Catching up

Well we are just back from holiday and catching up on everyone. 

First of all I'd like to say thank you to those of you who have visited from the GYB party. 

I promise I will get back to you soon. I was using a tablet while away but couldn't really figure out how to comment although I did visit some of you. 

And I didn't really want to spend too much time on it anyway, not fair to my GKB.

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As we usually do at this time of the year we went up to the caravan at Cromwell for a few days.
It was so hot we didn't really enjoy it, the temps hovered around 30C most days.
The grass is burnt to a stubble and the area round about is tinder dry.

tent and cabin area at camping ground,
that brown stuff is grass

One very hot day we decided to get in the car and go 

for a run up the road a bit to visit a cousin we hadn't seen for a while. 

No matter if they weren't there, the car was air conditioned!

I got out at the top of the Lindis Pass to take a couple of photo's 

and it was quite a pleasant temperature.

 Of course we are up in the mountains here, 

or should I say the foothills, 971 metres above sea level.

Then on up to Omarama where my GKB's cousin lives.

She and her partner run the camping grounds/motels there.

Unfortunately they weren't home but we had a back up plan

 and visited friends who run a B& B which was just around the corner.

After a very pleasant hour or so we headed home again

 through some lovely countryside.

The pic above was taken from the parking lot at Tarras, which someone has described as:

like being dropped in the middle of nowhere. 

There is a tiny (and I mean tiny) shopping village with about 6 tiny shops and a school, 

 a parking lot and a solitary unmanned petrol pump.

Nothing else in sight. Lovely views though.

We were actually hoping to make a comfort stop but the facilities were padlocked! Ugh!

And this picture is Lake Dunstan just up from where we were staying.

We drove alongside the lake for a while and it is quite pretty in places.

My GKB goes trout fishing here and sometimes brings home tea.

The dark green areas you can see are the vineyards/wineries.

It is good wine growing country and dotted with vineyards.

While we were away we also celebrated our wedding anniversary 

and took ourselves out for dinner.

A waitress kindly took our photo, two in fact. 

My GKB looks good in this one and I look better in the other one.

 Oh well, you can't win them all can you,  haha.

And this is what we had, vegetarian fettuccine. 

Not because we are vegetarians but I don't like mushrooms

and that is what was in the other pasta dish. 

And my GKB just follows his leader :)

We had a really nice evening out.

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Now we are away to deliver

fresh stone fruit to the family, 

have a wonderful week, 

Diana

joining in the fun at:

Roses of Inspirationl

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