Clyde, Historic town, South Island, New Zealand

Early morning walk around Clyde

The day always goes better if I start with a walk.  A walk to anywhere. As clouds were lifting off the hills around Clyde and the low lying sun put a glow to all the wild broom plants, all  I had to do was to ask a jogger where a trail was. She pointed the way to an uphill lope path that went around by the dam,  and then back into town.  It was perfect lighting conditions for great pictures so I kept shooting away when a red sweater caught my eye. A perfect color against all the gold and green of the hillsides.  

The person wearing the red color kept coming toward me and we finished the lope walk together.  She was the owner of Hartley Arms Hotel built in 1869.  This gold stone building had been in her family since the 1950's.  First they used it as a get-away. It needed serious renovation if the family was to live in it for any length of time.  They left the front the way it was and over the years, worked on the back, which is were they live now. She's proud to live in this historic town and is looking forward to retirement when they can spend most of their time in Clyde. 

St Dunstan's Church

Olivers, Bed and Breakfast, part of Benjamin Naylor's store

Benjamin Naylor's Store , 1870

 Oliver's, which is were we spent the night, was originally Benjamin Naylor's Store.  Mr. Naylor moved into town, put up a tent and sold supplies to the gold miners in 1862. The next year the tent was replaced by a wood and corrugated iron building.  By 1870 Benjamin was prosperous enough to buy the land, build a home, stables, coach sheds, smoke house and a large retail store.
Now, as guests of Oliver's we enjoyed a stone walled bedroom with bath tub, an antique decorated bathroom. Our patio doors looked out on a private courtyard.   Our breakfast was served in a 140 year old schist dining room.  Baskets of peonies and walnuts decorated our tables.

Walls surrounding Benjamin Naylor's property. Stones salvaged from derelict buildings. 

Submitted by: Bernadette Heath, photographer, writer, Janet Webb Farnsworth, writer of "Grandma Needs a Four-Wheel Drive, Adventure Travel for Seniors". web page: www.grandmaneedsafour-wheeldrive.com