I'm not sure that words will adequately describe either the views, the sheer drops, the sliding about on the mud in 4-wheel drive as the Shotover River winds its way through the gorge some 80m below. So here come the photos...
This was while we were still on the metalled road going up to the ski field. And we still felt quite safe. Our driver, Del, was very reassuring. But also had that "no-one's died yet" sense of humour, which was well meaning, I'm sure.
Anyway, here comes the dangerous bit...
This was typical of the road ahead for about 17km, the distance the miners walked down the valley out of Queenstown to get to the first gold fields. The road was built by them, sometimes taking 6 months to build 20m if they had to drill through rocks...
Sheer drops on either side at all times...
And lots to see on the way...
This old bridge used to be used as a bungee jump, but it's so far out of the way and at 85m, not really thrilling enough any more. Thrilling enough for me though, even without the elastic and the throwing myself off it...
When there was a huge mining community living here, they needed a school. And they had one. It's just over the bridge and has been restored by the NZ Culture people. There was no curator there and no locks on the doors. It's so far out that you just open the door and have a look round. They ask you to shut the doors again when you leave. It's the least we could do...
It's worth remembering at this point that this school house is an hour and a half's drive along roads like the ones in the previous pictures. It says on the wall that they were subject to inspection like every other school, but when they saw the inspectors coming up the road, they just taught some English and Maths for a couple of hours till they went away again...
This is Del, making tea for us. They think of everything...
And now for the Lord of the Rings bit. If either Roger or Anne Bailey is reading this, they will correct any factual errors.
This is the bit where Harry, fleeing from the death eaters is pursued across the river. He's unconscious and on a white horse (good) with Professor McGonagle. The baddies (black horses) get washed away by a (thankfully absent) CGI wave which comes round this corner...
Anyway, we got back safely. More to come tomorrow...
2 comments:
and to think they could have filmed it at Creswell Craggs and no one would have noticed the difference! Mind you, would it have been cheaper? Probably better beer but not so much ice cold vodka.... i'm SOOOOOOO jealous!!
:-)
Just pop down Waitrose in a big coat and ask them to let you into their walk-in caviar chiller. It would be just the same.
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