The Lord of Clyde in Clyde

The town, while small, was surprisingly quiet. I hadn’t expected there to be the large crowds that filled the town in early January when summer is at its peak; however I thought it would be busier than it was. After a leisurely amble up and down the main street, I deduced it might be an in-between period of summer when all the locals have gone back to work, while those still in holiday mode are away at more exotic locations like Queenstown, Taupo, or Rotorua. Over the years, Clyde has developed from a sleepy little town filled with construction workers who were working on the nearby dam to a popular holiday spot that swells on weekends as people escape the city rush to pack the tiny town for a few days before heading back to work on Monday. 

I stayed in the town once during one of its more ‘busy’ periods. The summer evening was long and warm. It was really rather pleasant. In the evening, it took forever to find a free table at any of the various eating establishments and even longer to order food, which was very nice, once it arrived. Therein lies the problem with many of the more popular small towns in New Zealand: they become so attractive that they simply don’t have the infrastructure to handle the large crowds they attract. 

On this occasion, the town was bathed in warm summer sun. It was quiet, meaning the streets were free to stroll around and enjoy all the lovely offerings Clyde had on display.