The Butterfly has Been Busy.

Last weekend we took a trip to Queenstown in the lower part of the South Island, just to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy a winter break in a wintery spot.

Queenstown is a spectacular place nestled between towering mountains. This was my second visit, the first being several years ago when on a couple of warm days in February we investigated the town, ate some lovely food and had a great trip on a steamboat up Lake Wakatipu.  Those towering mountains haven’t changed, but this time they sported a fresh dusting of snow.

We had an eventful trip down. The approach to Queenstown airfield is challenging at the best of times, flying down a narrow valley, and our arrival was met with wind-shear as we exited the valley, forcing two go-arounds, followed by a diversion to refuel at Invercargill (85 nautical miles to the southwest) and then a third, successful, attempt at Queenstown. So our one hour forty flight took us three and a half hours, but with these gorgeous views, who cares, and we were still arrived in time for lunch.

On a fabulously sunny Sunday, albeit with a frosty -4C start, a gondola ride took us another 1000 feet above the town for a breathtaking view over the lake before partaking in the food and wine on offer. I must say I was a little disappointed in some of the restaurants this time that were charging absurdly high prices for some pretty small servings - I mean $32.00 for four scallops in a bit of sauce was a bit steep in an establishment that could hardly be called fine dining. Still we managed to find some places with value and atmosphere - especially as we watched NZ beat Australia at rugby.

Since returning home I have been working hard to catch up on the basing backlog and there are four groups of goodies for show and tell. The varied nature of these item shows an alarming tendency towards butterflyism as I flit between projects...I need to start that Bavarian project to get me back on the straight and narrow.

First is number one of eight Russian Napoleonic limbers I need to do to get the Russian army up to spec.

Second is the first of four Spanish Napoleonic limbers. Drawn by four mules and accompanied by two muleteers, this makes quite a different sort of limber model. I am sure this model will have a second life as a limber for the Carlist Wars.

Third is a unit of Don Cossacks. This is my first use of the Games Workshop Contrast Colours, with the blue being applied over a blue base coat and the hair completed with a coat of Snakebite Leather...really Snakebite Leather? I still need to practice some more with these to figure out exactly how to use them.

The fourth item is number two of what will be three flatboats from the Perrys. This time I have furled the flags. I love this model and am looking forward to the third one.

The butterfly fluttering will probably continue for another few weeks while the odds and ends of projects wrap up.