Last day

Our last game at the lovely Christchurch course - another club with a proud history as the second oldest club in New Zealand. The earthquake 5 years ago devastated the club with the lovely old Tudor style clubhouse requiring demolition.During the earthquake people were actually playing the course and they completed the game , unaware that the gables on the clubhouse had collapsed.The ground floor section of the new clubhouse referencing some of the Tudor style was only just opened however there are not sufficient funds to complete and open the second story.

The course itself is in excellent condition with rolling fairways bordered with mature trees. Greens are challenging - very big, often tiered and verrry fast! Some small ponds dot the course and a stream crosses a number of holes.

For our last dinner we walked into the city centre to Bamboozle, a Japanese tapas style eatery.  Very different but fun.

Once again we were struck with the devastation of the earthquake - five years later, empty lots, piles of rubble, buildings propped up with girders, scaffolding, cracked facades,  not to mention bridges over the Avon River and roads still closed are dotted everywhere. Many residential properties remain boarded and fenced off for insurance claims for some residents are still unresolved - a source of great stress and unimagined trauma.  The great Cathedral in the centre of Christchurch is propped up with rubble and with a repair bill of 120 million dollars unlikely to be restored any tine soon - it was uninsured!

And so our holiday comes to an end - it has been a most enjoyable time, despite the fact that I was not able to play and could only observe - what perfect golf one can play when not a ball is struck.

Many thanks to everyone for making the trip so good for me - a great group of people with whom to travel.

Christchurch

Last night we went to "The Bog", an Irish pub for dinner -  pub food, although rather  superior quality and presentation.  A very talented 4 piece band entertained us with traditional and modern Irish favourites which got the fingers and toes going.  A very friendly group who obviously enjoyed playing up to tourists. Sadly Jan and Phil had to leave early this morning to return to work.

Today we played at Clearwater, hosts of the NZ Ladies Open a few weeks ago. It is a lovely course in great condition featuring water hazards in plenty, strategic bunkers and plenty of garden beds.  The resort has many stylish homes dotted around plus town house groups complete with summer houses down on the lake edges.  Beautiful!

We played two groups of 4 and we hardly saw another group at all. Afterwards we enjoyed drinks at the clubhouse and were treated to a complimentary platter of cheeses, smoked salmon, dips, fruit, salami and crackers - very civilised. Last game tomorrow.

Christchurch

Last night we went to "The Bog", an Irish pub for dinner -  pub food, although rather  superior quality and presentation.  A very talented 4 piece band entertained us with traditional and modern Irish favourites which got the fingers and toes going.  A very friendly group who obviously enjoyed playing up to tourists. Sadly Jan and Phil had to leave early this morning to return to work.

Today we played at Clearwater, hosts of the NZ Ladies Open a few weeks ago. It is a lovely course in great condition featuring water hazards in plenty, strategic bunkers and plenty of garden beds.  The resort has many stylish homes dotted around plus town house groups complete with summer houses down on the lake edges.  Beautiful!

We played two groups of 4 and we hardly saw another group at all. Afterwards we enjoyed drinks at the clubhouse and were treated to a complimentary platter of cheeses, smoked salmon, dips, fruit, salami and crackers - very civilised. Last game tomorrow.

Last day on the road

Dunedin to Christchurch today.  Dunedin shows it's Scottish heritage everywhere and especially in the softening burr to the Kiwi accent.  The architecture is very appealing - late Victorian and Edwardian - weatherboard two story houses capped with elegant fretwork and substantial brick homes ornamented with verandas and turrets line the steep streetscape. Gardens feature the deepest blue Agapanthas and hydrageas I have ever seen.Public building reflect the important history of this elegant and cultured city.  Places to eat at every pricepoint are everywhere - there is a young vibe as befits a university town.

Leaving our hotel we passed a number of pipe bands gathering in the main street - many of the pipers were very young - Scottish heritage is valued, alive and well in Dunedin!

Travelling now on Highway number 1 we paused at the Moeraki Boulders to view these unusual rocks best viewed at low tide.  Maori legend tells of a great Waka, canoe of the gods which was wrecked on this coast after a long journey.  The captain and crew were washed overboard with all their goods, spreading to become the boulders on the beach and the hull of the Waka became the headland. The enormous waves are represented in the hills and cliffs behind the beach. The boulders are quite spectacular.

Our next stop was at the Tin Shed for last minute retail therapy. Caption for the boys' photo? "The girls are shopping again".

Driving into Christchurch we were really saddened to see how much damage remains from the earthquake particularly in Cathedal Square and the centre of the city.  The cathedral remains boarded up and fenced off! Everywhere buildings are festooned with scaffolding and weeds cover vacant lots. Even saved buildings show scars of the earthquake in replastered walls and odd paint works. Yet the city centre is alive with people and tourists have obviously returned.

Enormous thanks to Tim and Geoff for driving us so safely and surely and Barb the trusty navigator. Tomorrow we play golf at Clearwater.

Otago Golf Club

The oldest golf course in the Southern hemisphere - 1871 - the club moved to it's present site in 1895 so it could increase to 18 holes. Obviously at this time carts were in the unimagined future so the course lends itself more to walkers and trundlers (not buggies). One hole has a handy ski rope tow to assist with the substantial vertical rise to the next tee. The fairways undulate and slope away so finesse is certainly required.

The club is rightly very proud of it's history displaying photographs from the 1870s onwards (what fine moustaches were fashionable then), memorabilia including a fine set of early golf clubs  presented by St Andrews, and photos of the many world famous golfers who have successfully mastered the NZ Opens played here.

What struck us most was the friendliness of players, the pro Shelley and the helpfulness of people.  Some even came across from their own tees to mention and advise on hazards. We felt truly welcomed - a feeling not just confined to golf - New Zealanders are genuinely friendly and welcoming.

The signature hole is a cracker - high tees overlook a long narrow wooded fairway leading down to a large sloping green - but each hole offers variety and challenge.  Once again the rain came down but all completed 18 holes in cooling weather - the warm club house was certainly welcome.

On the road again

We farewell Queenstown today. Everyone has really enjoyed all that Queenstown has to offer.  The food has been great - both dining out and dining in - we have generally supported the local economy well especially in the woollens department and of course everyone loved the golf.

On our way to Dunedin we paused to visit Old Cromwell - many fine old stone buildings were relocated when the lake was dammed.  These are well preserved with visual and audio presentations of life in the 1800s. The newspaper, blacksmith, stables and Cobb and Co store are displayed and most buildings are now art gallerys, tea shops or nick nack shops. A great representation of social history and so similar to the Australian experience.

The road took us through a number of small towns and diverse country before we hit the outskirts of Dunedin - home to around 100,000 people, centre for education, industry, and tourism, sprawling over many kilometres.  The Otago peninsula has several unique tourist attractions including the only mainland albatross colony in the world.

We visited Larnach Castle, a mansion built by William Larnach in a grand, baronial style in the 1870s for the first of his 3 wives and their children. Banker, politician, landowner and financier William married his sister-in-law on the death of his first wife at age 37, and his third much younger wife after the death of wife 2 (also at age 37) only to be cuckolded by his son.  He took his own life in a private room in parliament!

Larnach Castle has been beautifully restored to it's former glory by the Barker family who purchased the empty and derelict property in the 1960's.  It features incredible wooden panelling, ceilings, and staircases including a fine Georgian hanging staircase. Other rooms feature delicately painted plaster ceilings with strap snd pendant designs. Colours reflect the feminine or masculine usage of the rooms. Construction throughout the Castle is breathtaking - the woodcarving alone took 12 years to complete - reflecting the very best British and European materials and craftmanship.

Yet William's children disliked living in "The Camp"  as he called it, far from the society of the growing city and whilst happy to be supported by his wealth were jealous and argumentative, regarding his 2nd and 3rd marriages with suspicion and disapproval.  A sad ending for a man who played a pivotal role in both Australia and New Zesland.

The gardens surrounding the Castle have also been beautifully restored and feature garden "rooms" and colourful plantings complementing the house. A lovely visit to a graceful and elegant example of Victorian splendour.

Millbrook

Today we travel to Millbrook Resort near Arrowtown to play.  This beautifully presented Resort is a complete package. Cafe, restaraunts, beauty spa, accommodation and the golf course are set among beautiful gardens and stunning avenues of trees. Originally a farm there are many old pieces of farm machinery and original buildings including an old mill with a water wheel to add character.

There are 27 holes - Arrow 9, Coronet 9 and Remarkables 9. Work will commense shortly on another 9 to cater for the demand. The NZ Open will shortly be played on these immaculate fairways and greens.

Our group, joined by Barb's cousin and her husband teed off in brilliant sunshine but unfortunately the rain came in very heavily forcing abandonement of play after 14 holes. Nevertheless everyone enjoyed their game and came in impressed with the course.

From the cafe we watched the rain - most welcomed by the locals - whilst some visited the proshop to top up wet weather gear. Despite the rain we had a good day. Tonight we are going to The Captain to enjoy a last seafood meal before heading to Dunedin.

Queenstown Golf

Today's course requires travel back along the lake and over the Shotover River through the lovely suburb of Kelvin Heights to the golf club on the peninsula directly opposite the town centre.  This side of the lake provides the most desirable living facing north and having slightly warmer temperatures, particularly in winter. This area has more attractive gardens with roses appearing to do well here. Most accommodation for hire is on the southern side cooler side facing "The Remarkables".(  This mountain range is aptly named looming above the lake and dominating the sky line - the drive up to the ski fields in winter must be very intimidating indeed.

The course was very picturesque but quite challenging and the predicted rain which threatened as we teed off began to follow us towards the clubhouse. How quickly the weather changes here! Only a few minutes in the club house and the rain set in, veiling the lake, mountains and trees and dropping the temperature several degrees. The water in Lake Wakatipu is so clear and pure - 99.9%. Only one other lake in the world has water more pure!  The lake colour changes from a vivid aqua in the sunlight to slate grey in the mist and rain.

From our apartment balcony we look directly at the gondola going up the mountain to a restraunt and bungy jumping platform. Two hours after the rain started it stops abruptly.

It's raining!

Woke to steady rain this morning - mountains, lake and town invisible! General misery for a while - then about 9.30 began to clear, sun came out and smiles all round again.

Today is a recreation day and once again we scattered according to our preferences. Six went off to play at "The Hills" golf course at the invitation of Christine, Barb's cousin and they were particularly delighted rain had stopped as this was an unexpected opportunity to play at this members only course. Opened in 2007 and privately owned by Michael Hill, the jeweller, this course features unique statues inspired by Lord of the Rings and very challenging holes - the brief to the designers was to build something "grunty". Our group returned at 5.30 full of enthusiasm and delight for a wonderful experience and day of exciting golf.

Brian, Maggie and Belinda went off on the Million Dollar cruise with Captain Wayne (hope it was as big a hoot for them as it was for me) and Annie and I toured the Botanical gardens.

At first a little disappointing as it skirted the lake it came into it's own at the top of the hill opening into a rose garden, lily pond and an area with gigantic redwoods - surely well over 100 years old so hugh were the branches and base of these glorious giants. Tennis courts, bowls and even an ice rink share the peninsula with the gardens.

Everyone here seems to love the outdoors with people jogging, running, walking and bike riding around the lake - young,old and inbetween - there's something for everyone.

Cromwell

Our course today was in the small town of Cromwell about three quarters of an hour from Queenstown. Cromwell is a centre of fruit growing and an area of many vineyards. Pinot Noir grows well here and there are numerous vineyards, fruit stalls and a cheesery along the way.

The golf course itself seemed very expensive at $75 for a round - cart extra - with quite narrow fairways, substantial areas of rough and sand, ordinary greens and very windswept.  The round was played in the windiest conditions yet.  Golf generally is expensive here. Scores were good though - Maggie won with a great 43, followed by Belinda on 42, Geoff on 41 and Brian 40. 

Tonight we are helping Brian celebrate his birthday at one of the many restaurants - Ivy and Lolas - a eclectic mix of old wares, radios, plates, mugs etc. Then we repaired to our suite to sing "Happy Birthday" and to cut the cake. Brian enjoyed his day especially Maggie's well deserved win.

Queenstown

Today we had a rest day and people scattered to different activities - a group to fly over Milford Sound and the fiords, Tim and Barb to the Shotover Jet boat and Annie and I took the Million Dollar Cruise (great value at $35) run by Wayne and Betty (since 1982). Wayne is captain, crew, deck hand and tour guide. Betty his wife remains on line and drums up trade for the next cruise.

Queenstown also came into being through gold.  Following it's discovery in 1859, the local population of 14 shepherds looking after sheep on the only station in the valley swelled to 9000 and for 30 years Queenstown was wide and wild chasing the rich gold in the Shotover river. Then it was all over and about 200 people stayed on to mine the next source of wealth - the tourist!

Queenstown is unique - truly beautiful mountains, a deep glacial lake, and valley scoured and denuded by the last glacier 11000 years ago.  There are no native trees here - little topsoil and too cold - so all trees are exotic with a hugh variety of conifers flourishing.  Not all are welcome! The Douglas Fir, a self seeding and invasive species is rapidly clothing mountain slopes which are naturally treeless and there is now a program of spraying to eradicate it and return the slopes to the original condition - estimated to take 15 years. The Remarkables - mountains providing one of three local ski fields - dominate the landscape and demonstrate how the area will look if the program is succesful.

Queenstown is action heaven and offers every extreme sport - you can try anything at a price! Prices range from $85 to $500 for a day's adrenaline rush or more.  Accomodation - back packers to 5 star, food from subway to michelin stars, and shopping to tempt most budgets. The permanent population of less than 40,000 swells in summer and winter - last year over 1 million tourists visited. Everyone is friendly, chatty and welcoming and very polite.  And - the golf courses are fantastic!

Arrowtown

A very different course today - built on former goldfields and the course reflects this with gullies, high rocky tee boxes, water courses and narrow fairways between rocky outcrops.  Earthquakes are responsible for the ridges dictating the lie of the course. Today being Saturday we slotted in with the men's competition, not part of the comp, but inserted into the shotgun start. My group was made up to 4 by Jennifer from Auckland also visiting - a very capable golfer and fun to play with. The round took 5 hours!

Arrowtown came into being in the 1860s with the discovery of gold in the Arrow River and today remains a charming heritage site with typical miner's cottages, and many picturesque buildings now well utilised for tourism. A plethora of coffee shops, eateries, high end and tourist shops line the street. The whole town has beautiful mature trees lining every street and is obviously a mecca for tourists.

As it is Chinese New Year many tourists are from China - there is no accomodation to be had anywhere in Queenstown and surrounds and pubs, cafes and restaurants are heaving with people. This area is certainly the adventure capital - bungy jumping, sky diving, jet boating, rafting to name a very small selection.  Nothing is cheap - except the walking!

Jack's Point

Cool and fresh this morning but clear ,blue sky.  Jack's Point just outside Queenstown is wide open and windswipt - a links course surrounded by - you guessed it - mountains.  All day long a light plane takes off and lands from the tiny grass strip near the course spilling sky divers to spiral earthwards red, blue, white and yellow shutes billowing. Walkers traverse

The course is not an easy one - rough is long and bordered by matagouri - a needle sharp prickly schrub - as well as granite tors and really beautiful dry stone walling capped with vertical granite slabs. Bunkers tempt on every hole strategically placed to catch a high % of the unwary. Many t-boxes are elevated giving wonderful views over the fairway - until you get down there!  Maggie had a cracking first 9 for 18 points.

Afterwards we retire to the elegant clubhouse to relax and replay the game - properly!