Kia Ora,

Started by washing our camper van, in preparation for turning in tomorrow.  Then caught the noon steam ship that covers this lake, Lake Wakatipu (3rd largest in NZ - deepest point 300 metres), over to the other end for a barbecue (buffet in our lingo).  The setting was a major sheep operation, with buildings like Brook Lodge.  Good food, then we joined Tom, the sheep guy for some sheep knowledge. He showed three activities, the first having a sheep dog fetch about ten sheep on the run down to where we sixty or so tourists were standing.  They came boiling through the crowd, the dog right on their heels.  One major sheep ran over a senior citizen, who was getting up when clipped by a second animal.  Down again.  Tom said, “Heads up mates...”  the NZ counterpart to US litigation.  Act two was showing what the dogs can do in response to whistling...they fetch ‘em, herd ‘em and hold ‘em just where ya want ‘em.   Impressive.  Next: sheep shearing.

Tom, who is a rugged manly man, showed us old clippers and new clippers, and then denuded a major sheep he called Oprah (“she has some weight issues”) in short order.  Then he herded us into their gift shop where he added, “You’ll now get sheared.”  Curious about some elk antlers, I lingered and talked with Tom.  He seemed generally taken that someone knew about “drops”, and then offered a private five minute tour to show me the huge red deer that they had penned nearby.  I nodded Mimi into the short tour, and she took another 40 pictures (mostly of Tom, forget the stag). We also saw a wonderfully informative demo about spinning and various wools. Lanolin comes from sheep. YES! Their bodies produce it between their skin and fur and it protects them from rain and cold and sunburn. When spinning wool, you can wash the wool to get out the lanolin. Outdoors people buy the product with lanolin intact.

We returned to Queenstown by boat, and then went and saw The King’s Speech which I rate a ten (I don’t give many 10’s) for great dialogue, freedom from gas explosions and solid acting in a quirky theatre where we heard songs like ‘Relax, get to it..”...   

Now to bed.  

Aotearoa, Land of the Long White Cloud' is Maori name for NZ. Indeed.

Interesting historical buildings along the way

Arriving in Invercargill

Love those clouds

Bluff...end of NZ

Bluff from a high

Steart Island (and the Faveaux Sound) in the distance beyond our camper van

Going down was easy...climbing those 145 steps was not!

Possum trap

Denny at Look-out Point in Bluff..almost the most southern tip ofNZ

Trees devastated by possums

Sterling Point, end of the land, southern NZ

And 55 minutes back up, up, up, up....

Famous (and rightfully so!) Bluff oysters

Our pin numbers on bank cards do not work here...we were on NO GAS left.... Denny gave this guy $15 and he put that much in our tank on his card. Cool! This is a gas station where no people work. All automatic.

Driving to Queenstown on one and only Highway 6

Queenstown   So much fun.

Hilarious and talented street (magician) performer from Belgium. There were street performers everywhere.

More of Queenstown

Candy store that we may have visited!

Washing camper van before return 

And more of Q... notice cyclist and backpacker? ALL over the place!

The Earnslaw Steamer Ship

Shoveling in the coal

Leaving port

The captain and moi

Arriving at Walter Peak Working Farm

Buffet to us

Waiting for buffet to start  Queenstown way behind me

And for the sheep, herded by dogs whom they regard the same as wolves and therefore run from as fast as they can.

Five month old sheep herder in training who got a bit into trouble as she became a bit over zealous in her herding!

Ready for shearing

Different types of wool  Tom sheared a sheep for us. Incredible! Between sheep and their wool is lanolin which protects them from wet, form sunburn, form cold. Athletes and those who work outdoors prefer wool that has not been washed before being knit, as washing removes the lanolin.

Leaving with Walter Peak in the background

Rain set in right after we boarded

Back at wonderful Top Ten, just five minute walk from center of town