#dailyat6am, #fromtheroad, Frankton, Jacks Point, Travels in small-town New Zealand, Wild Horses

Carlin Creek, Jacks Point & Frankton

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Daily Photo – Carlin Creek, Jacks Point & Frankton

I returned to the car and drove along a glorious, yet winding road to Jack’s Point, a resort on the edge of Lake Wakatipu framed by the dramatic, snow-covered peaks of the Remarkables on one side and rocky tussock covered hills on the other. Driving past these mountains, I couldn’t help but think how New Zealand manages to pull off grandeur with an unconcerned casualness that suggests it couldn’t care less. Here there are cliffs and ridgelines that in any other country would be accompanied by large neon signs, a theme park and a small gift shop selling cheap nic nac’s at alarming prices. Yet in New Zealand, you get a faintly apologetic lay-by with enough space for three cars and a weather-beaten sign that says simply Scenic Reserve. It’s the understatement that gets you.

The mountains rise with a nonchalance look of indifference – dark peaks climbing skyward, capped with a magnificent sweep of white that lingers well beyond winter and deep into spring. Below, sheep graze, blissfully unaware they’ve been granted one of the finest views on earth.

And here’s the curious thing: New Zealanders will politely nod at this magnificence, then tell you that the real treat is a pie from a family run bakery just down the road. That’s the enduring charm. In a land where the scenery can reduce you to stunned silence, the locals carry on, unimpressed – somehow making it more enduring

#dailyat6am, Frankton, Jacks Point, Travels in small-town New Zealand, Wild Horses

Carlin Creek, Jacks Point & Frankton

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Daily Photo – Carlin Creek, Jacks Point & Frankton

I returned to the car and drove 32 kilometres (20 miles) along a glorious yet winding road to Jack’s Point, a resort on the edge of Lake Wakatipu framed by the dramatic, snow-covered peaks of the Remarkables on one side and rocky tussock covered hills on the other. To the north lay the ever-expanding district of Frankton, a strategically important location during the time of the Otago Gold Rush in the 1860s and the birthplace of WWII hero and flying ace William Hodgson.

I’d read about RAF officer William Hodgson quite by chance before leaving on my trip, wondering if I might be able to find a war memorial in the area with his name on it. Born in Frankton on 30 September 1920, Hodgson joined the RNZAF in Dunedin in 1939, training first at the Otago Aero Club and then at Wigram’s Flight Training School before being shipped off to the United Kingdom in April 1940. Upon arrival, he completed Hurricane training and was posted to the 85th Squadron at Debden in May, becoming involved in the Battle of Britain in August – his squadron being ordered to patrol the skies over Canterbury. From there, he went on to fly close to 150 missions, being officially credited with destroying five enemy aircraft and damaging many others. On 13 March 1941, Hodgson was a passenger in an A-20 when shortly after takeoff, a panel came loose, wrapped itself around the tail fin causing the plane to crash, killing all on board.

My plan upon arrival in Frankton was simple: go for a walk, see if I could find any mention of William Hodgson at the war memorial, have a coffee, and grab some lunch. But that quickly changed when I discovered that traffic was in a state of insane chaos due to a series of never-ending roadworks. Vehicles were backed up in every direction, made worse by airport traffic and tourists who seemed determined to photograph mountains, rubbish bins, or whatever the hell else had caught their fancy. Stuck in this traffic hellhole, I decided that poor Mr William Hodgson would have to wait. I didn’t want to spend a minute longer than necessary in such chaotic shambles, so I escaped via State Highway 6 as quickly as possible. Stopping instead at Lake Hayes, which I hoped would be much more peaceful and was only 9 kilometres (5 miles) further on.

Aotearoa, Frankton, Lake Hayes, Queenstown, Queenstown-Lakes District, South Island, Wild Horses

War & Peace

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The Shotover River n the Queenstown Lakes District

Let me assure you of this much (and it’s absolutely true)—only in the Queenstown Lakes District could you drive through traffic that was so insanely stupid and chaotic, yet be surrounded by scenery that was so breathtaking it could be the backdrop for a Hollywood movie. There I was, sitting in a seemingly endless procession of cars, buses, boats, camper vans, trucks, and motorbikes—being overtaken by grandparents with walkers out for an afternoon stroll, slowly developing a healthy dose of road rage as my knuckles turned white from gripping the steering wheel. And yet, all the while, I was encircled by majestic mountain peaks that reached up into the sky and stretched beyond the horizon, and crystal-clear blue lakes that sparkled and shone in the sunlight. Nowhere else had I ever found a situation that was such a shambles—and so spectacular—all at the same time.

Aotearoa, Frankton, Queensland, Queenstown-Lakes District, Travel, Wild Horses

Traffic Chaos in Queenstown

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The Four-Year Roundabout: Why Queenstown is Losing Its Way

Lake Wakatipu from Marine Parade – Queenstown

The Four-Year Roundabout: Why Queenstown is Losing Its Way
Queenstown is the crown jewel of New Zealand tourism; the goose that laid the golden egg. However, the focus now seems to be on expansion, upgrading, and capitalising on the property boom rather than maintaining the pure, clean-green image and mountain-town soul that we so carefully package and sell to the rest of the world. Looking out at the countryside on a recent drive through the Wakatipu Basin, for the first time it felt like something had been lost. It feels as though the endless stream of development is finally spoiling the very scenery people are coming to see.

* * *

This realization hit home on a recent promise to a family member that involved a three-and-a-half-hour drive to Queenstown International Airport, where I eventually found myself in the beautiful mountain surroundings of the Wakatipu Basin. On the way, my passenger had requested a detour through the historic gold-mining town of Arrowtown, a request I was more than happy to indulge. We wandered the streets for several minutes, peered in shops, indulged in coffee, marvelled at house prices we couldn’t afford, and generally enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of a small, charming mountain town nestled by a river valley. Knowing we couldn’t stay, we made our way back to the car and, in no time, found ourselves rolling into Queenstown ahead of schedule, thanks to the relatively swift-moving traffic on State Highway 6 (or as it’s known to locals, “the backroad”).

So it was that we found ourselves on a fine Wednesday morning in Queenstown. For a short time, we wandered through the splendid botanical gardens following a lovely trail that took us along the lakefront in Queenstown Bay and into the main shopping area. The place was filled with the usual assortment of tourists from various countries taking in the wondrous mountain scenery, all dressed as if it was warmer than it actually was. We had lunch at a place called Vudu Larder, which was nice, before strolling around the various lanes that link the town centre, in due course arriving back at the car. With time marching on, and there being nothing else my passenger wanted to see, we headed off to Queenstown International Airport, located in the nearby suburb of Frankton, a minuscule eight kilometres away.

Well, nearby it might be, but easy to get to? It’s not. The traffic was insanely stupid. I don’t know how local residents put up with it; I really don’t. Not having any idea what the holdup was, all we could see in front of us was an endless procession of cars, buses, boats, campervans, trucks, and motorbikes. At one point, it took us 30 minutes to drive a paltry two kilometres. And this was 10:30am on a Wednesday morning – hardly what I’d classify as rush-hour.

As the traffic inched forward – both of us losing the will to live with every inch the car rolled forward – we began to speculate what might be causing such a delay. An accident? A newly installed adventure ride? Had Brad Pitt been spotted buying an ice cream? Arriving at a roundabout that leads into the suburb of Frankton, we discovered the cause of all the chaos: roadworks.

I later read that the construction works to upgrade the intersections and bus hub in Frankton are anticipated to take four years to complete. Four years! Queenstown sells the world a dream of open spaces and mountain air, but the reality is currently a four-year sentence of idling engines and frustration. I’m sorry, but back in 1862, it only took a few months for miners to establish a whole civilisation in the surrounding hills with nothing more than picks and shovels. Now, with all our modern machinery, we need nearly half a decade to move a few lanes of bitumen.

I’m sorry but any traffic and roading upgrade that is taking four years to complete had better be a shining example of traffic engineering – an impeccable, crowning accomplishment. A traffic utopia, if you will; a place of perfect peace and happiness where all travellers can intermix in a state of nirvana. Anything less will be slightly disappointing.


Aotearoa, Frankton, Queenstown, Queenstown-Lakes District, Tales In Time, The Remarkables, Travel

The Remarkables

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The Remarkables

Alexander Garvie’s career as a surveyor wasn’t particularly long, however he did achieve one remarkable accomplishment in his lifetime. British-born, Alexander Garvie left the English port of Gravesend on the ship Blundell, arriving in New Zealand in September 1848. Initially working as a carpenter and builder, Garvie retrained as a surveyor in the early 1850’s and went on to obtain the position of Assistant Surveyor in the Otago Regional Council. Taking part in many surveying developments in Otago and Southland, his most notable legacy is in naming The Remarkable mountain range in Queenstown. The story goes that during a reconnaissance survey in 1857, Garvie came into view of a spectacular and stunning mountain range that he exclaimed was “Remarkable.” Unfortunately Garvie he died only four years later in Dunedin, in 1861. For Alexander Garvie, his surveying career lasted less than 10 years but within that time he named a spectacular piece of South Island scenery.

Frankton, Queenstown, Queenstown-Lakes District, The Remarkables

The Remarkables

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The Remarkables – Buy 

I was staying the night in Frankton near Queenstown in South Islands Lakes District. In the last few years the development and growth in Frankton has been quite amazing. So, I found myself staying there the night before an early morning flight from Queenstown Airport the next morning. Late in the afternoon I went for a walk on a section of the Twins River Trail which is part of the Queenstown Great Ride’ network that follows the iconic Kawarau and Shotover Rivers and provides wonderful views of The Remarkables.

Frankton, Kawarau River, Queenstown-Lakes District, The Remarkables, Travel

The Remarkables

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The Remarkables – Buy 

The next day, I moved accommodation from Queenstown to Frankton as I needed to be closer to the airport. I was flying to the North Island early the following day, so I figured being a short distance from the airport would make life easier first thing in the morning. I was staying at the La Quinta Hotel and after checking-in and exploring my room for a few minutes, which included turning all the switches on and off to see what they did, I went for a walk. It was late in the day and a big bank of clouds was rolling in over The Remarkables and the Kawarau River, threatening to rain.

Aotearoa, Frankton, The Remarkables, Travel

The Remarkables At Dusk

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The Remarkables at dusk – Buy 

Usually, when I travel to the Queenstown-Lakes District I generally try to avoid Queenstown by either staying in Arrowtown or continuing up Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy. Last year, for something different, I went through Frankton and headed down the lake to Kingston. 

Recently, needing to travel to Wellington, I decided to fly from Queenstown rather than Dunedin, but wanting to avoid Queenstown I stayed a night in Frankton. After driving 3 and a half hours from Dunedin, I found my hotel, unpacked and walked outside to be just in time for the sun to be setting behind The Remarkables as a large bank of cloud was rolling in at the end of the day.