More of a photo essay than an activation report. A circuit of the two highest peaks in Central Otago, with a few lakes thrown in. Amazing country, and one of those trips I will never forgot.
Thanks SOTA for all the motivation you provide.
(updated URL)
Matt - ZL4NVW
Amazing. What wonderful mountainscapes. āBen Nevisā made me chuckle. I would say itās more like the Cullins of the Isle of Skye, if anything. I see you have a Ben Cruachan and also a Ben Lomond. Do they have indigenous names too?
73,
Fraser
There doesnāt appear to be a recorded traditional name for the Otago/ZL3 Ben Nevis. But the entry in the NZ Geographical Place Names database is interesting:
āNevis is possibly a transliteration of the Gaelic āNibheisā meaning āterribleā.ā
Iād always assumed it referred to snow.
Congrats, nice and hard trip.
Best 73
AndrƩ f5ukl
Fraser,
The Ben Nevis peaks outside of Scotland were all named by homesick Scots I believe. The original is impressive when it has a snow cover and is a very decent hike. However I do really like the ranges around the NZ one.
Thanks for the pics Matt.
73
Ron
VK3AFW
Off topic alertā¦
When in that area a few years ago we saw loads of young people competing in Scottish Pipe Bands! I was told there are more active pipe bands in NZ than in Scotland!
No wonder so many peaks ended up with Scottish names.
It looks like there are active pipe bands in many, many placesā¦
The Celtic NorthWest of Spain has a long tradition:
In Asturias - Spain EA1/AT
In Galicia - Spain EA1
In LeĆ³n - Spain EA1/LE
In Valladolid - Spain EA1
73,
Guru
Those look like Breton / Galician pipes rather than scottish ones - different number of drones (pipes) and a very different sound. I understand that the function of the pipe is different too in Breton music (and presumably galecian) with the pipe being an softer melodic accompaniment in the Breton tradition rather than a brash lead instrument in the Scottish. Though I stand by for Breton / Highland pipers to correct me!
Not sure how far back the two traditions branched off, but I suspect it goes back to a common ancestor much longer ago than the current national boundaries and more widespread than the current Breton / Galician / Irish / Scottish fringes of Europe.
Even just looking around the British Isles youāll find a number of different variations on the bagpipe theme. Spread your search net wider, and youāll find them turning up in North Africa and in Asia at least as far east as India.
ā¦and lots of countries claiming to have invented them. Which is probably trueā¦
Yes, thanks to this thread, Iāve been reading about bagpipes and itās amazing how many different types there are.
Iāve read on the web that some images of a type of bagpipe were found in the old Egipt of the pharaons.
It was very interesting to learn a bit about this very old musical instrument.
73,
Guru
And they all sound horrible 
They donāt sound very horrible if you apply any or various or all of the D factors: Distance, Deaf, Drunk
Darn heathen! Itās a wonder your visa hasnāt been revoked. Youāll be declaring that you donāt like haggis next!
I must admit that I prefer Northumbrian pipes and Uilleann pipes to the more usual Highland variety, but then Iām a pure sassenach. As an honorary Northumbrian, Iām a long time fan of Kathryn Tickell.
Just move this thread even more off topic from Mattās excellent outingā¦
Stark Trek II The Wrath of Khan. Spock dies saving the Enterprise.
Donāt tell me that Scotty piping Spockās casket off into outer space*, playing Amazing Grace on his bag pipes, is a terrible sound. Stirs the blood!
*it actually landed on the Genesis planet.
My forebears on my fatherās side left Shetland in 1888 for England. So my most recent heritage is not Scottish but Shetlander. Haggis and the pipes donāt really feature in Shetland culture where itās mutton and the fiddle.
My motherās forebears left the Hawick area in 1648 for the New Word returning to the UK in 1918. So itās grits , collared greens and the banjo from that side.
Never figured out what the are but āGritsā never sounded very appealing. Though I suppose if the alternative is haggis ā¦
Grits are kind of porridge made from cornmeal instead of oatmeal. They should be smooth when cooked and so I donāt know why they are called grits. Iāve never tried grits so cannot comment but do eat plenty of porridge. Oatmeal is very slow release carbohydrate and therefore is good for everyone but brilliant for us diabetics as we can maintain better sugar control. As itās slow release itās good for breakfast as you donāt tend to feel hungry by mid-morning and so a less likely to snack, also good for diabetics. I normally make my porridge with 1/2 water 1/2 milk and place 3 or 4 chopped dried dates into the mix to jazz it up a little.
Porridge is the curse of the tramper (hiker) so far as Iām concerned. As you say itās pretty much unbeatable for slow release energy through the day and for energy to weight ratio. I start each long trip thinking āthis isnāt so badā ā¦ but by day 7 or 8 Iām having to force the stuff down because āyouāll hit the wall if you donāt eatā. Stumbling on jars of jam or honey left in huts on my longer trips I found that addition of jam or honey makes it bearable again ā¦ but when I repeat that process from the start (i.e. add jam every day) I still find I canāt stand the stuff by the end of the 1st week.
I could take offence at that.
However, as a professional retailer for some 34 years, I can confirm that the āChieftain oā the Pudding Raceā has gone from an old-fashioned line that sat on the shelf most of the year, save one day in January where the sales wouldd jump >1000%, to something that we now stock multiple varieties of, including Vegan. It also features as a pakora, a bon bon, in sausages, a stuffing for chicken (aka Balmoral chicken) and is often seen on the plate as part of a cooked Scottish breakfast.
So, haggis is having a renaissance.
As for grits, surely thatās just porridge for people who donāt have oats at hand?
That makes you as Scottish than me, probably.
25% Norwegian (where my surname originates)
25% either Scots or Welsh
The rest should be Scots.