East of Kingston the lake country loosens its grip and the land turns to schist hills, tussock and wide, dry valleys with merino sheep spread across them like a scattering of rice. This point lies in that stretch, between the southern end of Lake Wakatipu and the Cromwell Basin, in a region where stone walls, shearing sheds and old gold workings tell the history of the Otago high country.
Gold is the thread that runs through it. After 1861, when Gabriel Read found gold at Tuapeka, prospectors flooded into the area, sluicing the creeks and tearing apart the riverbanks, and the remains of their water races and stone huts survive in the hills. Later came sheep runs of enormous size, many of which are still working stations today. The land is harsh, hot and dusty in summer and bitterly cold in winter, and the vegetation, mostly tussock and scrub, has an austere beauty that grows on you.
Kingston, a small settlement with a couple of thousand people, sits at the lake's southern tip and was once the terminus of the Kingston Flyer, a steam train that ran to Fairlight. Cromwell, about thirty-five kilometres away, is the main town of the region, known for stone fruit, with a giant fibreglass piece of fruit by the roadside as a monument to its orchards. Between them the roads run through open, rolling country with long visibility and often a strong wind, and the traffic is light.
The Haast Pass route begins from this country and heads north, but here you are still far from the mountain walls. Riding is easy, with good surfaces and gentle gradients, and the main hazards are crosswinds, stock on unfenced roads and the glare of low sun. In winter, black ice may form on shaded corners at dawn. Expect cold nights even in summer, and dry air that parches your throat.
For fuel, use Cromwell or Queenstown, as small settlements have limited hours. Cromwell also has bakeries and fruit stalls in season, so a stop for apricots or cherries in summer is almost obligatory. Water is worth carrying, as shops are few and far between.
The light is best early or late, when the tussock glows gold and the hills cast long shadows. This is a landscape of space, and it rewards a slow pace.