QUEENSTOWN A WINTER PLAYGROUND
The brown Otago landscape is a welcome sight after the drenched green fields of Taranaki. The deep blue water of Lake Wakatipu is surrounded by mountains sweeping skyward, their rugged peaks draped with snow. The mountain air is brisk – my senses seem to sharpen with its chill. Downtown-Queenstown visitors are busy with their cameras capturing the sense of place and smiling perfectly for group selfies. Lines of people crowd the pavement three or four deep outside Fergburgers – the roaring trade for burgers is a licence to print money. Tourists are wearing puffer jackets while the locals are lightly clad, some even in shorts.
“Are they making a point?” I ask myself as I pull my beanie tighter over my ears.
Large landscape photographs fill the window of the Romer Gallery. Fascinated I go inside, visually inhaling scenes of wild remote places and admiring the boldness of photographers to make such large prints. Down the road an elaborate pounamu tiki in the window of Waka draws me into the jewellery store as I admire the carved whales floating on the ceiling, exquisite opals, Tahitian pearls and the most amazing pounamu sculptures. After visiting several
