Lady of the Lake | Chris Gregory's Alphathreads

TSS Earnslaw – Lady of the Lake

For 99 years this steam-driven “Lady of the Lake” has played a significant part in the lives of people who live around the shores of Lake Whakatipu. She was named after the dominant Mt Earnslaw at the head of the lake. These days TSS Earnslaw is run as a lake cruise venture by Queenstown based tourist company Real Journeys, but she started her life as part of the New Zealand Railways network, transporting sheep, cattle and passengers to the surrounding high country stations. The Lake nearly lost its “Lady” in 1968 when New Zealand Railways decided to discontinue the service. Local tourism venture Fiordland Travel (now Real Journeys) came to the rescue allowing the “Lady of the Lake” to live on.