Panning for Gold & other tidbits

Leaving the Remarkables and Queenstown behind - the only mountain range in NZ that runs completely north/south, we headed over to Arrowtown, an old fashioned gold-mining town, one of many in the south island that rose up in the late 1800's.    We headed to Dudley's Cottage which boasts a child-friendly chance to pan for gold, with a full lesson.  (without having to stake a claim and head into the mountains, which you can do if you want to!)

 

 Step 1  Wash the stones and gravelly river bottom sediment with a bit of water by shaking the pan back and forth tumbling the rocks side to side, this allows the gold to fall to the bottom because it's heavier.
Step 2  Start swishing the pan forwards, dipping it into the water and pulling back so that the larger stones tumble out of the pan.
Step 3  More side to side shaking, then forwards and back to get the smaller stones to tumble out as well

Step 4  You should have black sand remaining and by using a magnet under the pan pull the black sand away to reveal the gold flakes at the bottom of your pan!  

 Step 5  Tap your wet finger on the gold flakes and put them into a vial already full of water, they will sink to the bottom.  Take home your gold!! 

They even gave the boys certificates to prove that they found real gold in Arrowtown.  FUN

 Heading up through Central Otago . . .

 We had a few pit stops along the way:

Bungy Jumping!  (As observers only I might add)  This is the bridge where the first commercial bungy operation began. 

 

Mount Cook  at Lake Pukake

(Mount Cook is up there in the clouds somewhere)

 
Beautiful lupin wildflowers - reminds us of PEI - they were actually past their peak here, but still very spectacular in some places.

We stopped at the Church of the Good Shepherd on Lake Tekapo.  It was a busy day there and a couple was inside meeting with the minister to discuss their upcoming wedding so we didn't get a photo looking over the alter (with the cross) and out through the picture window at the front of the church spanning the lake and mountain vista . . . that's really the million dollar shot.  But the church architecture itself is lovely too.
 

This was the end of our camping for awhile.  We wanted to have a couple of weeks at home to chill out before the boys started school and my parents arrived for a visit.  Luckily for us the weather in Nelson had settled and we're into our third week of lovely summer weather mid-twenties every day.  One more blog and you'll pretty much be up to date with what we've been up to!  (Don't worry, I'll just keep posting anyways)