OK I’m not just throwing old fashioned British names at you. But really I could be. No but these are two remote settlements on the south eastern part of New Zealand, both places which I thoroughly investigated all there was to see of (in my humble opinion) during another of those inspiring buses in New Zealand.
There is one thing I can tell you about buses in New Zealand. They are never boring. You could plump me on a bus anytime travelling through New Zealand and I’ll just whack on my iPod and stare out at the countryside. Some bus journeys in life have been painful and boring. New Zealand ahem (and actually Uruguay as well) are not.
OK so I before my bus even arrived in Cromwell, I spotted the famous Kawarau Bridge out the window.
The countryside.
My empty ish bus. Peace at last.
Then it was morning tea in Cromwell. No sign of Oliver. And actually I opted for coffee.
I drank here, at the Tin Goose.
Where it’s at in Cromwell.
Amazing backgrounds as ever. We’re in New Zealand remember.
Onwards after morning coffee down yet more winding roads past immense scenery and I got chatting to Haney on the bus. A very friendly, chatty South Korean lady. Her friend was visiting from South Korea and had gone to sleep. Haney talked away to me though for this part of the journey.
We arrived in the town of Lawrence. Very old and behind the times seemingly, but hardly a bad thing. Very reminiscent of Queenstown in Tasmania actually.
Main street in Lawrence.
Lawrence Museum.
I went in and signed the book and had a quick nosey.
Main street in Lawrence. You can spy a Union Fleg.
And a French fleg, reminders of the French colonisation of the south island. The Dutch, the French and the Brits all tried to take over New Zealand.
Old fashioned shop.
The local pub – The Coach and Horses Inn.
Signing the book in Lawrence!
A wee walk round the town.
Workmen fix the Lemon Tree cafe.
Lawrence Supermarket problems.
The Church.
Residential street in southern Lawrence (i.e one street down and adjacent from the main street).
Cherry blossom tree.
View of Lawrence from a hill.
The Lemon Tree Cafe was actually closed.
So I ate my lunch and had a cup of tea in The Wild Walnut instead.
My toasted cheese and gherkin sandwich. Simplicity is bliss.
In case you wondered what Lawrence meant…
MANIC STREET PREACHERS – NOBODY LOVED YOU: