sout H island ( part 1)

Next day was a riding gem as we were drawn towards the tourist magnet that is Queenstown. On a perfect weather day we crossed the Lindis Pass en route to Wanaka where their award winning pie was given an Aussie test (not bad) while overlooking another beautiful lake. This was just the appetiser as we crossed the Crown Ridge road passing the oldest pub in NZ at Cardrona which was closed for a private function.

March 2023

The road remains intact but the traffic was heavier and the hot weather put paid to any snow capped peaks although the distant glaciers were still impressive. We managed to pack a lot into our stay in Queenstown with Coronet Peak, a return run over the Crown Range Road to visit the Cardrona Pub and the highlight of a jetboat ride deep down in the canyon on the Shotover River via the famous Skippers Road (see separate story).

We went through the heavy traffic of Queenstown (plenty of new pedestrian malls as well as major roadworks) on our way out to Glenorchy along the banks of Lake Wakatipu. Eight years ago this was recorded as one of my favorite rides with snow on the mountain tops creating a perfect picture.

END adventures on the South Island continue in our next edition…..