Saturday, 15 December 2012

Skippers Canyon


We were told that Skippers Canyon was the best excursion from Queenstown, we wholeheartedly agree.




This was the site of the New Zealand Gold Rush in 1862 with 70,000 ounces recovered in the first couple of years in the Shotover River which runs through this canyon, the last work to recover alluvial gold here was in 1972. They reckon there are still 20+million ounces around here but you would need to move mountains to get it.


You got into the canyon on a black road, hire car insurance not valid, an early sight is the ruins of the canyon’s Welcome Home Hotel abandoned in about 1920 then many precipitous views of the river.
 


We saw very many views of the river, but the next highlight was Maori Point where the first gold was found in 1862.


At the top of the trail we found the town of Skippers now restored and preserved, the old school lasted until the 1950’s. We had a picnic with wine on the town green, very civilised.



Going back we re-crossed the suspension bridge with Gwen bravely walking over.


There are several more bridges over the Shotover, one being an early Bungee Jump.


After an half hour of quite hairy driving down we spied civilisation of a sorts; Queenstown.


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