UNFORGETTABLE SKIPPER’S CANYON –NEW ZEALAND JOURNEY

BLOG POST 33
After a hearty breakfast in Copthorne hotel Queenstown , we started in a four wheel mini van , there were around 20 of us who chose the Skipper’s Canyon as  an optional tour which was not included in the tour package.
We left for Skippers Canyon a historic and scenic gorge, 22 kilometres in length, formed by glaciers over 25,000 years ago, in the process loose gravel and ton after ton of precious gold was deposited throughout the canyon. Over the years the mighty Shotover River flowed from the Southern Alps and created what would be known as the richest gold bearing river in the world

The canyon and Skippers Point were named after 'Skipper' Malcolm Duncan, who discovered gold in the canyon in 1862. Born in Northern Ireland, Duncan served for a number of years on American ships, hence the nickname 'Skipper'. As Duncan discovered gold at Skippers Creek, it became known as Skippers Point or simply 'Skippers'
Skippers Canyon has been the iconic location for some movies. It is actually one of the best kept secrets that it featured in first of Lord of the Rings movies. And some scenes from Tom Cruise Mission and Impossible 6 were filmed here.
In 1886, Skippers Canyon was also the first site where hydro electricity was generated to power gold mining
The Shotover was named by William Gilbert Rees who with his wife Frances and brother-in-law Nicholas were the first European settlers in and near Queenstown
Skippers Canyon is accessed by Skippers Road, which is today one of New Zealand's better known scenic roads.It is a breath taking dirt road that circulates around mountains, is mostly a one-way road ,very narrow and steep with sheer drops of several hundred metres
It has the dubious distinction of the New Zealand road where rental car insurance is not honoured,
From Queenstown we took the road that leads to the Coronet Peak ski field. After enjoying spectacular views over Wakatipu Basin high above the Arrow basin , Lake Wakatipu and Queenstown with the Coronet Road below ,we started on the skippers road.

 We were instructed to put on our seat belts and the nervous tourists were asked not to sit near the windows and not to look down the sides ,this of course promptly ignited excitement in our hearts.
As the vehicles are 4wd vans and are expertly driven we all felt very safe on the mountainous, narrow and curvy paths/roadside. Our driver was very knowledgeable about the canyon and stopped a lot of times for photos and for us to walk a little where it was safe.He even showed us a beautiful plant known as Christmas tree

As we traveled up the road, we came across a narrow part, crowded on both sides by sheer rock, called Hell's Gate

At the beginning of gold rush, no track or road was present in Skippers Canyon. As the gold miners traveled through the canyon with their horses, automatically tracks were formed. There were rough and steep but functional ways to Deep Creek, Māori Point and Skippers in use way back in 1863. Those tracks were extremely unsafe and those who tried to take pack horses sometimes lost them along with their supplies.
In order to make access to Skippers safer and to bring in heavy machinery for the gold miners, demand for a proper road grew gradually. Skippers Road was surveyed in 1883 to make Skippers Canyon more accessible.
The road was built by 4 contractors who completed their work in stages over the period of seven years. Chinese laborers were mainly used. Many sections of the road remain today very much as they were in 1890.

Costs were exorbitant and difficulty felt not only in forming the road but also in maintaining it. The local rock is so soft that under the traffic it quickly turns into dust in dry weather and to greasy mud in wet. Under these conditions it was natural that initially motor vehicles were banned from driving on Skippers Road
By the time, gold rush was basically over, some wise people of the Queenstown district saw potential in the use of Skippers Road as a tourist attraction. Petitions supporting the plan that cars could be used to travel on Skippers Road as well as petitions to ban them were signed. The community was thus split in two groups .
The court ruled that Skippers Road could be used by cars, but drivers had to apply for a permit, time limits of usage were defined and fine of ten dollars was the penalty if regulations were disregarded.
The first car drove over the road illegally in 1912.  Bikes were prohibited until 1896, and motor traffic until 1907.  From 1918 a concession was made to allow motor vehicles between 7 pm and 8 am and this remained right through until 1926.

 Today tourism is the road's biggest user, with many people coming to see the road or use it as a means of access to bungy jumping operations or white water rafting. Skippers Road is an iconic New Zealand road of outstanding heritage significance.
  It is protected by New Zealand Historic Places Trust since 15 December 2006. In 2014 it was labeled by a British driving firm as one of the 22 most dangerous roads in the world to travel

It took 22 years to carve out an access road using only black gunpowder and hand drills. This was considered to be an engineering miracle as the road is literally carved out of solid schist rock.
 The road encompasses miles of stunning views through twisty hair pin corners, high elevations and steep grades. As this road is closed to rental cars, access is basically by 4 wheel drive vehicles.
 The road was cut by hand into steep cliffs by early prospectors in their quest for gold.
We found that the road was unbelievably scary as it was totally narrow and different to maneuver the vehicles. It is a gravel road unpaved, narrow, winding, and treacherous pathway that twists and turns for about 16 ½ miles through Skippers Canyon,
 One particular stretch of the Skippers Road at Pincher's Bluff apparently took 2 years to build as it required removal of large amounts of rock to create a road platform
We stopped at the lighthouse rock and took photos of the amazing vistas of the canyon, we then passed the cathedral rock

Then we went by the long galley,the flat land below Maori Point became the booming settlement of Charlestown. Hotels, butchers, bakers, a post office, a police station and bank were established at Charlestown. The population peaked at about 1,000 but by 1864 the easily gained gold had been won and the population dropped to about 400. All we could see were desolate stones of a fallen chimney, an information board and a plaque.
We found the remains of the Welcome Home Inn beside the road,at the bottom of Long Gully. A tiny miner's hut sits all on it's own not too far up Long Gully

The hotel was the first to start in the area and was built in 1863 ,destroyed by fire and rebuilt twice it was finally demolished in 1951 .
The Maori point was interesting : In 1862, two Maori miners ( Raniera Erihana & Hakaria Maeroa) made it to a secluded gorge in Skippers Canyon where they saw a promising area across the river and tried to cross , one of their dogs followed and was washed away.
 Raniera went to rescue the dog and landed on a small beach. There he found his dog with its coat speckled with gold dust ,on searching he could see particles of gold in the crevices of the rocks and started to dig in the sandy beach.
Both gathered 25 pounds of gold before nightfall. Maori Point was born. Unfortunately, in those days, Maori were not allowed to bank and the men entrusted a friendly clerk with their booty. The clerk promptly disappeared with his loot, never to be seen again.
We could see the remains of water races and sluicing scars on the plateaus on either side of Stony Creek. Our guide told us that Wilding Pines are a major problem throughout the South Island's high country, destroying and blotting out iconic native landscapes.
Our guide showed us huge artificially created hillocks of sand formed due to gold search in the water

 They have been tackled on a grand scale in Skippers Canyon. We were told that it would take over 20 years for the trees that aren't felled, to topple over and start to break down, I felt sad that the lovely pines were being destroyed
If one encounters a car driving the other way, one had to back up gingerly until he can find enough room to pass, if two vehicles have to pass each other, one vehicle might have to reverse for up to 3 to 5 kilometres of winding narrow road to get to a place wide enough to pass

 With sweeping views along the gorge and of the Shotover River below, we had countless photo opportunities at every turn! The road was difficult and surely a nightmare in the wet or dark .
At places we met oncoming traffic on this unsealed, narrow and twisting road with a vertical drop on one and a vertical rock wall on the other side which was terrifying

  The scenery was magnificent; dramatic schist bluffs, sheer cliffs, rocky tors and bronzed tussock found in all directions. The Richardson Mountains were to the west on the other side of the Shotover River and the Harris Mountains to the east..
We passed Deep Creek where there's a launch area for the jet boats that tour Skippers Canyon

and then we stopped to view the Pipeline Bungy footbridge, this bungy was once the highest in the world at 102 metres.

 There are some basic rules for this road. The road is narrow and prone to slips. Caravans and trailers are not suitable on this road. In winter snow can close the road. Some vehicles are not insured past this point. No turn around for 6 km.
 We then came to One of the most famous sections of this road the Skippers bridge, 96 m long and 90 m high, the Skippers suspension bridge over the Shotover River is one of the most spectacular bridges in the world and we were surprised to know that this century old bridge is still suspended by its 14 original wire ropes

It was the first bridge that enabled the gold miners to safely reach Skippers Point . Building of this bridge began as early as 1866. It crossed the river only 6 metres above the water and prone to damage from flooding. It was replaced in 1871 but rebuilt at the same place. The access to this first crossing of the Shotover River was difficult as  approaches to it were very steep on both sides.
 In March 1901, the new bridge was officially opened by  Minister of Mines and finally replaced the old one.
In reality, the bridge was built a couple of decades too late. By 1901 miners were leaving Skippers and the population had fallen to less than 100. The school closed in 1927 and by the 1940s the settlement was abandoned. Local farmers continued to use the bridge and since 1985 it has provided access to the Mt Aurum Recreation Reserve, which includes the ruins of the town.
 It is today one of the major attractions for visitors to Skippers Canyon as it spans a gorge with sheer rock faces on both sides and is about 100 metres above the river.

Our guide asked all of us to get down and walk over the bridge to get a feel of it ,it was mighty thrilling

Shortly after,we reached the saddle at 975 meters above sea level, the highest point of the journey, we had the first spectacular view of Mount Aurum
 At the end of the road we found a perfectly preserved large stone school house, impressive and isolated, some original cottages and a cemetery.

 There is no charge for admission, this area was a farm, big one too. At the peak of the gold era there were around 12,000 residents living in the canyon. Today there are less than 12.
The school house was filled with interesting small exhibits of what the place was like during the gold rush times as they educated their children. There were numerous artifacts that grabbed our attention and imagination.

I imagined myself teaching young students in the class room and had an eerie feeling
Skippers School has been restored by DOC staff to its original state, and is quite remarkable and interesting to find in an area so remote and isolated.

It's quaint and charming standing as the only structure in that entire mountain.
 Honesty of the local people and tourists are to be appreciated as this school is just left unlocked all year round and yet it remains pristine and well-kept
 We were very impressed by the setting, quality of the restoration and wonderful information boards that described  the history of the area. We were stunned to know that this remote area once  had its own cricket team,
Sitting in the School house, and visiting the other neighbouring historic buildings and sites, really took us back and made us wonder what it must have been like to live back then.

 A picket and stone fence surrounded the cemetery which contained about 20 headstones and the marked graves of early Skippers residents.

 Of more recent times is the delightful inscription on the grave of Lorraine Borrell: "my time is up, I’ve been clocked out. The judge has tapped the gavel. I’ll retire the teapot, lay the knitting down and quietly unravel."
The cemetery overlooked the Skippers Canyon, a fitting resting place for the hardy pioneers of this remote settlement.
After the school closed in 1927, it became a wool shed and then it was left derelict for over 20 years. In 1992 it was restored by the Department of Conservation, inside and out and visitors are free to wander at their leisure.
It was chilly indoors behind the thick stone exterior. I guessed with a fire going on school days, the solid walls would have kept the heat inside, which is just as well because I'm sure there would have also been days when snow lay thick on the ground outside.

 Skippers was never a mining town in the popular sense, there wasn't a main street lined with hotels and stores. The settlement was spread out across limited flat ground over two terraces.
The school and Mt Aurum Homestead were on Burkes Terrace along with a few miners cottages but most of the population was located close to their mining claims along the banks of the river and nearby creeks.
By the 1940s the only permanent residents of Skippers were the owners of Mt Aurum Station. The station homestead has now also been restored.

 It was very interesting exploring inside both these buildings, with a good number of information panels explaining the dynamics of the settlement, and the hard life and harsh environment that people lived in along the Shotover River.

 Winters were especially difficult with snow and ice laying on the ground for weeks at a time with no access along the track back to Queenstown.
The furniture, fridge and the cooking range,various utensils and the lovely wall paper mutely told interesting stories about its inhabitants

Behind the homestead there's a small DOC camp surrounded by very tall dead pines and a warning to watch out in high winds (the wilding pines in this area were sprayed in 2014).
But even this far up there is another property further up the river. Branches Station ,our guide told us that quite a no of brave and daring people were living in the canyon making only occasional trips to Queenstown
 Our next stop was the picnic spot. Our guide had seen to it that both the vans were parked side by side and from the back had set up two tables ,some chairs and called us all for a picnic,we all  enjoyed a cup of coffee and tea with kiwi biscuits his wife had made at home and home-made cheese served on crackers, some had wine too
We happily sat back and relaxed looking over the canyon. As it always happens to me wherever we visit a historical place ,I got a dejavu feeling that I had been previously been here before
All in all, our trip to Skipper’s canyon left an indelible imprint on our minds

ADVENTUROUS QUEENSTOWN - NEWZEALAND JOURNEY

BLOG POST 32
We were on our way to the picturesque Queenstown known as the youthful city and an year round resort town in Otago in South Island it has an urban population of 15,300
  Although celebrated as New Zealand's ‘adventure capital’ Queenstown offers far more for people who are on holiday. Snugly sitting on the shores of Lake Wakatipu beneath a soaring panorama of the Remarkables Mountain Range, this alpine town is surrounded by a variety of historic, gastronomic and scenic wonders.

It was evening by the time our bus reached our hotel and we got our luggage put into our rooms
The hotel Copthorne Hotel and Resort Queenstown Lakefront was conveniently located within walking distance to the centre of Queenstown and was just a few minutes stroll from the picturesque Lake Wakatipu.

The rooms were big ,clean and spacious and to my delight we had a direct view of the lake Wakatipu .We freshened up and set going without wasting much time to explore the town and have dinner
Queenstown was carved out of the land by glaciers, rivers and lakes, Thanks to generations of daring and determined people, Queenstown is now a diverse area easily approachable for visitors from around the globe.
 But it wasn’t always the case. Before the easy modes of travel now taken for granted, getting to Queenstown was an adventure and often a painfully difficult one.
 The town is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has views of nearby mountains such as The Remarkables, Cecil Peak, Walter Peak and just above the town, Ben Lomond and Queenstown Hill.

 Lake Wakatipu With a length of 80 kilometres  is New Zealand's longest lake, and its third largest. The lake is also very deep, its floor being below sea level, with a maximum depth of 380 metres .The general topography is a reversed "N" shape or "dog leg". The lake is drained by the Kawarau River, which flows out from the lake's Frankton Arm, 8 km  east of Queenstown.

Lake Wakatipu  is renowned for its scenic beauty, being  surrounded  by mountains. The Remarkables  mountain range lies along its south eastern edge. It is a popular venue for adventure tourism, with ski fields, paragliding,  bungy jumping and tramping tracks within easy reach.
The water in the lake is very clean at 99.9% purity, probably cleaner than bottled water. Because of its depth and clarity the water changes colour depending on the weather, however it being very cold is not suitable for swimming

There are 3 inland lakes (Lake Hawea,Lake Wakatipu and Lake Wanaka.) Queenstown is well known for its  tourism, especially adventure and ski tourism.
The area was discovered and first settled in by Māoris. The first non-Māori to see Lake Wakatipu was European Nathanael Chalmers ably guided by Mr Reko in September 1853.
However European explorers William Gilbert Rees and  Nicholas were the first non-Maoris to settle in the area.

 Rees established a high country farm in the location of Queenstown's current town centre in 1860, but discovery  of gold in the Arrow River in 1862 encouraged  Rees to convert his wool shed into a hotel named the Queen's Arms, now known as Eichardt’s.

In January 1863 the town was officially named Queenstown with reference to Ireland’s Queenstown.
 Queenstown boasts of an awesome 220 adventure tourism activities. One can name it, the city has it . Skiing and snow boarding.jet boarding, white water rafting, bungy jumping, mountain biking, skate boarding, tramping, paragliding, sky diving and fly fishing to name a few.

Queenstown is a major centre for snow sports, Every year from early June onwards, the town transforms into a winter wonderland, attracting snow sports enthusiasts from around the world with its incredible lake , alpine scenery, crisp blue-sky days, easy access to some of New Zealand's finest ski and snowboard terrain and vibrant ski scenes.

 Most famous world first commercial Bungy  operation  was launched on 12th November 1988, at the historic  Kawarau Bridge located in a canyon just outside Queenstown. People have been flinging themselves off this 43-meter bridge since 1988

 Initially considered to be a passing fad by many locals, the bungy jump quickly became an international phenomenon and draws in thousands of visitors every year.
The bungy has also inspired more world-first, gravity-defying adventures such as canyon swings and zip rides, each one duly complementing the natural landscape they are set in.
Queenstown is also the birthplace of tandem paragliding, pioneered by late Bruce Grant. The sport was launched commercially in 1990, along with freefall photography. In fact, some of the finest views of this stunning area are now enjoyed from the sky.
The cosmopolitan town has a welcoming, vibrant energy that resonated across the resort to make it a unique all over the year holiday destination.

We found it big enough to offer a wide range of accomodation, activities, ski fields, events, eateries and bars , yet  small and cosy enough to make us feel like we belonged .I personally rate Queenstown as the best city in the entire country
We followed the directions given and walked down to the town centre .We found a huge youthful crowd gathered outside a restaurant and saw that it was Fergburger’s forgotten brother, Fergbaker selling gourmet desserts and pies.It was famous and tourists

Next we did some free fudge tasting at the Remarkable sweet shop. After tasting varieties like cookies and cream, apple pie, white rum and chocolate, we felt it would be rude not to buy anything so we bought a block of fudge

With a mall and streets compact with clothes, souvenirs, outdoor gear and rentals, we saw no lack of shopping opportunities in Queenstown but as we were used to, we mainly did window shopping.
The bus service in Queenstown was Connectabus taking passengers to outer suburbs and nearby Arrowtown and Wanaka.

We then wandered to the water front to Steam Wharf and could see the historic steamboat, the TSS Earnslaw.  For more than a century the ship has docked here, giving Steamer Wharf its name. A number of other boats and yachts call the wharf home too, and numerous operators offer leisure cruises to look out

 Steamer Wharf had more than 10 bars, including the Minus 5 Ice Bar, constructed entirely out of ice. Many of the establishments along the wharf offered open-air dining, allowing tourists to take in the views of the lake
The harbour view with the stunning mountain background gave us a picture post card feeling .The ambience was very festive
There were buskers with people flocking around them, boats coming and going, ducks were being fed

We started searching for an Indian restaurant as our taste buds were almost threatening to go on a hunger strike for spicy food. We could see many amazing cafes and restaurants, casinos and dessert shops on offer ,surprisingly we could find piano players on the streets
Suddenly we heard Indian music from around a corner ,it was like bliss pouring into our ears ,we rushed into the restaurant from where we could hear a popular Telugu song and Eureka ! we found an Indian restaurant and settled down with a happy sigh.
 The owner of the restaurant who was busy checking something on his laptop came to us and warmly welcomed us .He told my husband “ sir you are very fortunate to be sitting in a VIP chair “.We were intrigued ,which VIP ,mutely we asked him ,he mentioned a famous political leader

We had a very satisfying spicy meal and left the restaurant with our appetites and taste buds satisfied