Queenstown and Paradise, 10 to 12 May 2010

10 May 2010
11:15am, 9°C, 277525kms on the clock.  YAY, we're away - it's been AGES!!!  Pretty much been stuck at home because of the awful weather all around us - so much rain, Queenstown was in danger of flooding.  We even had some decent rain at home, but nothing like anywhere else.  It's been good for the section, but we're now hanging out to get away.  So we're finally off - going to pick up Benny so that he can come and play at 12 Mile Delta for the afternoon.  Stopped and did some shopping in Cromwell and filled the gas bottle (5.4kg).  The Kawarau still pretty full as we drove through the Gorge.  13:30 - just had BK for lunch and now off to get diesel and oil for Maggie (can't seem to buy it anywhere, but the oil she has is low saps synthetic, so we'll stop at Hansens and get some from them).  Put 66L diesel in (277614kms) and then went to get the key from Kirsty so that we can get Benny.  And just as we found a park (not easy in the middle of Queenstown for a camper!) poor Roxie was sick.  Not what you want in a camper!  So one and a half paper towel rolls later, got the key from Kirsty and instead of just picking Benny up and heading off, spent next while cleaning carpet and seat cover.  Mike had to go and buy some more paper towel and some carpet shampoo. 

Finally got to 12 Mile Delta around 16:00.  Beautiful afternoon, full on sun and not too cold (T-shirt and polar fleece weather).  Marielle played with the dogs, and completely exhausted Benny, while Mike had a nap (he finished work yesterday and it was a touch shift run, so catching up on some much needed sleep).  Kirsty arrived about 17:45, by which time the sun had disappeared and it started to get cold, and colder, and colder.  So sat inside with gas roaring, had a few beers and Kirsty left at 20:40 (6.5°C at that stage).  Had chicken green curry for tea and collapsed into bed at 22:15.

11 May 2010

Up at 07:30 after really good sleep.  Didn't get as cold as we thought as a bit of a breeze got up, and now 3°C and clear.  Decided we'd head off and have brunch along the way somewhere, so headed off at 09:30.  Into new territory for Maggie, as we've never been past 12 Mile Delta.  Stopped in Glenorchy beside the lake - signs of flooding everywhere with masses of driftwood all over the reserve, but there doesn't appear to be any damage. 

Beautiful day - not a cloud in the sky, no wind, just gorgeous, which made for stunning scenery and some good photo opportunities, so we did the tourist thing and stopped on the road to get this shot, just above Glenorchy on way to top of lake.  Headed off round to Kinloch - was a beautiful spot - and had brunch there (Mike's fry-up!).  Hung around for a while as it was nice and warm.  Both had a go at fishing (while we were there a fish was caught off the wharf, so we had to give it a go too!) but no joy.  Might have stayed here, except the whole camping area is still underwater.  Also had thought about heading off to the end of the road at the Greenstone River mouth, but there was a grader sign on the road and we didn't fancy meeting a grader on a narrow dirt track with massive trees either side - just wouldn't have worked.  So we headed off to check out the start of the Routeburn track - beware of stupid bloody tourists in "El Cheapo" rentals who don't know how to drive on dirt roads, don't know how wide their car is, let alone a camper, and don't know what SLOW means!  Just about collected us as he came flying round a corner.  Anyway, apart from the shelter, there's only a carpark at the end of the Routeburn road. 

Checked out Lake Sylvan campsite too - but nowhere near the lake, you have to go walking to get to that, so we carried on (and it's a DOC campsite in the middle of Mount Aspiring National Park, so dogs not welcome!). 

On to Paradise.  Carried on past Lake Diamond, through 8 fords (have campervan, will travel!!) to the end of the road at the start of the Dart Track.  Didn't spin our wheels at all, mainly because there was no sun here anymore, so back through 8 fords to Diamond Lake.  Maggie might not be 4WD, but we don't think that she knows that!  Absolutely stunning scenery everywhere. 

Parked up at Diamond Lake at 15:30,  Marielle tried fishing for a while, no luck even though there were plenty of them around - leaping completely out of the water.    Great place to park as we had sun until 16:50 which kept the temperature up at 9.5°C until the sun disappeared behind the mountains.  Cranked up the gas and sat and listened to Glenorchy Country radio (couldn't decide whether they mean country as in country music, or country as in the landscape, mainly because it was a weird, weird mix of music, but not too bad (apart from occasional song or 2!).  Had pork honey soy stir-fry for tea and hit the pit at 21:30, at which stage the temperature had dropped to 3°C .

12 May 2010
Up at 07:30 after another good night's sleep.  Just on freezing as we got up, so a bit brrrrGlenorchy and saved a couple of trees (bought a possum fur hat and scarf for Marielle, and their slogan is "Save a tree, buy a possum!") and had brunch parked beside the lake in Glenorchy (another Mike special!).  On the way back to Queenstown we finally checked out Moke Lake - been meaning to for ages but never quite had the time.  Didn't stop though as it's on Ben Lomond Station (after going through Closeburn Station) and they have "strictly no dogs" signs everywhere.  Stopped in Frankton to have a smoke and a stretch before heading off towards home.  Did some shopping in Cromwell (*and got a fruit icecream from Freeway) and got home at 15:45!  277926kms, which means 401kms this trip (God, we can get rid of some miles going nowhere!!!).  Fantastic trip though - the scenery really is stunning, and it was really, really awesome to go somewhere we hadn't been before.  Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.