Done in Dunedin......

Leaving Dunedin around 10:00 am this morning we took a leisurely drive out on State Highway 1, driving parallel with the ocean but couldn't see it until we arrived at Milton then taking the SH-8 towards Central Otago and Queenstown. We crossed the Taieri Plains and travelled on a "Pleasure Beach Big Dipper" style of road to the Clutha Valley and Lake Waihola where we stopped for a photograph. After driving for just over an hour we stopped off in an old gold mining town called Lawrence for a coffee and a scone. Carrying on we drove through Roxburgh, a chief town of Central Otago and the centre of an irrigated orchard area, yes we have finally hit fruit and more importantly wine country. We also stopped for more photographs at the large and impressive Hydroelectric Power Dam. Continuing our drive through large and modern towns called Alexandra and Cromwell we then followed the river; Kawarau River; which has a famous 10-storey bridge built in the 1880's; the Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge, and is the birthplace of Bungy Jumping, into Queenstown on the shores of Lake Wakatipu and our accommodation at the Garden Court Suites and Apartments; where we had been given an upgrade overlooking the lake for Jayne's birthday. We had travelled 280 miles in a leisurely 5 hours including stops. After checking in and unpacking clothes for 3 days we walked down the hill into Queenstown itself where it was Happy Hour in the bar by the lake so helping the local economy we had a couple of cold beers and some tapas in the sunshine.Read more