It has been a long journey flying from Seattle through San Francisco arriving at 5:30 am in Auckland. Susie Condon kindly met us at the airport where coincidentally we also saw her brother Peter, who arrived a bit earlier as first officer on the Air New Zealand 777-300 flight coming in from Vancouver BC. Susie and her dad, Mark Mitchell, had us totally covered with a cell phone and Mark's Land Cruiser was waiting for us on arrival at Queenstown. After a quick shop at World Market grocery store we make the 45 minute drive to Cromwell. With unpacking finished we went for a walk and found Mark's orchard which is 1/2 mile from his home on the lake. He grows apricots, peaches, apples, and green gage plums. The apricots are just about ready. Returning to the house, we got the bikes out, tires pumped up, and after a long and needed sleep we ride to town and visit the farmer's market. The weather is cold and chilly due to the south winds coming all the way across the southern ocean from Antarctica. and temperatures can fluctuate greatly this time of year. It is the peak of cherry season and today the market is celebrating cherry festival. There are a lot of fun activities including a cherry pit spitting contest. For dinner we buy some local cherries, lamb, and greens. Everyone is so very friendly and full of information. We stopped at a local bike shop and found about some group rides with locals on the trails. This evening we enjoy some great greek lamb burgers and local produce after a very windy ride to the orchard where we picked some apricots.
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Lake Wanaka flying south to Queenstown
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| On the tarmac at Queenstown |
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| Shamah, Mark Mitchell's Cromwell cabin |
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| Looking towards Lake Dunstan |
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| Cherry festival hosts |
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| Lamb burgers and local Rose' |
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| Old town Cromwell |
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| Convergence of Kawarau River and Lake Dunstan |
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| Delicious fare at the Cromwell Farmer's Market |
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