小镇和温泉 – From small towns to a hot tub

11/17/2025， 星期一，Monday, the 16th day of our Down Under to Eastern Delight trip

天气晴朗，虽然头顶仍压着一层厚厚的云，但清晨的空气带着高山特有的凉意与清新，让人精神一下子被唤醒。今天我们决定到皇后镇外面走走，去看看周边几个小镇。

上午的第一站是箭镇，从皇后镇开车大约二十多分钟。一路上风景如画，绿意、河谷与远山交织，让人还没到目的地就已经沉醉。

Today we decided to roam outside Queenstown and visit a few of the many small towns in the area.

The weather was clear. Though a thick layer of clouds still hung overhead, the morning air carried that crisp freshness unique to the mountains, instantly awakening the senses.

Our first stop of the day was Arrowtown, about a 20 minute drive from Queenstown. The road there was like a painting—lush greenery, winding valleys, and distant peaks intertwined—so beautiful that we were already enchanted long before we arrived.

箭镇是一个有着金矿历史的小镇。19世纪60年代曾发现黄金，大批矿工涌入此地，也吸引了大量华人前来谋生。如今小镇还保留着一段华人居住区遗址——那是一排沿着河边建造的低矮小屋，墙体简陋，屋内狭小，却承载着当年华人漂洋过海讨生活的痕迹。信息牌记录着他们被排斥、被边缘化的历史，也记录着他们如何在艰苦环境中坚持下去。站在那片遗址前，仿佛能看见150多年前的炉火、工棚和那些不被历史书写的人们。

Arrowtown is a small town with a rich gold-mining history. In the 1860s, gold was discovered here, drawing in waves of miners and many Chinese immigrants seeking a livelihood. Today, the town still preserves the remains of the Chinese settlement—rows of small, low cottages built along the small river. The walls are simple, the interiors cramped, yet they carry the traces of those who once crossed oceans in search of a better life. The information boards tell stories of exclusion and marginalization, but also of resilience and perseverance in harsh conditions. Standing before these ruins, one can almost see the fires, the workshops, and the unrecorded lives of those who toiled here more than 150 years ago.

第二站是格林诺奇，从箭镇开车大约一个小时十分钟。越靠近目的地，风景越是壮丽——高耸的山峰在云层间露出白雪，湖水蓝得不可思议，另一侧是葱绿的山坡，偶尔还能看到成群的绵羊在悠闲吃草。这里常被称为“世界的尽头”，也是《魔戒》的拍摄地之一，那种辽阔与静谧真的无法用语言完全描述。

Our second stop was Glenorchy, about an hour and ten minutes’ drive from Arrowtown. The closer we got, the more breathtaking the scenery became—towering peaks dusted with snow, peeking through the clouds, the lake shimmered in an unreal shade of blue, and on the other side, lush green hills rolled gently, dotted with flocks of sheep grazing peacefully. This place is often called “The Gateway to Paradise,” and was one of the filming locations for The Lord of the Rings. Its vastness and tranquility are truly beyond words.

在格林诺奇吃了顿简单的午饭，某人吃了炸鸡汉堡，我吃了中式的炸鸡汉堡 – We had a simple lunch in Glenorchy—he ordered a fried chicken burger, and I had a Chinese-style fried chicken burger. Two different worlds.

下午三点多我们回到旅店休息了一下，然后便前往预约四点的皇后镇昂森温泉。这个温泉池是我在家就提前订好的，一个私密池，坐落在山谷边上。一边泡着温泉，一边望着眼前宏大的湖光山色，蒸汽在冷空气里升起，感觉整个人都被山景轻轻包住了，完全沉浸在放松里。

Around three in the afternoon, we returned to our hotel for a brief rest, then headed out for our 4 pm reservation at the Onsen Hot Pools in Queenstown. I had booked this private spa in advance back home. It’s set on the edge of a valley—soaking in the warm water while gazing at the vast panorama of mountains and lake before us, with steam rising into the cool air, felt like being gently embraced by the landscape itself, completely immersed in relaxation.

晚上回到镇中心，在一家印度餐厅吃了香料味浓又温暖的印度菜。这一天看了风景、走了小镇、泡了温泉，也在不同的时刻被新西兰的美深深打动。

In the evening, we returned to the town center and had dinner at an Indian restaurant, where the dishes were rich in spice and warmth. It was a day of scenery, small towns, and hot springs—a day when, time and again, we were deeply moved by the beauty of New Zealand.

Bear was so exited, he jumped in before us! – 小熊太兴奋了，竟然比我们先跳进去了！