able to feel the warmth of the boilers, and watch the steam mechanism working to capacity.

The world celebrated travel destination in New Zealand, and an outstanding resort on Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown is renowned for its spectacular scenery.  While it is a small town of only a few kilometres, it has numerous high rise hotels, plenty of restaurants, and other shops of interest to the overseas guests. Love it or hate it, Queenstown will always attract people like a very strong electromagnet.

Like most other areas of the Wakatipu basin, Queenstown was born of gold. People came in droves to try their hand in the art of prospecting for the yellow metal, of which is still able to be got at. However a real threat is happening to the Queenstown district. As much as it is spectacular, most of the area surrounding Queenstown is being exploited with subdivisions. If this threat succeeds, the natural beauty of the district would be lost forever.

Quite often I would take a drive to Queenstown, to relax. Most of the attractions are in operation seven days a week, but I choose not to partake, rather, just to relax near the lakefront.