2.03pm
Well, we’ve just been in the bustling
metropolis of Arthur’s Pass. And we saw snow! Way, waaaay up in the hills.
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| The bustling metropolis |
We also saw Kea, hanging around hopefully
for something to eat. Fortunately no one was obliging them.
It was 10ͦC when we left Christchurch.
Here at Arthur’s Pass I don’t know how cold it was, but I don’t think it was
much colder. It was certainly a pleasant bracing chill, especially after the
warmth of the carriages.
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| D.C. heading for the train |
We also watched the loco being spun about on the turntable.
Ever heard the saying: "Mouth as big as the Otira Tunnel"? Well, it's this BIG.
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| Over 8.5 kilometres long. When constructed it was one of the longest in the world. |
So
far we’ve had two photo stops. The first one I hared up to the top of a nearby
bank as the locomotive backed up down the track. Then I got photos as “Bruce
Mason”, that’s the name of the loco, powered through with a full head of steam.
So if you head over to my photo album, you’re going to find photo after photo
of a steam locomotive inching towards you. But if I ever get around to making a
slide show…
Once
the loco had steamed past, and everyone was struggling back on board, I dashed
down and got locoless photographs of the viaduct.
For
the second photo stop I managed to find a possi, standing on a suitably sized
stone, with my back pressed up against a telegraph post for balance. One of the
train crew came up and said that he’d stand behind the post so that he wouldn’t
be in my way. I said that was fine so long as that was all he did behind there.
He said he was too shy to do anything else and I started laughing and moved the
next three shots.
D.C.’s
happy now. The trip out to Arthur’s Pass was backwards for us. Now, because the
loco has turned about on a turntable and we are in the same seats, we are
heading forwards.
On
the way out, after Springfield, I got sent up to go and buy two of the
Springfield Café muffins. We’ve just had the last of them. Once upon a time
Rosie, the border collie, used to meet the train for a mince pie. Now all the
humans on board hang out for a muffin from the café.
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| A friendly loco - sorry, local |
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| A friendly loco |
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| They took the streamlining off and ol' Ja942 starred in last years tele movie about the Tangiwai disaster. (Not the crashing bit though, that was a Weta Workshop model based on a small gauge locomotive) |
It’s totally different scenery to what we get in the
North Island. Huge craggy mountains with slips of shale radiating down their
flanks. Tussock on one side and beech forest on the other.
Lakes formed when glaciers receded. It’s beautiful…
But there’s not a lot of snow.
No rain either, so we can’t complain.
Our third photo stop was at Lake Sarah, and I found a
good spot looking over the lake so I could photograph the loco with the lake to
one side and a snow-dusted mountain behind. Had had to give D.C. a bunk up
here.
At our fourth photo stop one of Mainline Steam’s
representatives suggested climbing up a bank to one side, which I did. I would
have gone all the way to the top except the gorse was managing to penetrate my
woollen slacks, woollen socks and leggings. This time the train backed up over
a viaduct and charged across at full steam. D.C. climbed the same bank, but
didn’t get as high, contenting herself with getting entangled in the barbed
wire.
At Springfield on the return journey we asked a couple of
people to take our photos in front of the loco to prove that we actually were
there and did see (some) snow on the mountains.
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| Tunnel |
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| Kally |
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| Springfield (No, not the Simpsons' one, but it does have a giant pink donut in their honour.) |
On the way back I tried to access a mapping programme to
see where we are, but it eventually told me that my Telecom pre-paid mobile
data allowance had run out. This is a little odd as I topped up last week and
at that point I still had plenty owing. I’ll have to check this out later, and
may have to top it up some more this evening, just so I can upload this. If
you’re not reading this tonight, you’ll know that I haven’t managed to top up.
8.08pm
I’ve topped up. Although I don’t know why I’ve used so
much. It might mean a trip to the Telecom Store when I get back.
We got back to Christchurch Station about 5.30pm. It’s
located at Tower Junction, so called because of the water tower that is still
there that was built to provide enough water pressure for the old steam
engines. (No chance now, it’s too far away from the track.)
We were reading about it in the Speights Ale House menu. Apparently
it was one of the earliest reinforced concrete towers and was designed so that
if there was an earthquake the load would be taken at the base, not in the
water ‘butt’ at the top.
It worked.
But I do doubt that it had water in the top back on the 4th
September 2010 or 22nd February 2011.
We went in search of something for dinner and something
to take back to the unit for breakfast. We bought a couple of One Square Meal
things just in case we couldn’t find anything.
We wound up at a Chinese restaurant. I asked for a table
for two and we were taken to a table, the menus were dropped onto it, and
without another look the waitress turned and left.
We looked at each other and shrugged.
For all that the meal wasn’t too bad. Working on the
theory that some veges would be good for us we both had Chinese vegetables with
garlic (maybe not so good for us when we’re not only sharing the same room, but
the same bed). It turned out that the only veges in the meal was bok choy – and
a bowl of rice, but at least we had plenty of greens. And it wasn’t a bad meal for
$11, plus a pot of jasmine tea for $4.00.
Then we walked back home and went to bed.
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