Quaint lil’ Arrowtown of LOTR

Day 7 (2 Oct’09). Macam dulu dulu….. (like the olden days..…)

We’ve been discussing the night before on where to go, I’ve read a lot on this quaint lil’ mining town called Arrowtown, even The Lonely Planet desribes Arrowtown as much like a film set, how is it for me to argue right!?! I of cause would immediately fell in love with it (or should I say the description) and decided that a must go place (sucker! hahahhaaa).

The journey there took us less then half an hour as we decided to use the back route (wah… sound like local or not?!). Arrowtown is surrounded by mountains and situated close to the Arrowtown river. I did a little digging and found out that this town was founded in 1862 during the gold rush. It is said that within a few weeks the first parties had taken 200 lb of gold out of the Arrow Gorge. WOW!!!!!!

The one thing I like about Arrowtown is their determination to preserve its past with miners' cottages, historic wooden buildings, and old style shops, are still standing as they did during the gold rush. It’s simply amazing as if you were taken back in time.

We did not do much here as we plan to have slower pace day since we have been either rushing or driving for the past couple of days, we needed this break. And perhaps later in the afternoon Andrea can go do a paragliding and me blogging. YEAY!

Let me see…. We basically took a stroll and walk into almost each shop, I was adamant to get an UGG boot. Why you may ask? Cause Kate Moss was wearing them! LAME! Not that I have or like her but it look soooooooooo GOOD (on her that is). The answer is NO! Didn’t get it! But will still try to "get" one that I REALLY like (or one that I can afford more like it), the least I can do for myself since there‘s NO Hard Rock Café in Queenstown anymore.. Sigh…. (argg….. DRAMA LILY!)

Oh! YES! YES! I must publish this (not that I am getting commission or what not) but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this sweet shop called “The Remarkable Sweet Shop”. IT IS REMARKABLY DELICIOUS! It’s….. It’s…… It’s DREAMY……… Awww….. Missing it so much now.

I also bought some “real” stamp in their 19th century style/old post-office, you know right these days the stamps are all sticker base, spoils the fun of collecting postcards & stamps. Hahhaha….. I just to act silly and ask the lady “Do you sell “real” stamps here?” I kid you not! I asked her that question, she said yes…. Obviously she knows what I meant, no explanation needed. Common question you think?

Also found interest in this shops that sells wind chimes and religious book. Love her displays and knick knacks, such a darling.

Ah! I’ve taken lotsa of this pic, you probably saw it in my earlier post, again here and will see again when I am back in Christchurch. They way New Zealand cultivate their citizen to love their country and environment and recycle and nature etc. hew you can see that, not only the ask us to recyle, but that they use “heart” to symbolize the love to recycle thus the love to the country. TWO THUMBS UP!

We walked further down the street, I really want to see the place where they capture the rows of trees as I’ve seen in my sites. Alas! I search ended, found the place! You guessed right.. Snap like nobody’s business. Hahahhaa…… am that transparent huh! I actually took the same street in a few angle, position, colours and whatever I can think of. Andrea probably bored with me at that time! Sorry dearie!

As we walk towards the car park, we saw families with kids playing and panning some gold (ceh wah….. Another 200 lb?) We took a few pic of this scene as we thought it is kinda of cute. Not only when I am back in Malaysia (despite that my colleague told me about this earlier), I googled and found out that this same exact river is being shot as one of the location in Lords Of The Ring (LOTR), they used it as the shores of the Ford of Bruinen where the Black Riders tried to cross it and the Ringwraiths stopped at the waters edge. The exact location of the "Ford of Bruinen" is a few minutes walk upstream.

Hemm… SATISFIED! We decide to walk back to our car and head back to Queenstown for some long overdue R&R and perhaps paragliding for Andrea.

Credits : Tolkien Gate Way, Wikipedia, Ugg Australia, Arrowtown