Now that we are staying in a fully appointed house in Alexandra, there are no more excuses for not cooking breakfast. When I got out of bed this morning the only ingredient missing for the perfect breakfast omelette was cheese. So we rugged up and walked to the local convenience store where a polite young Indian gentlemen sold me a bag of grated cheese for $14.50.
Following breakfast, we agreed that we really hadn’t planned much over the next few days and we really should start considering how it should look. Alexandra is pretty quiet at this time of year (apparently), so finding help at the Information Centre was easy. The lady was able to tell us which wineries were open (many close for the winter) and put us in touch with a local pilot who will fly me up to the glaciers (my present from the family).
Alexandra sits on the Clutha River which is well known because there are 2 large Hrdro-Electric power stations and dams, at Clyde and Roxburgh.
The town centre itself also features some well restored old buildings.
Once done with the organising, we took the scenic drive along the shores of Lake Dunstan towards Cromwell. It had turned out to be quite a nice day, with little or no wind, making for some great photos overlooking Clyde.
Just past Clyde is Bannockburn, now a wine growing area, with large areas under cultivation. Being winter there was only one winery restaurant open. Our waiter was a scotsman, who had been in New Zealand a few years, but he could still say Bannockburn with a Scottish twang, although he maintained that his accent has become unintelligible to his mates at home. The winery grounds feature great views up to the snow covered mountains.
The gold mining practices in the 19th century during the gold rushes didn’t really meet today’s environmental standards. The gold sluicing techniques have left the landscape considerably scarred.
We came back to Cromwell on the way back to Alexandra where there has been considerable resoration (in the name of tourism) by the waterfront. Despite a disturbing trend of considering ‘felting’ as an art form there are some quite good Art Galleries and gift shops.
Back to ‘Alex’ for another roast dinner … and waiting to see what the weather is like tomorrow…
Until tomorrow
Rob's "Beats Working" Blog 