It was bloody cold overnight. Down to 1 degree and 5 degrees with a big frost this morning! Overcast to start the day but the cloud burnt off and drizzle stopped so the afternoon turned out sunny with blue, blue skies. We walked around town for quite some time and got our bearings. Back to the camp to do the washing. A woman,s work is never done hahaha!
We headed out for or first 'Southern Lakes' adventure around 5:30 pm and boarded the TSS (twin single screw) Earnslaw vintage steamship, and our boat trip across Lake Wakatipu, to Walter Peak Station.
The Earnslaw was launched in 1912, having been built in Dunedin by NZ Rail, dismantled, transported by rail, reassembled and launched. What a grand old lady she is. She's believed to be the oldest coal-fired working steamship in the Southern Hemisphere. Stokers still shovel coal into the glowering fire boxes, as we steam our way across the lake.
It was all but dark when we left but we managed a glimpse of the snow dusted mountains before the light faded.
Once at Walter Peak we were seated in beautiful surroundings and salivating with the amazing smell of local roast beef, pork and chicken. Platters full of exquisite green lipped mussels of which I had so many I lost count. Baby clams, smoked local salmon, calamari (no oysters sad to say) and locally caught smoked fish. Not to mention the roast Vegies, salads and other bits and pieces to suit any fussy palate. Did I mention the green lipped mussels? The desserts were to die for! Did I mention the green lipped mussels?
Suffice to say we ate our way through the buffet several times and represented over stuffed sumo wrestlers at the end. Do sumo wrestlers eat green lipped mussels?

The trip home across the lake produced the renowned Sing-a-long songbook to which many joined the pianist for their rendition of all the really old songs. Of course I didn't know any of them! I can't tell a lie, it was scary how I knew most of the words to 98% of the songs!