We headed off mid morning towards our first stop, less than 30 minutes away to the very pretty, historic township of Arrowtown. And, the little tourist town was bustling. Perhaps because it was a public holiday.
We found that most places were open and we very much enjoyed our stroll around the streets. We didn’t want to go too deeply into what is on offer here as we will spend our final two nights here before we fly back to Brisbane. We did however take the time to get our bearings, find where our accommodation is situated in relation to important places including restaurants and wine tasting opportunities, and to taste some of the famous New Zealand savoury scones.
As we found in Queenstown, the New Zealand accent, while very easy for an Aussie to pick, is hardly ever heard in these tourist towns. Most of the workers have foreign accents and many of the tourists are made up of groups of Americans, English and Asians, as well as European visitors. We’ve only been here a few days, but I am going to make a wild claim – New Zealand is more popular for these tourists than Australia.
And as visitors to this part of NZ, we have noticed that most things, not only restaurant and bar prices, but basic grocery items are much more expensive than at home.
I spotted quite a few of these old-fashioned flowers, or really weeds, (Scottish Thistle) in many of the old-fashioned gardens in Arrowtown.
We have had perfect weather since we arrived. Not too hot and a little overcast, but this place can and does get very cold. Skiing fields are not too far from here.
After lunch we continued eastward towards Cromwell, stopping at Gibbston Valley Winery for a tour and tasting. This winery boasts having New Zealand’s largest wine cave and the region’s oldest vineyards.
Catherine, an American girl took us on the tour, starting outside before heading to the cave. She was an excellent guide and very knowledgeable.
Catherine explained that the vines were planted in 1983. So although they are the oldest vines in the region, they are only 42 years old. However, Central Otago can claim to having the most southern vineyards in the world.
Catherine explained how the steep hills impact the climate in this region – there is a large diurnal range. When the first grapes were planted, most red varieties did not survive. It was only Pinot Noir with its thin skins that coped, and coped well. Now 70% of the grapes in this region are Pinot Noir.
These grapes are Gewürztraminer and they are still weeks away from being ripe. Catherine explained that the sugar levels are still too low. And she knows this not only because she tasted one yesterday, but because the birds are not interested in them yet. As soon as the birds are interested, the vines are covered in nets.
The grapes will be harvested around April.
Next stop for the tour was the famous Gibson Valley Wine Cave. It is the longest wine cellar at 70m, and will never ever lose that title. Very soon after the owners used a huge amount of dynamite to create the tunnel cave, it was made illegal to do so. No more blowing holes in the side of these mountains!! But the cave is very effective.
At this point I exited the tour and left Mick and the others while I waited outside. The 90% humidity and perfect temperatures for maturing wine, is also perfect for growing fungus, specifically Aspergillus; to which I am highly allergic.
I did not realise that there would be wine tasting in the cave, and I kept waiting for the tour to exit those doors so I could re-join the party. Never mind, I was able to try some bubbles when they returned to the Cellar Door. Mick and I left empty-handed from here though.
We then drove on to Cromwell. This is where we will be based for the next five nights and I think it will be perfect.
We are staying at the O’Natural Winery hosted by the winemaker Lucie Lawrence and I’m sure she will have some nice wines for us to try, as well as some advice about where we should visit.
As a welcome gift, Lucie left us a bottle of her Riesling, which we enjoyed as an aperitif before Mick stole the show with a perfectly-cooked fillet steak and mushrooms.
This is why we prefer staying in places where we can cook our own food.
After dinner we sat on the back verandah looking over the yard towards Lake Dunstan.
Mick’s eyes lit up and his heartpace quickened when he noticed several little bunnies hopping around the lawn. He then went to explore and found a rabbit warren right behind the house we’re in. He is really hoping he will be able to buy some rabbit at the markets in a few days time.
Jane and Mick's Holiday Adventures 