Arrowtown

Cardrona Hotel - famous in NZ

chilly viewpoint

sunny viewpoint

It's a hard life...

zig zags down - didn't tow the car

evening view - right into the sun!

Rather a lazy day after the big walk etc the day before.  We drove from Wanaka to a viewpoint above Arrowtown, past Cardrona on the Crown Range Road.  Signs said unsuitable for towing vehicles but that was really the last part from the viewpoint down to the valley.  (We came down there the next day with the car unhitched as it would have been difficult for the whole rig to negotiate the hairpin bends).  Along the Crown Range road there were a couple of viewpoints looking down from the summit area - the wind was icy up there.

We went to look around Arrowtown.  It was pretty busy with tourists and there have been some retail developments since we were last there.  They are in keeping with the heritage buildings but just make it seem touristy rather than authentic.  Hard to take photos as there are vehicles parked along the narrow main street blocking views of the quaint old buildings.  After lunch we drove back to the bus.  The afternoon was really warm - it was 31 degrees in the bus at 6.00pm.  We watched all the people driving into the viewpoint and posing for photos, then in the evening we had it all to ourselves.  Fantastic 180 degree view - hard to take photos though, into the sun.