Old Macdonald had a farm...

On the side of Lake Wakatipu. Tuesday part 2!
The farm, being very isolated (100km by gravel track from any road) was only developed in the early 1900’s, when the government of NZ commissioned the TSS Earnshaw to service the farms and villages around the lake. Today, at nearly 100 years old (built 1912) the TSS Earnshaw takes people on lake cruises and to the High Peak Farm known as Walter Peak, for BBQ lunches, teas, suppers, and farm tours complete with sheep dog handling demonstrations and a lot more.
We opted for the BBQ lunch version of the trip (in hind sight an excellent choice; yummy! with sheep demonstrations afterwards), and thoroughly enjoyed our ride across the lake – I’ll get Ron to do the Steamship bit – I’m bound to get something wrong, and she is rather beautiful, so over to you, Ron!
OK! Anorak on! Here goes TSS – Twin Screw Steamer; built 280km away in Dunedin at a cost of £20,850 and capable of carrying 1,500 sheep and 30 cattle on her decks. Today she carries 350 passengers after being completely refitted in 1969.
Cruising speed of 11 knots, she uses 1 tonne of coal an hour and runs around 11 hours a day. Length 168 ft; beam 24 ft; weight 337 UK tonnes and with a draft of 7ft. The steam plant consists of two triple expansion 250 hp condensing steam engines powered by two locomotive type boilers working at 160 lb per square inch. I’m getting too hot just talking about it. I’d better take off my anorak unless we all fall into a soporific slumber.....zzzzz, zzzzz!
Ron, Ron, wake up. You were dreaming! What were you smiling about? Oh dear! Well, if you love steam engines, you will understand, if not, just sympathise; although I’m not sure whether that should be with Ron or with me!
Anyway, Earnshaw got us safely and interestingly 7 miles across the lake to a sumptuous BBQ Lunch in the old farm house. (This bodes well for the Doubtful Sound trip, which is run by the same company!) Wed’ refused to buy Philias a ticket, thinking he’d go as “hand baggage”, but he ended up having to work his passage – much to the amusement of the crew!
We were then shown round the farm – seeing a really good sheep dog handling exhibition – two dogs (both short haired border collies) working a small flock. In the high these are known as “heading” dogs – their job being to quietly gather and round up the sheep without a single bark. For driving the flocks, they use the larger Kelpie or Blue Nose breeds who do bark – a lot!
We also saw a sheep shearing demonstration and wool being processed before being led through the inevitable shop. It was a good trip, none the less. Then, back to Queenstown for quite a drive down to Te Anau – ready for tomorrow’s extravaganza!