happylittlethings*: {New Zealand Aug 2012} Arrowtown

I'm in a vintage storybook.

Arrowtown.
Had no idea what it is.
And it definitely wasn't part of the itinerary.

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Our host at Amity Lodge recommended Arrowtown as a day trip because "it's an easy 20 minute drive away."
We saw it on the 'Local Info' channel on TV that night.
We have to go.

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We left for Arrowtown late.
Probably around 11.
20 minutes of scenic drive.
(The trees were bare, it'd have looked amazing in autumn. In fact, I think autumn is one of the most popular season to visit)
As we drove through the town centre, my heart started pumping really fast.

I could feel the old mining town charm.

This is the very first shop I saw.

So... vintage.
And very much like those in the storybooks.
And it smells good.
So we had our brunch there.
In my vintage storybook cafe.

Yes I felt the loove!!

That pie... is simply delicious.
We soaked ourselves in the old town charm the entire afternoon.

I almost wanted to try my luck at gold panning at Arrow River(hoping to find that small piece of gold dust of course!) but the lady at the tourist information said that most people now do it just for fun. So I gave up that thought.

There's a Chinese Miner's Settlement about 5 minute walk from the town centre. It looked like a distance away on the map, but the walk is rather easy. And that's where Arrow River is.

It is a nice place to explore. The entire trail takes close to an hour or so. Perhaps longer.

But the sun is strong and my transition lens turned so dark, it felt like sunset as we walk through the settlement.

Gave me the creeps.

We explored only that wee bit.

Full of history and really interesting.

We were about to leave when we realised we haven't been to the restored cottages.

So we walked all the way back to where the cottages were supposed to be.

When we stopped at one (and I was trying to peep inside), a lady popped out of nowhere and told us that the pastries are amazingly good.

We saw this.

I was hungry.
It's tea-time.
I need afternoon tea.

We ordered their obscenely good sticky buns.
It's sticky.
And obscenely good.
I'd have eaten more if it's not $3.50 per piece.