Day Two

Day One

This morning we had to be up reasonably early to get organised and down to the wharf to board the TSS Earnslaw (I should have blipped it so you could see this old lady of the lake)
 
The largest and grandest steamship ever built in NZ, built 1912 in Dunedin, coal fired, steam powered, steel riveted, Kauri deck, brass fittings, 103 feet long (I think). Then it was stripped down and railed to Kingstown on the shores of Lake Wakatipu where it was reassembled.  Initially built to service the isolated areas of Glenorchy, Walter Peak, Mt Nicholas, Cecil Peak Stations, now mainly used as a tourist attraction transporting to Walter Peak Station, taking 35 minutes to chug across the lake. It is now one of the worlds largest original coal-fired passenger steam ship.

Walter Peak is a working station, with 20,000 sheep taking 3 weeks to bring the sheep down of the mountains for shearing using only dogs. They run farm tours, showing shearing, dogs working with sheep and much more.  The homestead is something so beautiful and cater for lunches, dinners, weddings etc. (and I should have shown this as well) .

We headed off biking leaving hundreds of tourists doing the tourist things and biked to Mt Nicholas Station and return.  Would have to say it was challenging at times, but grand landscapes to be enjoyed softened the challenges in front of us.

Any rate, we're back home now, showered and squeaky clean....enjoying a G & T with a platter of nibbles on the coffee table in front of me.

Just because, I've blipped the bay at Walter Peak Station, with glimpses of autumn to be seen with lovely reflections showing in the water.  And as I do from time to time I've moved the lens to give an impressionist look.

Happy Paddy's Day

Rainie