Raven's View

Here I am, inching closer and closer to the end. My last update was almost 2 months ago, at 99.5 km. I had hope this would challenge me to get out there and walk the walk, but it's more of a passive record or the bits I do from day to day. Still need to find a way to encourage/trick myself to walk more daily. Yes, research shows even 4k steps a day is significant, but that's a benefit for future me. 

I'll hit some hilites for this post, including the postcard at the 3/4 mark. 

Lots of km since last checking. I continued past Lake Hayes - the lake and the town - along the Kawarau and Shotover rivers, across the Shotover Bridge,  various Queenstown malls, as in Five Mile Shopping Centre. Past the airport, and then through the town itself. And I planted a tree and got a postcard. 

Good progress since my last check-in
 Down the trail south of Macetown, through Arrowtown, and further south toward Queenstown. 

 Finally, another landmark, Macetown. Named after the Mace brothers. They were part of the 1500 miners that descended on the area in the 1852 gold rush, at the junction of 12 Mile Creek and the Arrow River. Back in the day it boomed with 300 residents, a school, a church, and two hotels. Complete with bars I assume. Now it's part of a Historical Reserve, and accessible on foot or by road, up from Arrowtown. Ihere are a lot of river crossings, so a Ute is advised.

There are a few buildings left.  

Part of a sluice gate - gravel would be dug up, then washed and sifted until gold was found.  

The river. Most of the gold has been found. However, was initially washed downstream at some point - maybe a rockslide somewhere, maybe there is still a slow but steady source. Only time will tell.