Queenstown - Blue Skies, Golf and Steamships

January 7

Nothing but blue skies come our way

We read the e edition of the Fort Worth Star Telegram every day, so we know what you Fort Worthians are up to in our absence.  However, one item puzzles us. When we read our horoscopes for the day, are we reading about today’s forecast or tomorrow’s. Remember, when is Saturday here, it is Friday there.

I don’t know much about horoscope science except that they certainly would not print them in the paper if they were not totally proven to be accurate. But, beside the ‘which day’ problem, since horoscopes are based on the alignment of the stars and planets, are they looking at the sky view from the Northern hemisphere or the Southern? Wouldn’t that make a big difference?  What about the stars you can’t see from the southern hemisphere? If any of you can clear this up for us, please respond. We are planning on purchasing a lottery ticket and need to know when to pull the trigger.

We woke up off and on all night because of hearing it rain and we were scheduled to play golf today at Millbrook Golf Club. At 6 am, Mike peeked out the blinds and saw… bright sunshine and blue skies! Get on your shoes; we are on the tee box at 8:38. Golf at Millbrook is expensive, especially since we are renting clubs. However, they send a van to the hotel to pick us up and return, about a twenty mile round trip.

The course is in an upscale development with 27 holes that run along a valley floor at the foot of 3,000 foot mountains. If you have played at any of the Whistler British Columbia courses, it is reminiscent. We were the first off and played in a little over three hours. (Yes, Alan Leach, I will post my score when I return.)

When we finished, the van took us to nearby Arrowtown. It is an old gold mining town that has been restored with shops and restaurants. We had lunch at Saffron and the chef was happy to make changes to his menu upon request. We over achieved on our lunch order at this famous restaurant. The ever handy Millbrook vans picked us at Saffron and took us back to Q-town.

We caught the 4 pm sailing of the TSS Earnshaw at the Queenstown wharf for the lake cruise over to the Peak farmstead and back.  When I bought the tickets, the young clerk asked for our last name. I told her “Gilligan”. She never even smiled. Young people who don’t get clever social references from my generation irk me.

The Earnshaw is an historic lake steamer that has been operation in this lake since it was launched in 1912. It has its’ original steam engines that still propel it at a stately 12 knots on a ton of coal per hour.  Passengers can climb down to a catwalk overlooking the engine room and watch the men shovel coal into the fireboxes and hand oil the gears and shafts, just like they have been doing it for almost 100 years.

After the cruise, back to the hotel to spend some time with our new friends and find out about their lives in Sydney (Lorraine and Farid), Czech Republic and London (Richard and Ria). After Susan quizzed them for an hour, they no longer possessed any secrets. (why does he always say that about me, I’m just friendly)  We are having dinner with the Richard and Ria tomorrow.

Looks like clear skies tomorrow. Flying to Milford Sound!