TSS Earnslaw and dinner at Walter Peak High Country Farm - Queenstown, NZ

 Saturday night in Queenstown and I am in for a real treat....a journey across Lake Wakatipu on an historic steamship.  The TSS Earnslaw is a vintage beauty...and serves a dual purpose.  Not only to bring passengers to the Walter Peak High Country Farm for a great meal, sheep-shearing plus watch a dog work the sheep.

Here is the TSS Earnslaw....(note...I took this photo from my room at the hotel Rod....I did not buy the photo - sorry that is an inside joke about buying photos and using them in a presentation when you really did not take them yourself.)

Once onboard the Earnslaw one can view the workings of this beauty....the engine room....the boilers....a great inside peak and one can get very close to the action....take a look....

....and yes a sharp eye will tell you that in the middle picture above the laundry of the crew is hung to dry in a very warm engine room of this vessel.

During our trip across the lake....it was time for cocktails....but of course....here is a photo of one of the members our the tour....Bronwyn...and Aussie who lives close to Melbourne....

...but before long...well maybe two cocktails later....we arrive at the farm...

 A beautiful estate dedicated to having a great evening of good food and great demonstrations....but remember.....everything here has at one point in time come across by boat...

Here is our table of part of the tour group....the majority are from Australia and the United Kingdom...but also Germany and Belgium are represented and also a couple from England who are newlyweds...in their 80's ....

Then after a great meal and lots of good wine and socializing...it is time for a sheep-shearing demonstration.....take a look at this series of pics...

Now that is going to make a good start on a fine wool sweater, scarf, or jumper....and the sheep is feeling a little naked at this point!!

Then we head outside the farm shed and see the dog at work.  The dog I might add was pacing the crowd while the sheep was being sheared.  He was a friendly lot...but knew he was going to be on stage soon and did not stand still for long at any one place.  Here he is bringing these sheep into the pin....

Wow....what timing...I am just finishing this blog...and I just heard the TSS Earnslaw sound it's horn as it came back from an evening at the farm....right at 10:00pm.....