NZ – Page 4 – Just thoughts

NZ – Knobs Flat to Queenstown at EveryTrail

This was going to be a long day, and a long drive – from Knobs Flat round to Queenstown, with not a lot in between.

The day started from the cabin and I’ve provided a couple of pictures of Knobs Flat to give you an idea of the place. [As with all (or most of) the images, if you click on them they should open in a new window so that you can view them better.]

The first stop was to be lunch – we drove quite a distance to a lay by near Parawa where we shared the view with some bikers who were obviously touring as well. The views were huge (as usual) – you can get some idea of them below, although the pictures doesn’t really do the landscape credit.

Then it was press on to Fairlight and Kingston (where we didn’t stop to ride the Kingston Flyer – a historic train ride). Lake Wakatipu was soon in sight and we started the drive along the side of this winding lake on which Queenstown stands. A few views of the lake are included below, including one of the view from our Motel once we got to Queenstown. You can see the day was a bit overcast, but the sun did break through – but unfortunately not at spots where I wanted to take photographs!

All that was left for the day was to walk around Queenstown, find somewhere to eat which we did in a delightful small French Restaurant – quite atypical of much else that we saw in the town which gave the appearance of being a “young people’s place” and most definitely a tourist “hot-spot” – the coach tours were everywhere!

On our walk we did see something you don’t see everyday however and so it just had to be snapped. Hope you like this as much as we did

First … three postcards to show what we hoped (if at all possible) to see on this day. It was not to be, but the scenery and the experience was none the less for the poor weather we encountered.

NZ – To Knobs Flat via Milford Sound at EveryTrail

The day started in Te Anau where we checked-out of our very pleasant motel and set-off north alongside the side of the lake. We stopped along the way to view the Mirror Lakes and again later at Homer Camp where we read about the lives of the workers who lived with their families in this remote place whilst the Homer Tunnel was being built. [Just click on the image to read more about the camp.] It must have been a truly extreme way of life.

Before we reached the Sound we stopped off to see some temperate rainforest, cascades and photograph highland “meadows”. We’d booked our boat trip (one that was advertised as being more “nature” focussed) for the end of the day and this turned out to be a a good thing because gradually the weather appeared to be improving. It must be said that the improvement was almost imperceptible and in an area that’s famed for its rain and clouds – we didn’t have high expectations. However, we did have a wonderful trip, some photographs of us were taken by a very friendly member of the crew and we did enjoy ourselves.

Where to stay that evening was always going to be challenging. Were we going to stay in Milford Sound and pay rather high rates for the hotel – even if there had been a room available (which there wasn’t); were we going to drive all the way back to Te Anau – challenging to say the least, and in the dark for much of the way (our boat having returned to the jetty at about 17:30); or was there another possibility – Knobs Flat.

I’d decided before we left Te Anau that this was going to be our overnight stop. There were a couple of decent reviews on Trip Advisor and even though being in the middle of nowhere was a bit challenging to say the least, the prospect of a long exhausting drive, or worse still – sleeping in the car, helped focus the mind. In the end, I don’t know why I’d been apprehensive. The wood cabin we had was wonderful. Basic but totally in keeping with the landscape it was located in. Everything was provided so with the contents of our mobile supermarket stores from the car, we rested and relaxed in an environment that was free of internet and television. A lovely evening and a great end to a wonderful day.

The setting of the Knobs Flat cabins.

NZ – To Knobs Flat via Milford Sound at EveryTrail

Tag: NZ

From Knobs Flat to Queenstown

To Milford Sound and Knobs Flat