This morning we slept in. Again. This is vacation after all. And although Queenstown has a ton of things to do and see, we loved Arrowtown so much last evening wandering around after dinner, that we decide to head back there for breakfast and browse through the shops while they are open. There was a wool shop that I had seen that I would love to explore, and a couple of other interesting places. So off we toddle, and the day is beautiful. Warm, sunny with just a few delicate clouds, and it's almost hard to believe but it actually feels a bit like summer.
Breakfast is wonderful. The food here is amazing, even in places that, back home, look to be "holes in the wall" or "greasy spoons". Although they may not appear fancy, the care that is taken in the preparation is fantastic. Most places serve home made baked goods, everything is prepared fresh it seems, and each place has it's own unique dishes. We marvel at this, because it seems that back home, you get basically the same menu items everywhere, perhaps prepared slightly differently, but there is not as much variety. So refreshing. As an example, this morning, I have corn fritters, served with salsa and sour cream, "streaky" bacon (slices) and sauteed spinach. So yummy!
After breakfast, the wool shop, "The Stitching Post" calls. I find a few balls of the most wonderful 100% merino wool that is so soft it's like a cloud. She has an amazing selection of New Zealand yarn, colours that I haven't seen in any other wool shops, and the shop is spacious and well laid out. If this place was at home, I would visit frequently. She also has lots of quilting supplies, and it's hard to resist buying much more than I know I can work with before I return here (yes, this is a must). If you are ever in Arrowtown, and have even the slightest interest in needleworks, you simply must visit, it's delightful!
Then we find a little Jade store. There are many stores here in NZ that sell jade (greenstone) since it is as common here as it is in BC, probably moreso. And beautiful. The same stores sell paua (like abalone) shell jewellery, an usually other local "stones" such as cats eye shells and pink coral. All very lovely, and very hard to resist. Soon it is time to head back to Queenstown, as we are being picked up by Nomad Safaris for the Glenorchy Lord of the Rings Tour.
After a quick freshen-up, we head out to the front of the lodge just moments before the Land Rover pulls up, and the driver is delightful. A gentleman originally from Argentina, he informs us that we are the only ones on this particular tour. Yayyyy! This means we will have a great view of the ride up to Glenorchy and a somewhat more relaxed and less rushed trip, since there are only two of us getting in and out to take photos.
The tour consists of a number of stops, where the guide (Santiago) shows us photos of scenes from the LOTR movies, as well as other movies that have used the very same scenes. We have lots of fun shooting our own photos, from lookouts like "the million dollar view", "Paradise" and "Lothlorien". When we get to the Beechwood forest that served as the location for the Elvin forest, Santiago pulls out capes and swords and tea and coffee and cookies and banana bread, and we have afternoon tea in Lothlorien. A couple of locals stop in as well, a small wood mouse, and a couple of South Island robins (so cute) hoping for a few crumbs.
The scenery is breathtaking, and we fill our eyes on the four hour plus tour. As for most days on this amazing trip, we have already had a very full day, but with only one meal in us for the day, it's also time to fill our tummies.
After freshening up, we make our way back downtown (thankfully it's only about a 15 minute walk into downtlown Queenstwon), to have some dinner on the harbourfront. Since I haven't had any seafood yet, I choose the prawns with linguine in a garlic and white wine cream sauce. Scrumptuous!
So, another night when internet is somewhat limited, so I will have to post a few photos later.
Breakfast is wonderful. The food here is amazing, even in places that, back home, look to be "holes in the wall" or "greasy spoons". Although they may not appear fancy, the care that is taken in the preparation is fantastic. Most places serve home made baked goods, everything is prepared fresh it seems, and each place has it's own unique dishes. We marvel at this, because it seems that back home, you get basically the same menu items everywhere, perhaps prepared slightly differently, but there is not as much variety. So refreshing. As an example, this morning, I have corn fritters, served with salsa and sour cream, "streaky" bacon (slices) and sauteed spinach. So yummy!
After breakfast, the wool shop, "The Stitching Post" calls. I find a few balls of the most wonderful 100% merino wool that is so soft it's like a cloud. She has an amazing selection of New Zealand yarn, colours that I haven't seen in any other wool shops, and the shop is spacious and well laid out. If this place was at home, I would visit frequently. She also has lots of quilting supplies, and it's hard to resist buying much more than I know I can work with before I return here (yes, this is a must). If you are ever in Arrowtown, and have even the slightest interest in needleworks, you simply must visit, it's delightful!
Then we find a little Jade store. There are many stores here in NZ that sell jade (greenstone) since it is as common here as it is in BC, probably moreso. And beautiful. The same stores sell paua (like abalone) shell jewellery, an usually other local "stones" such as cats eye shells and pink coral. All very lovely, and very hard to resist. Soon it is time to head back to Queenstown, as we are being picked up by Nomad Safaris for the Glenorchy Lord of the Rings Tour.
After a quick freshen-up, we head out to the front of the lodge just moments before the Land Rover pulls up, and the driver is delightful. A gentleman originally from Argentina, he informs us that we are the only ones on this particular tour. Yayyyy! This means we will have a great view of the ride up to Glenorchy and a somewhat more relaxed and less rushed trip, since there are only two of us getting in and out to take photos.
The tour consists of a number of stops, where the guide (Santiago) shows us photos of scenes from the LOTR movies, as well as other movies that have used the very same scenes. We have lots of fun shooting our own photos, from lookouts like "the million dollar view", "Paradise" and "Lothlorien". When we get to the Beechwood forest that served as the location for the Elvin forest, Santiago pulls out capes and swords and tea and coffee and cookies and banana bread, and we have afternoon tea in Lothlorien. A couple of locals stop in as well, a small wood mouse, and a couple of South Island robins (so cute) hoping for a few crumbs.
The scenery is breathtaking, and we fill our eyes on the four hour plus tour. As for most days on this amazing trip, we have already had a very full day, but with only one meal in us for the day, it's also time to fill our tummies.
After freshening up, we make our way back downtown (thankfully it's only about a 15 minute walk into downtlown Queenstwon), to have some dinner on the harbourfront. Since I haven't had any seafood yet, I choose the prawns with linguine in a garlic and white wine cream sauce. Scrumptuous!
So, another night when internet is somewhat limited, so I will have to post a few photos later.
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