I am writing this from a B&B in Queenstown with a magnificent view of Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables, clear blue skies, no wind and one of those picture postcard days.
I am at the end of a two-week break in the South Island that started in Christchurch, then a roadie to Tekapo, Mt Cook and finally Queenstown. If you have never done it, then you should. The South Island scenery in late winter is stunning, and while we missed snow on the roads and a planned snowball fight at the top of the Lindis Pass, it was still a fantastic experience.
Being an Aucklander, we don’t see snow in our backyard, ever, so it’s a bit of a novelty. While I used to be a keen skier and belonged to a ski lodge on Mt Ruapehu for many years, plus made a three week ski trip in Austria, it has not been on the agenda for over 40 years. So, yes, getting into the snow again was cool.
This had to wait until I went with the family up to Coronet Peak, and yes, I finally got my snowball fight, albeit with my grandkids. The last time I was on the mountain was in the late 1970s when I was in Queenstown for the annual powerboat marathon. I remember staying in a historic home owned by the Stewart Family, right at the start of Coronet Peak Road. In those days, Robert Stewart was racing Skope, and I was down with Max Johnson, who ran a Fi Glass Lightning twin rig, Miss Comsec. From memory, we had over 70 boats in the race, one of the biggest in the country. I returned several times and crewed on Sunday News and Paul Jones Bourbon.
Looking out on the lake, I remember those glory days of marathon racing and would love to see them return to Queenstown. The first race was held around 56 years ago and was always a favourite race on the marathon circuit. If someone wants to organise a reunion for past competitors, I’ll be a starter.
