It sometimes occurs that paradise is not necessarily to be found in foreign and remote places among swamis, mystics or mind altering substances, but is actually much closer.
On our own doorstep in the province of Otago there is a relatively little known place called Paradise, a visit to which may not be life-changing but none the less could be uplifting.
But even getting there is always a magical journey in itself and never the same.
A drive from Dunedin to Queenstown encapsulates all of this. I suggest it is advisable to travel in a leisurely way with regular intakes of caffeine, to be best able to absorb the beauty and subtlety of the ever-changing landscapes.
There are a number of travel routes available to reach this destination. The Maniototo is like a land apart. Vast and silent. Shrouded in a veil of mystery. Not surprisingly writers, poets and painters have been drawn to its solitude and magnificence.
A modern bridge at Beaumont has, thankfully, recently replaced its very old and rickety predecessor where it crosses the powerful and sparkling Clutha River on the way to Central Otago.
Roxburgh’s wide main street and central boulevard oozes with gentle charm, with the nearby dam set among a lunar landscape full of rocks and ravines, arid and dry but also picturesque. Orchards spread all around the district in season burgeoning with fruit, this being an added attraction for the traveller.
Beyond is Alexandra nestling peacefully on the edge of the Clutha and Manuherikia rivers, with its iconic town clock beckoning from the hills above.
The quaint village of Clyde lies in the shadow of a mighty dam where the sweeping highway alongside Lake Dunstan leads to the busy and ever-expanding town of Cromwell.
The road to Queenstown follows the parched and rugged Kawarau Gorge before the sky opens again to distant snowcapped mountains. Vineyards spread out gracefully in all directions over rugged hillsides and flats. Restaurants and wine-tasting rooms abound, a far cry from 150 years ago, when gold miners dreamed of becoming rich on the edge of civilisation.
Queenstown beckons and captivates. Constantly growing, changing and never dull.
Paradise, though, is some distance beyond Glenorchy and surprisingly small. But all around it are towering mountains and swift flowing rivers with long valleys to entice those with an adventurous spirit. A place of stunning grandeur which words alone cannot adequately describe.
Those living in Otago are fortunate indeed, as paradise is not that difficult to find.
- Joss Miller is a retired Dunedin lawyer.
