Giants, Sheep, Steam and Song

Monday, 14 December

Giants, Sheep, Steam and Song

The Legend

Queenstown is nestled on the shores of Lake Wakatipu (Whakatipua in Maori). The lake’s name translates to mean “hollow of the giant” and is derived from the story of a stolen maiden. The giant was Matau. He abducted a young woman named Manata. Manata’s lover, Matakauri, tracked the fleeing giant, only to discover her tied with an unbreakable cord to Matau. Weeping bitterly, his tears dissolved the cord and the two lovers escaped.

Matakauri returned and, as a hot northwester wind, set the sleeping giant alight. Waking in agony, Matau drew his legs up and, as the fire burned hotter, sank into the earth. His bent legs left a distinctive hole and, as the heat melted the snow from the mountains, water rushed in to fill the hollow. All that was left was the giant’s heart. From beneath the waters, it still beats and is manifested in the mysterious rise and fall of the lake (every six minutes). This phenomenon can also be attributed to a process known as “seiche” – variations in wind pressure from surrounding mountains.

The Stats:

• Lake Wakatipu is the 3^rd largest lake in NZ.
• It is the 2^nd longest lake in NZ @ 84 km (50 miles).
• Glacial fed, it is the 4^th deepest lake in New Zealand, its deepest point being 420 meters, meaning the water is rather cold (9⁰-12⁰ C).

S

Sheep Stations and Lots of Steam

In the late 1800s ships provided access to remote and otherwise isolated sheep stations on Lake Wakatipu. In 1911, the New Zealand Railways commissioned the TSS Earnslaw to be built in Dunedin (on the East Coast of NZ) at a cost of £20,850. It was loaded on a train and transported to be reassembled. Her maiden voyage was 18 October 1912 – the same year that the RMS Titanic set sail for the first (and last. The Earnslaw had the capacity to carry 1500 sheep and 30 cattle on her decks. However, as road access improved in the 1960’s, the Earnslaw’s use declined and there were plans to scrap her. She now is happily restored and proudly carrying as many as 350 tourists such as ourselves on any given voyage – complete with Paddy, the pianist. She is the last remaining commercial passenger-carrying coal-fired steamship in the southern hemisphere, working 14-hour days during the summer months and burning one tonne of coal per hour.

Walter Peak Sheep Station

Sheep

Paddy at the piano

Song

Paddy, a retired gentleman and pianist, played whilst we were under steam, with the exception of safety announcements and history lessons. On the way back from the sheep station where some passengers disembarked (see above), a group took up the songbooks and started making requests. We ended up creating an impromptu United Nations choir – rollicking versions of songbook classics such as “Oh, Susanna!” and “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad,” “Waltzing Mathilda,” “She’ll Be Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain,” "Home on the Range," "On Top of Ol' Smokey" and “Happy Wanderer” as well as holiday favorites (e.g., "Rudolph" "Jingle Bells" etc.). Not everyone in our ad hoc choir spoke English as their first language and we represented almost every decade in terms of age. It was really quite special and very, very fun!