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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