James is a Cromwell boy; he grew up on the banks of the Clutha River while his Dad oversaw the construction of the Clyde Dam. The Clutha River became Lake Dunstan and James moved away to become an electronics engineer. I've been visiting Cromwell with James for ten years, and what was once a sleepy little town known for stone fruit has become a booming town known for lakeside fun, merino wool, yummy fruit, fine wines, homemade jams and preserves, rabbit sausages, lavender, and some excellent arts and crafts.
We love going to visit Grandma with Anna now. Grandma's house overlooks Lake Dunstan, and we spend hours taking the dogs for walks along the shore, skipping rocks, watching ducks, building driftwood houses, and hunting rabbits. With the magnificent glacial lateral moraines intermingling with outwash terraces, the geomorphology is eye candy- not to mention the Pisa and Dunstan Mountain Ranges dotted with schist torrs.
Our weekend was spent catching up with Grandma, visiting local cafes, shopping the Salvation Army for bargains, and going to the Farmers Market. I love the Farmers Market in Old Cromwell, and coffee at the Seed and Grain is some of the best in New Zealand. What could be better than handcrafted cheese, chutney, sausage, merino lamb, fresh baked sticky buns, espresso, copper art (reduced and oxidised into beautiful colours), pre-loved clothing and pottery?
Well, meeting Mr Bojangles the baby duckling at Northburn Station across the road from Grandma's house was quite cool (photo above). And climbing, running, and mountain biking all rank highly, and we have done plenty of that in Cromwell over the years. I still enjoy running to the old gold diggings every time we visit, but all day treks are on hold. Regardless, it was a great visit and Belle the dog rounded up quite a few rabbits. She came home and barely moved all day. While the dog slept, Anna and I basked in the glow of a warm summer sun, unpacked, made turkey stock and planted more seeds in the garden. We also exclaimed about the appearance of fuschias, cosmos, and hebe flowers. Having a garden to come home to makes leaving Cromwell a little bit easier.
No comments:
Post a Comment