Judy & Brian Tour Oz: November 23, 2015 Glenorchy & Queenstown, NZ

Monday, November 23, 2015

November 23, 2015 Glenorchy & Queenstown, NZ

Today looked promising, even some sunshine. I was even able to get out for a walk along the lake's edge before breakfast, and seeing as the path is at our front door, it was hard to resist.

We decided to go up and 'do' the gondola ride in the morning, followed by our booked boat ride on the lake. We drove up to the gondola starting house, only to find that the queue was out the door and halfway down the hill, and that a parking spot was not going to be found anywhere even close in a hurry.

So... We drove out along the lake to Glenorchy which was once the site of farming and even gold mining, but which is now more to do with adventure tourism such as trekking and rafting and canyoning as well as fly fishing and hunting. The weather looked horrid, but apart from a strong gusty wind, it wasn't actually all that cold, or wet. We had a coffee in the Lodge / inn / cafe before returning to Queenstown for our cruise.

Dirty looking weather @ Glenorchy NZ

No wonder they're extinct. Glenorchy NZ

We had a bit of time so we went into this tiny bar / cafe for some food and to use the toilet, which turns out to be this old Leonard fridge.

It's just this quirky wall in this strange little cafe. Queenstown NZ

But no. Its a door into the toilet! Queenstown NZ

So what does a toilet inside a fridge look like? Like the inside of a fridge silly!

Soon enough we boarded the TSS Earnslaw, TSS signifying that the vessel is a 'Twin Screw Steamer'. (that's steamer, not screamer) That means it has not one, but two steam engines and was fully restored in the 1960s after a 50 year career on the lake as a ferry and freighter. It's a delightful ship and glides across the choppy lake with consulate ease.