BLOG POST 34
We were briefed by Tony that our evening cruise on Lake Wakatipu with dinner at Walter Peak High Country Farm would start at 6 pm sharply at the Steamer Wharf, as it was included in our regular tour all of us gathered in the foyer of our restaurant by 5 pm.
We had to be picked up by a local bus to be transported to the wharf which got delayed and we started thinking that maybe we are going to miss our cruise .
Suddenly there was an announcement that our bus had arrived, we all trooped into the bus, to our dismay we found it quite dirty and filled with paper debris, it was the first time we saw such a bus in the entire tour, driver was profusely apologizing at its state ,however as it was a very short distance we took it lightly
We got down, were given our vouchers and made our way to the Steamer Wharf at Queenstown’s waterfront, and presented them for a cruise on the TSS Earnslaw.
The "TSS" in the name stands for “twin screw steamer”, and the TSS Earnslaw is the last remaining coal-fired passenger steamer in the southern hemisphere, propelled by a pair of screw propellers mounted on either side of the hull.
It is a 1912 Edwardian vintage twin screw steamer plying the waters of Lake Wakatipu in New Zealand. It is one of the oldest tourist attractions in Central Otago.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, New Zealand Railways awarded 20,850 pounds to John McGregor and Co shipbuilders of Dunedin to build a steamship for Lake Wakatipu at their Otago Foundry and Engineering Works.
The Earnslaw was designed by naval architect Hugh McRae and was based on a Siemens -Martin steel hull design and used Kauri wood for decking. Propulsion was provided by twin coal-fired triple-expansion, jet-condensing, vertically inclined engines.The keel was laid on 4 July 1911 and the ship was named after Mount Earnslaw a 2889-metre peak at head of Lake Wakatipu.
51.2 metres long, it was the biggest boat on the lake, and the largest steamship built in New Zealand. On 24th February 1912, incidentally same year as the Titanic, TSS Earnslaw was launched
She then became a valuable vessel for New Zealand Railways (NZR) and is known as "Lady of the Lake".
The Earnslaw worked with her sister ships, the paddle steamers Antrim and Mountaineer and screw steamer Ben Lemond, transporting sheep, cattle and passengers to surrounding high country stations.
In 1968, the Earnslaw was very nearly scrapped but was fortunately rescued. She was leased by Fiordland Travel (now Real Journeys) in 1969, and later purchased by same company in 1982. She was taken out of service for a huge makeover in 1984. Her 12 metre high funnel was painted bright red, with the hull a snow white, and her kauri timber decks glassed in.
In March 1990, the Earnslaw carried Queen Elizabeth ,Prince Philip and president Bill Clinton, other royalty to travel on board were the King and Queen of the Belgium and the Prince of Thailand.
The TSS Earnslaw even made a brief cameo appearance in movie Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) as an Amazon River boat.
The Earnslaw celebrated her centenary in October 2012 and continues routine operation carrying tourist passengers across Lake Wakatipu from Queenstown to Walter Peak High Country Farm, a tourism operation with farm tours, horse treks, heritage tours, barbecue lunches and evening dining at the historic Colonel's Homestead.
The ship works fourteen-hour days in the summer months and cruises for eleven months of the year, despite being over 100 years old.
Each year, the TSS Earnslaw undergoes an annual survey – typically from late May to early June – with every second year being taken out of the lake.
As we had arrived late, our entire group got totally scattered and we had to sit in separate places .We had time to explore the ship during the 1.5-hour cruise, and headed below the decks to engine room, where profusely sweating young stokers fed a roaring coal fire ,seeing them I felt bad for them as it was a hot and tough job ,seeing my forlorn face, my husband consoled me saying that they must be getting adequately paid for their hard work.
We then explored the small on board museum that was located in the forecastle and found that there was a lot of teak .There was a TSS Earnslaw’s lovely bar/ cafe offering reasonably priced hot and cold, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, cakes, sandwiches. There were multiple decks and toilets on board too
We finally settled down to see the dramatic views of the mountains that surrounded the lake, which has a maximum depth of 1,250 feet .All around us we could see boats of various sizes going by merrily .
If one takes off the shoes and stand barefoot on the age old timber decking eyes closed, we can almost feel the beautiful presence of those who would've traveled on this beautiful vessel more than 100 years ago.
Before the ship came to shore at the farm it gave a long penetrating hoot and we could see uniformed and capped staff come out of the home stead and give us a friendly welcome waving vigorously.
As we stepped abroad we were struck by the serenity of the place, the water was lapping gently at the shore, as it was too tempting ,I stepped into the water which was however ice cold .
The home stead was beautifully designed surrounded by large gardens full of flowers mainly roses of all colours, grounds were like mini England gardens.
We spent our time wandering around in the gardens enjoying the peaceful setting till we got called for dinner .
As we were a big group we were accommodated inside the homestead for dinner .Some tourists who were couples or small groups were sitting around tables outside overlooking the lake.
The timeless ambience and refurbished interior of homestead was very soothening . The homestead offers a variety of private rooms or the option to hire the whole venue exclusively for functions like weddings
Walter Peak High Country Farm, on the western shores of Lake Wakatipu, is steeped in history. Its sheltered bays were used as camping sites by Maori
European settlement commenced in the 1860 s with initial farming attempts by Von Tunzelman. Stock deaths, snowstorms and lack of money eventually forced him off the land.
Following a quick succession of owners, Walter Peak Station was taken over in the late 1880 s by the Mackenzies. This family is credited with developing many of the principles of successful high country farming during their 80 years of working the property.
At its peak, the station was one of New Zealand’s most famous with 170,000 acres, 40,000 sheep and up to 50 full time employees. The original homestead block of Walter Peak Station is now known as Walter Peak High Country Farm.
It runs 18000 Merino and Perendale sheep and 800 beef cows
Over time various permanent homes were established and these included the Colonel’s Homestead with its beautiful lakeside gardens.
The lovely home generally known as Colonel‟s House was built for Peter Mackenzie, one of the six sons of Hugh Mackenzie.
Colonel Peter and his family continued to live there until 1970.
The Colonel‟s House was built in 1907 when Peter married. At Walter Peak homestead extensive tree-planting was carried out to stabilize the ground and shield people and buildings from boulders shed by the mountain during storms.
In 1977 fire broke out in the Colonel’s House. Staff thought it had been successfully extinguished. Alas, within hours the 70-year-old building with all its interesting contents was consumed by fire.
The replacement building was sympathetically designed and fits the setting very comfortably. It is more functional than its predecessor, catering for large number of visitors.
Recently Real Journeys purchased 300 acres of Walter Peak land and the lakeside buildings, securing future of the establishment which provides enjoyment and an appreciation of New Zealand high country farming to those who visit this special place..
The dinner was a BBQ a buffet style meal with plenty of trimmings and the most perfectly cooked Canterbury pork and Otago beef.
The food was beautifully cooked and plentiful with a huge range of barbecued meats, salads and desserts with un limited refills
There were huge prawns, smoked salmon, mussels etc. to start with, and then wonderful meats to follow (beef, lamb, pork, chicken but the star of the show was the lamb (as one might expect on a sheep station).
There was chicken and fish ,succulent meats cooked on the outdoor grill, selections of delicious vegetables and salads and irresistible desserts.
We found the mouth watering range of home made desserts so tastefully decorated hard to resist
After the dinner we had a stroll in the gardens and sheep shearing demonstration where we watched the remarkable skill with which farm dogs round up sheep from paddocks.
We had a walking tour of the farmyard, visited holding pens, where we tried to help feed the sheep and deer and even got up close to the Scottish Highland Cattle.
There was a charming gift shop where we did some window shopping
Suddenly one of our friends from the group came and whispered in a conspiratorial tone to us that Tony had planned that we would be sitting in a group while going back, so we were to quickly board the ship and sit in a group near the piano
Sensing the starting time was arriving, we quickly gathered in the location specified, feeling quite like naughty children.
We were given NZ song books and we had an energetic old man who was at the piano who played all the old ‘sing along songs’ like "Irish eyes", "long way to Tipperary" etc and encouraged everyone to sing, Soon the ship gave a good bye hoot and started moving
Most of the songs we had learnt in school as nursery rhymes, so I could happily join in the ‘sing along’ much to the surprise of our friends ,we held hands and sang and danced ,our Australian friends declared that they were giving an Australian citizenship to me, LOL !
We wished two people who had birthdays that day and a couple who had their wedding anniversary .Seeing our group’s enthusiasm many on the ship joined us
Gradually the light of the setting sun kissed the mountain ranges all around us as we sailed gaily across the sapphire blue water of the Lake Wakatipu
The cruise ended in no time as the lights of Queenstown drew nearer,we reached the wharf and alighted saying a reluctant goodbye to a magical cruise and an enchanting night
We were briefed by Tony that our evening cruise on Lake Wakatipu with dinner at Walter Peak High Country Farm would start at 6 pm sharply at the Steamer Wharf, as it was included in our regular tour all of us gathered in the foyer of our restaurant by 5 pm.
We had to be picked up by a local bus to be transported to the wharf which got delayed and we started thinking that maybe we are going to miss our cruise .
Suddenly there was an announcement that our bus had arrived, we all trooped into the bus, to our dismay we found it quite dirty and filled with paper debris, it was the first time we saw such a bus in the entire tour, driver was profusely apologizing at its state ,however as it was a very short distance we took it lightly
We got down, were given our vouchers and made our way to the Steamer Wharf at Queenstown’s waterfront, and presented them for a cruise on the TSS Earnslaw.
It is a 1912 Edwardian vintage twin screw steamer plying the waters of Lake Wakatipu in New Zealand. It is one of the oldest tourist attractions in Central Otago.
The Earnslaw was designed by naval architect Hugh McRae and was based on a Siemens -Martin steel hull design and used Kauri wood for decking. Propulsion was provided by twin coal-fired triple-expansion, jet-condensing, vertically inclined engines.The keel was laid on 4 July 1911 and the ship was named after Mount Earnslaw a 2889-metre peak at head of Lake Wakatipu.
51.2 metres long, it was the biggest boat on the lake, and the largest steamship built in New Zealand. On 24th February 1912, incidentally same year as the Titanic, TSS Earnslaw was launched
She then became a valuable vessel for New Zealand Railways (NZR) and is known as "Lady of the Lake".
The Earnslaw worked with her sister ships, the paddle steamers Antrim and Mountaineer and screw steamer Ben Lemond, transporting sheep, cattle and passengers to surrounding high country stations.
In 1968, the Earnslaw was very nearly scrapped but was fortunately rescued. She was leased by Fiordland Travel (now Real Journeys) in 1969, and later purchased by same company in 1982. She was taken out of service for a huge makeover in 1984. Her 12 metre high funnel was painted bright red, with the hull a snow white, and her kauri timber decks glassed in.
The TSS Earnslaw even made a brief cameo appearance in movie Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) as an Amazon River boat.
The Earnslaw celebrated her centenary in October 2012 and continues routine operation carrying tourist passengers across Lake Wakatipu from Queenstown to Walter Peak High Country Farm, a tourism operation with farm tours, horse treks, heritage tours, barbecue lunches and evening dining at the historic Colonel's Homestead.
The ship works fourteen-hour days in the summer months and cruises for eleven months of the year, despite being over 100 years old.
Each year, the TSS Earnslaw undergoes an annual survey – typically from late May to early June – with every second year being taken out of the lake.
As we had arrived late, our entire group got totally scattered and we had to sit in separate places .We had time to explore the ship during the 1.5-hour cruise, and headed below the decks to engine room, where profusely sweating young stokers fed a roaring coal fire ,seeing them I felt bad for them as it was a hot and tough job ,seeing my forlorn face, my husband consoled me saying that they must be getting adequately paid for their hard work.
If one takes off the shoes and stand barefoot on the age old timber decking eyes closed, we can almost feel the beautiful presence of those who would've traveled on this beautiful vessel more than 100 years ago.
Before the ship came to shore at the farm it gave a long penetrating hoot and we could see uniformed and capped staff come out of the home stead and give us a friendly welcome waving vigorously.
The timeless ambience and refurbished interior of homestead was very soothening . The homestead offers a variety of private rooms or the option to hire the whole venue exclusively for functions like weddings
European settlement commenced in the 1860 s with initial farming attempts by Von Tunzelman. Stock deaths, snowstorms and lack of money eventually forced him off the land.
Following a quick succession of owners, Walter Peak Station was taken over in the late 1880 s by the Mackenzies. This family is credited with developing many of the principles of successful high country farming during their 80 years of working the property.
At its peak, the station was one of New Zealand’s most famous with 170,000 acres, 40,000 sheep and up to 50 full time employees. The original homestead block of Walter Peak Station is now known as Walter Peak High Country Farm.
Over time various permanent homes were established and these included the Colonel’s Homestead with its beautiful lakeside gardens.
The lovely home generally known as Colonel‟s House was built for Peter Mackenzie, one of the six sons of Hugh Mackenzie.
Colonel Peter and his family continued to live there until 1970.
The Colonel‟s House was built in 1907 when Peter married. At Walter Peak homestead extensive tree-planting was carried out to stabilize the ground and shield people and buildings from boulders shed by the mountain during storms.
The replacement building was sympathetically designed and fits the setting very comfortably. It is more functional than its predecessor, catering for large number of visitors.
The dinner was a BBQ a buffet style meal with plenty of trimmings and the most perfectly cooked Canterbury pork and Otago beef.
There were huge prawns, smoked salmon, mussels etc. to start with, and then wonderful meats to follow (beef, lamb, pork, chicken but the star of the show was the lamb (as one might expect on a sheep station).
We had a walking tour of the farmyard, visited holding pens, where we tried to help feed the sheep and deer and even got up close to the Scottish Highland Cattle.
There was a charming gift shop where we did some window shopping
Sensing the starting time was arriving, we quickly gathered in the location specified, feeling quite like naughty children.
We were given NZ song books and we had an energetic old man who was at the piano who played all the old ‘sing along songs’ like "Irish eyes", "long way to Tipperary" etc and encouraged everyone to sing, Soon the ship gave a good bye hoot and started moving
We wished two people who had birthdays that day and a couple who had their wedding anniversary .Seeing our group’s enthusiasm many on the ship joined us
Gradually the light of the setting sun kissed the mountain ranges all around us as we sailed gaily across the sapphire blue water of the Lake Wakatipu
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