QUEENSTOWN GARDENS

The always pleasant and ever changing Queenstown Gardens.

Spray encircled fountain.

A touch of Autumn.

Plenty to see.

Raewyn's "Monet" picture.

And to finish, a view from our front yard, Cecil Peak. We just love the light down here, it continues to fascinate us.

KAWARAU GORGE GOLD MINING CENTRE

Kawarau Gorge Goldmining Centre, a pleasant and informative afternoon.

Stables

Waiting for our tour guide at the blacksmiths shop.

These Chinatown huts were constructed in 1991 for a film set but reflect what the original goldfields Chinatown looked like.

Derelict wheelbarrow

Door handle

Impulse water wheel, more efficient than the conventional model.

Stamper

Sluicing

Looking for our elusive fortune.

This is what we came for, over $10 000 worth of gold.

This is what we got!

JET PLANES & STEAM TRAINS

A thoroughly recommended excurision,

the "Kingston Flyer"

I recently had to fly up to Auckland for an ACC assesment on my hearing. The above is boarding at Dunedin Airport after travelling 261k in trusty little "Towa" from Queenstown. As point of interest, on the return journey a couple of days later, it took three attempts for the plane to land at Dunedin because of wind gusts. All quite exciting!!

Christchurch stopover, note the contrast in weather from Dunedin above.

It is always good to get "home" to our garden

And a nice roast dinner --- and of course my wife too!!

Lunch time in the buffet car on the "Kingston Flyer"

A full head of steam on the turn around triangle, Fairlight.

Steam Loco Class AB, 778

On guard duty.

The way we'd been.

The engine room.

First Class travel, in our own compartment.

TAIERI GORGE RAILWAY

Shadow on the Platform, Dunedin Railway Station.

Our carriage

Approaching the Flat Stream viaduct.

Approaching one of the twelve tunnels above the Taieri River.

Flat Stream viaduct

One of the many bridges, note the magnificent stone pylons.

Wingatui Viaduct, 197m long and 47m high.

Dunedin Railway Station

CURIO BAY TO DUNEDIN

Tautuku Bay

A rare bit of sunshine settles on fern fronds, Purakaunui Falls.

The 10 minute walk through the bush to the Purakaunui Falls is a tourist attraction in its own right.

Purakanui Falls, absolutely awesome.

Tunnel Hill tunnel, 250 metres long and and all done by manpower alone between 1879 and 1896. Closed in 1971.

Tunnel entrance

Rocks/Islands? beyond Nugget Point.

Nugget Point Lighthouse

The massive size and the sheerness of the cliffs is impressive. The speck you can just see in the centre left is a reasonable size fishing boat.