Queenstown Gardens walk

It was a stunningly beautiful day, so we took a walk around the Queenstown Gardens, established on a promontory into the lake.

This picture of the Gardens was taken the next day, while we were walking up Queenstown Hill.

There were different views from the Gardens as you walked around both sides of the promontory, so there was lots to see:

 

Green Man – I felt he should have had green sneakers as well.

 

Parasailing on the lake.

 

I am going quite crazy over the beautiful autumn foliage here, which absolutely glows in the sun.

 

You can see our hotel, which is built on the “little boxes” principle. 

Our room was in the second row of little boxes, but we did have a little bit of a view.  The Earnshaw is at the wharf.

 

Going crazy over poplars.

 

More poplars, in the Gardens.

 

Earnshaw sets off.  Well, I suppose a steamer does produce steam.

 

Big pigeon.  If it had been in a normal green tree, I probably wouldn’t have photographed it.  But a yellow tree with red berries….

 

Yes. I know it’s more poplars, and more parasailing too.  But they match!

 

Spot the parasailors.  You can see what a beautiful day it is.

 

We’re now on the far side of the promontory, looking across to the other side of the Lake.

 

Even further round (with boat).

 

Back into the gardens now.  Pat with red tree (well, it makes a change from a yellow tree.)

 

But I still can’t resist these yellow trees.

 

Garden reflections.

 

Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris)

Planted on ANZAC Day 1990, on the 75th Gallipoli anniversary.

“Lest We Forget.”

 

Californian sequoia.

(Sequoiadendron giganteum Wellingtonia).

 

Male (left) and female (right) Monkey Puzzle trees from Chile.  These are araucarias, in the same family as Bunya pines.

 

Foliage of female Monkey Puzzle tree.

 

We finished off our walk with some very delicious and very large NZ ice creams.  Even though mine (in the cone, and already half eaten) looks bigger, it’s only one scoop, while Pat’s is two.  However, I did finish Pat’s off, as he couldn’t eat it all.

Hardly able to move, we staggered back to our hotel, after a very enjoyable walk.

Walked on 16th April 2012.