A day 'up Central'

It's been a dreary, grey summer so far, we've had the heat pump going for a couple of days now and last night I even turned the electric blanket on for a while. But on the day we decided to go 'up Central' for a day trip and to get some stone fruit fresh from the orchards it was a lovely warm blue sky day.

We decided to do the buying first as it wasn't quite lunch time when we arrived in Ettrick, the start of orchard country as far as we're concerned. We bought most of our fruit from the orchard below. It is ripening up beautifully and it's so much nicer when it's come straight from the trees, missing that cold storage stage.

We stopped at another couple of places and bought what we wanted - apricots, peaches, plums and cherries. The cherries are beautiful, juicy, sweet and full of flavour. Yum :) Once upon a time we bought enough to share with the family but for various reasons they are now able to get their own. Several families were grabbing buckets to go and pick their own cherries, we didn't. 

And then it was back to Roxborough for lunch. We managed to get a table, luckily. We had arrived just as the lunchtime rush started. It's still summer school holidays so quite a few holiday makers around. We had a 'discussion' as to where to eat as there was a new place next door but the tried and true won out and I'm pleased it did as there was a friend I hadn't seen for about a year sitting at the adjacent table. We had a short catchup as she was leaving :)

On the way home I thought the river looked lovely, on a good day it's a lovely teal colour but we were on the main highway so I didn't want to stop to take a photo. We thought we could pull in at Millers Flat across the river and take one, so that's what we did. The colour is not so deep as the clouds were staring to come over but this is a photo taken, very quickly, from the car window when we stopped on the bridge.

The bridge is a very narrow one way and as we stopped for a photoshoot a big truck pulled up at the other end. Hence the quick shot. But I like it. And we didn't want an argument with an irate truck driver :)

And this is one of a small inlet I walked to. The river was running very high and swiftly and I know they had opened the gates at the dam to release some of the water a few days earlier.

As we headed home the clouds were building up again. We've had a lot of thunderstorms this summer but these were not thunder clouds. This is about quarter an hour from home, Lake Waihola, the longest stretch in my opinion, those last few miles. 

And no trip to Central is complete without a stop for an ice cream at Milton. Very quickly eaten as they are so large they melt before you can get them finished, I got a smaller one this time - child size and it was plenty big enough.

And that's it for this week. 

Keep well and comfortable,

blessings, 

Diana

Ettrick tearooms, then and now

I mentioned in my last post that we always used to visit the little tea rooms at Ettrick when we went through to Central Otago. We stopped when it became quite rundown and we were pleasantly surprised when we stopped in on this trip through to buy fruit.

I have one or two photos that we've taken at different times and thought I 'd show you the contrast. I thought I had one or two more but alas, I can't find them.

Above is the front entrance as it used to be, some Kiwi's may recognise it from a tv ad a couple of years back, I think for ice cream, and below as it is now. 

It is much more modern looking with it's dark facade and the food is much more upmarket but you can still get a cup of tea or coffee with a sandwich or scone if that's what you prefer.

And above is the outside seating from previous days, unless you managed a table under a tree it wasn't very pleasant in the heat as  umbrellas were few and far between.

Below are pictures of the outside seating area as it is today. Much more pleasant with tables under trees as well as in a beautiful big gazebo with hanging baskets.

 This is where we sat. The only fault we could find was the tables were more  suited for larger groups and we felt one or two smaller ones would have been nice. We sat at a table that could probably have seated eight to ten people.

There's also a nice little play area for the smaller people

 where once there was just a slide and a swing.

The grounds are well maintained and there is a bird aviary down the back. My GKB said some of the birds were flying free but I didn't see any.

A couple of pics of the shrubs and trees in the outdoor area. 

Nice for a short stroll to the rest rooms :)

That is me for today. Just a little peek at our once more favourite stop on the way through to Central Otago.

Have a good week, Keep well.

Diana

Road trippin'

On a blue sky day.

We had a couple of messages to do up the street before we left but were still away by 10:45am as we had planned. Whilst up the street I decided to change my clothes as I was already too hot and it was going to be hotter where we were going. No I didn't change while I was out, we went back home and my GKB also picked up a light jacket - just in case. Luckily going home was in the same direction as we were going so no time lost really.

We were on our way through the Manuka Gorge when I thought maybe I should take some pictures. So below is part way through. It gets quite rugged in places with a bit of bush overarching the road but the road itself is well maintained.

Coming out of the gorge into farming country.

Lawrence is a gold mining town and very proud of it's heritage buildings and mining equipment from back in the day. They hold an annual Heritage carnival which I've been to once. A family day with family friendly activities.

We were to have met up with Jacqui's partner for lunch but he never arrived. He was away working and we're guessing he just plain forgot :) We sat outside Bellview Wetlands, ate chips (crisps) and  had a bottle of ginger beer each then went on our way.

But not before we headed up to the Gabriel Read memorial. Gabriel Read was the man who discovered gold in the gully and so started the Otago gold rush.

On the road again until we arrived in Ettrick and stopped at what used to be our favourite wee cafe until it began to get rundown. It has new owners now so we thought we'd drop in for lunch and have a looksee. This is where we sat. It is so nice now and we'll definitely be making it our stop once again when we're up that way.

After lunch we were back on the road again. We were looking for a fruit stall selling peaches, we'd already stopped and bought plums, cherries and apricots from another roadside stall. We were in Fruitlands, orchard country. Stone fruit and berries in the summer, apple and pears later in the year. We bought a box of peaches that had been on the tree while we were eating our lunch - they were still warm from the sun.

Heading home again, sheep on one side of the road

and cattle on the other, not sure whether they're beef or dairy

 but look quite young.

There weren't a lot of campervans on the road, most people 

travelled home at the weekend I imagine, but we sat behind

 this one for a mile or two.

Crossing the new Beaumont bridge over the Clutha River.

Two horses looking hot in the mid afternoon sun in 

a paddock beside the river.

Look closely and you can see both the old bridge and the new one. The new bridge is only about a year old.

Back through Lawrence, the road heading home :)

A stop at Milton for ice cream, a family tradition when travelling from Central Otago, and only about half an hour from home.

The fruits of our trip. Some still in the fridge and some shared with a friend. Most family have just recently been through so didn't want any.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable day out and I hope it's not too long before we do it again :)

That's all for now.

Until next time

Diana

A day trip

Saturday last week was our 45th wedding

 anniversary and as it was going

 to be a nice day we decided to drive through

 to Roxburgh to buy some stone fruit from the orchards.

We stopped at Ettrick to have lunch

 at the tearooms we have been frequenting

 for several years whenever we go through.

 It had been getting rather shabby 

and run down so we had almost decided

 to find somewhere new.

But we're both pleased we didn't. 

It has changed hands and is now nice and

 bright, has a modern menu and the outside 

area has been done up as well. There is a

 children's play area, an aviary and plants for sale.

We spent a very pleasant half hour there.

Then we were off to explore the orchard 

roadside stalls. I love it when they invite you try 

the produce before you buy. I usually do, I love 

stone fruit. We went to several and came 

home with apricots and plums for all the family.

At one of the orchards when we pulled 

in to park we were confronted by this gal.

She looked like she was going to challenge

 us for being on her patch, haha. She was enjoying

 the shade and having a munch on some of

 the lower branches while she was at it.

All in all a good day out, we like to 

spend our anniversary together.

Until next time, 
Diana

Still 'heading to the caravan'

Last time I wrote about the trail to the caravan 

I think I left you at Ettrick in apple and pear country, 

where we had just had scones and coffee for morning tea.

Drive up the road for just quarter of an hour  and we come

 to the hydro town of Roxburgh in the Teviot Valley.

 This was once a thriving gold field town 

but now has only a small population of approx 750.

If we are leaving home a bit later we usually drive on to Roxburgh for a bite of lunch at one of the local tearooms. 

Like Lawrence it has become a service town and 

a stop for tourists, so has quite a few cafes 

and one or two boutique style shops.

Next door to the tearooms is a little shop I like to go into and browse (ahem). They have some beautiful stuff and I have been known to part with my money and come out with something 

that I like but don't necessarily need. 

Like Christmas decorations in May. Oh well.

The dam was built in the 1950's and is reputably 

a great place for trout and salmon fishing, 

although my GKB has never stopped to find out. 

Back in the car and now we don't stop until 

we get to Alexandra where we sometimes

 stop off to buy a few groceries. This was another major 

gold mining area and has a great museum of the era.

My grandparents were up here in the early 1900's as young marrieds and I remember my grandmother talking 

about the bitterly cold winters and the ground 

being frozen solid to a depth of 3 feet for months on end.

The land in the Teviot and Alexandra areas

 is so dry and barren and I always feel sorry

 for the pioneer women who first came through here.

The clock on the hill was a great marvel when it was first put up, and you can drive up to it and have a great view over the town.

The Clutha river passes through the town, flows on  down to Roxburgh, and has the most volume of water

 in any river in the country. I love the beautiful colour it is. Someone once described it as being turquoise and 

on a good day it is. You can't tell from my photo though.

We're nearly at our destination now but first a detour into Clyde.

This is where my GKB and I sometimes come to buy an ice cream and sit and just be. It is a sleepy little place apart from when it has it's wine and food festival. This is orchard country, stone fruit, with the odd vineyard thrown in for good measure.

A lot of the orginal buildings are still in use, 

like the hotel in the picture above. 

The city fathers have done a good job of 

preserving the historical feel of the old town while there

are also a lot of new homes being built on the outskirts.

Oh, did I mention this is where My GKB and I were married?

In a little stone church just around the corner

 from this street above.

I have a photo of the church, taken just recently,

 but do you think I can find it? No.

Now up the hill, past the Clyde dam and into the gorge. 

Twenty minutes driving beside Lake Dunstan 

and we arrive at our destination. Cromwell.

Set the caravan up, make a coffee and relax.

Orchards, vineyards and the lake on the doorstep 

and only an hour or two driving gets you to

 most of the southern tourist spots if you want to go.

What more do you need?

Well, I hope you've enjoyed your little trip through the gold towns. 

We always do.

Have a good week,

Diana

Heading to the caravan

Well, we are back from our break up at the caravan.

The sun shone.

It was extremely hot, for us.

The wind didn't blow.

We ate salads every night for tea and drank lots of cold drinks.

We ate ice cream every day.

No-one caught any fish, but it didn't matter.

I have a bit of a suntan, and it isn't peeling. Wow!

We had a lovely relaxing few days away.

***************

The road to the caravan takes us more or less 

the same route as the goldminers and pioneers of old took.

Our first stop is at a little place called Lawrence, not  far from where Gabriel Read first discovered gold and started one of the biggest gold rushes in the southern hemisphere in the early 1860's. 

It lured men from all over the Australian and Californian goldfields.

Helen Munro,  Gabriel Read and Edward Peters (Black Peter)

 Helen Munro first discovered gold at 'Munro's Gully' and Edward Peters was credited with indicating where gold might be found 

but never found enough to become rich himself.

Unfortunately the town is now just a small place, 

mainly used for a comfort stop but it has a lot of lovely little cafes, b&b's and some nice wee boutique style shops.

Heading up the road we come to the apple and pear country. 

Just the right climate, hot summers, cold winters.

Ettrick (in a&p country) has a nice wee tearooms 

where we sometimes stop for devonshire coffee. 

Coffee just the way we like it and lovely scones,

raspberry jam  and cream. Yum.

It doesn't look much but is world famous in New Zealand, 

being the star of a humorous TV ad for ice cream.

It's also used as a pit stop for trucks and for farm and orchard workers to have lunch, the only place around for several miles.

And a little further up the road we are into the stone fruit area.

I love stone fruit. We always buy enough on the way home 

to share with all the family and we know it is fresh off the trees.

So although there is not much gold around

 it is great fruit growing country. 

A different type of gold, maybe.

And there I think I will finish 

so you don't get too bored with my ramblings.

We haven't had lunch yet and there are 

a couple of other places I'd like to give

you a glimpse of so I'll do 

another post later sometime.

Hoping you're all well,

and the weather isn't 

treating you too badly.

Have a good week,

Diana