Due to a slight mix-up with hotel bookings and onward bus connections, we found ourselves "stuck" in Twizel for 27 hours. Twizel (pronunciation wise, it "rhymes" with Tideswell) was established in the 1960s to house workers brought to the area to construct NZ's largest hydro electric scheme, connecting the existing and newly created lakes with massive canals and a network of dams. It was only supposed to be a temporary town but was saved from the bulldozers by construction workers and their families, who had grown attached to their new homes and wanted to stay in the area. The Rough Guide to NZ suggests destruction would have been a "kinder fate", which sounds a bit harsh. Admittedly, it doesn't have quite the same draw as its near neighbours of Lake Tekapo and Mount Cook, but it can't be that bad, can it?
20. Take a walk out to SH8 and check out the diggers and turbine monument - another link to Twizel's dam-building past.
We set ourselves the challenge of finding 27 things to do in Twizel in our 27 hours in town. We've done some of them, but not all, as we ran out of time (honestly) or it got too dark or one of us doesn't know how to ride a bike! We also did a couple of them earlier in our trip. So if you're in the neighbourhood, don't just drive through Twizel. Stop for a while, there are at least 27 different activities to keep you busy!
1. Visit the Twizel Events Centre - there could be a show happening (unlikely but not impossible) and if not, you can always take a look at the old photographs charting the construction of the dams and canals and the town of Twizel itself. Some of the photos are a bit faded but tell an interesting story. There's a plaque in the Market Place which brings the story of Twizel up to date.
2. Treat yourself to tea and cake at the Twizel Bakery - free wifi with any purchase. I had the Jaffa slice! The Alpine Bakery has pretty tasty lunch options too. If you're really hungry, Thai seems a popular dinner option. Poppies is a good option for a warming hot chocolate on a chilly morning - the big black sofas by the fire would be perfect in winter.
3. Pop in to the Information Centre / Council Building in the Market Place to read the newspapers... There's always a sports score to be checked!
4. Do a nature mosaic treasure hunt around the Market Place (leaflet from the Information Centre, mosaics designed by local school children) - follow the clues, find the hidden mosaics (and a few other interesting sculptures) and learn about the local flora and fauna, including pukekos, water spiders, centipedes, grasshoppers and longjaw galaxias.
5. Skim stones in the river... Jon was very pleased to get ones to bounce all the way across the river and out the other side. Make sure you avoid the fish though (see 18 below).
6. Search for the meaning of life in some of the many quotes and posters displayed outside shops and cafes... "If you never did, you should. These things are fun; fun is good" (Dr Seuss) and "Everything looks like a nail when you have a hammer in your hand" were just a couple we spotted.
7. Go for a run or walk along one of the canals - it's definitely different to the Caldon Canal that runs behind our house. The water is a crystalline blue (glacier rock flour in the lakes that feed them) and the mastery of construction is worth seeing.
8. Feed the fish at High Country Salmon. Attempting to capture a photo as the salmon leap up to capture the food is a highly frustrating exercise but is more than made up by listening to the squeals as each person is surprised by a leaping salmon. If you're hungry, you can buy one for your tea.
9. Play mini-golf at the Musterers Hut - a brilliant course themed on the local landscape with a lot of very troublesome water features, as would be expected from an area of lakes, canals and rivers! If you've been following our ongoing golf challenge, Jon got the better of me again and now leads 3-2 in the series! I blame the weather... early morning rain slowed the fairways too much for me!
10. Walk or run along the Twizel River Trail down to Lake Benmore. The whole route is 24km out and back... We just did a little section close to town. There is also a trail that circles the whole town and makes an interesting route for a walk or run.
11. Hire a bike and tackle some of the A2O trail (Alps to Ocean). The whole route runs from Mount Cook to Oamaru and includes a helicopter transfer if you want the deluxe option, but there are plenty of shorter rides around Twizel to help pass the time.
12. Visit the lookout at the southern end of Lake Pukaki - great views up to the mountains on a clear day.
12. Play frisbee golf. Maps, the course guide and equipment are available from the Information Centre and the course is out by State Highway 8. Watch out for traffic as you move between holes!
13. Join a tour to see the very rare Kaki (Black Stilt) and find out about the captive breeding programme, which is helping to increase numbers in the wild. The tour is operated by the same people as the A2O cycle trail, although the programme is run by the Department of Conservation. Our tour guide Russ was a very laid back Kiwi!
14. Whilst you are on the trail of rare species, find out about the tahr... brought to NZ for hunting then hunted to almost extinction and now an endangered species!
15. Check out not one but two 4 square supermarkets... the biggest shopping emporiums for quite a while if you're heading to Mount Cook or on to Lake Tekapo. The "artisan" bread selection in the larger of the two was very impressive - we really enjoyed our pre-dinner olive focaccia! If you're a cheese fan, there is a great selection of local cheeses too.
16. Explore the Scandinavian grid design of Twizel - I'm not entirely sure I understand quite what that means, other than that the roads aren't in a nice neat grid at all. If you get a bit lost, you can always try and work out which of the houses date back to the original construction of the town.
17. Go rowing or kayaking on Lake Ruataniwha - the home of the NZ Rowing Centre. You can even hire the kayak equivalent of a pedalo!
18. Go trout fishing on the river... You're allowed to catch up to two fish per day (as long as you're here during fishing season).
19. Visit Hillbillies Country Manor, if you're brave enough to get past the front gate. It seems to be a collection of junk "arranged" in someone's front yard, with the possibility of a few animals lurking too. And bras and shoes hanging on the fence!
21. There aren't many shops but you definitely get a quick fix if you're in need of retail therapy. There are some quirky gift shops around the Market Place and Jake's hardware store is a treasure trove of toys, tools, kitchen appliances and fishing supplies. You can even buy your souvenir of Twizel... a tiny house ornament in the style of the original worker's homes.
22. Play a game of giant chess outside the Information Centre. The pieces are made out of old traffic cones painted red or blue.
23. If you've not exhausted your interest in Lord of the Rings (and still have cash in the bank), you can experience the largest outdoor filming location from the trilogy and "re-create" the Rohan Horse Charge. You can even get dressed up in costume if you're on the right tour... this area was used as the White Mountains to create 8 scenes in total.
24. Stay a night at the High Country Lodge... Quirky motel style and backpacker accommodation in buildings which originally housed the construction workers back in the 1960s. If you're here when it's warm, there are quite shady spots under trees for reading a book. If you're here when it's a bit cold, the electric blankets come highly recommended! We were able to check in early and store our bags after check out... maximising time for exploring.
25. Admire the murals, street art and posters dotted about the down... Many of them connect back to the dam-building days.
26. Hug a tree.. Twizel is called the "Town of Trees" and there are indeed plenty of them.
27. Make sure you've got a good book with you, just in case the bus out of town is a bit late! Alternatively, catch up on postcard writing and blogging!
And so we survived and enjoyed our 27 hours in Twizel - it's always good to go beyond the guide book's version of reality! There's definitely a lot to love about Twizel and we'll miss you.
Happy Travels
Liz T
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