Ascent of Rocky Mountain with views of Diamond Lake teed the day up nicely. Then over the Crown Pass – between the Western and Southern Areas – surfaced only in 2000. One to return to, to cycle down its many scary hairpins. Only after fitting new brake blocks and stopping to change them half way down the 1000m descent towards Queenstown.Now the landscape really does change – sweeping agricultural plains, including deer farms. The Gold Rush helped open this area up – though luckily Fiordland remains inaccessible.
Te Anua for a couple of days. The caves with the swirling waters.
