Kinloch

We started the day at Moke Lake with the desire to drive on the Moonlight Rd and do a bit more back country driving. However when Paul went to get permission, which was granted along with a fee request of $100!! We decided to change our plans!
We upstaked and came up to Kinloch at the head of Wakatipu and chock full of family memories for me. In my very younger days my parents used rent a house for our annual holidays and we had a fantastic time. To get from home in Invercargill to Kinloch was quite a feat. There was no road up the lake then, so getting here went:
Mum baked biscuits like there was no shop here (there wasn't), food and supplies were accumulated for all 8 of us for 2 weeks.
The car was loaded the night before.
At 3am we kids were lifted from our beds and put in the car with blankets to snuggle into. We arrived in Queenstown around 7ish and, while mum and kids were dropped off at our aunties house to get dressed and have breakfast, dad took the car to the Earnslaw wharf so it could be winched on for the trip up the lake. In those days the Earnslaw called into the stations along the lake and it was not unusual for live stock (sheep and cows) to be onboard. Upon arrival at Kinloch, the car was winched off and we all trooped up to the house which still stands and features a very good restaurant. The house (which is now a private hotel) is still pretty much configured the same way and the coal range mum slaved over is still there!
Back to now! We're parked on water front in a DOC park but unfortunately the water front of yester year has retreated quite a way back into the lake. The Earnslaw used to tie up at the wharf in the pics. There's only about 300mm deep of water there now!
We have been for a walk and Paul tried fishing again but only caught a stone!!
Oh well, next time??
Today's best news is being back online as it's our granddaughter Maia's birthday today and we were able to call her and say happy birthday to her ❤
Tomorrow we plan to drive down to the Greenstone and up to the Routburn.Read more