The big smoke

Queenstown feels like a buzzing cosmopolitan town, with Chinese New Year celebrations in full swing and coach loads of tourists exploring the ‘honeypots’ of the Southland.

The town itself still has a certain charm, with the SS Earnslaw steam ship running sailings across Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables mountain range framing the sky. As long as we avoid the permanent queues for the famous Black Angus Fergburgers, there are great places to eat and sit back and enjoy the ambiance after a day adventuring in accessible wilderness!

 

Four seasons in one week

It is true what they say about the ever-changing weather here in New Zealand, though the odd rainy day is a good excuse for catching up on washing, a spot of yoga at Nadi Wellness Centre, going to the cinema, vineyard touring or just general touristy browsing in the shops. We heard on the news there have been new earthquakes in Christchurch and Invercargill, so are just grateful we are not affected here!

Golden moments

Great fun for a few days meeting up with Mike’s sister Cathryn and husband Adrian, who are here for a few weeks to celebrate Cathryn’s fiftieth birthday, and we ate great food and had a visit to the charming gold mining town of Arrowtown.

Activity capital of New Zealand!

Queenstown is famous for being the adventure capital for all things thrilling, and indeed it is here on the Shotover River that the first bungee jump was made. Feeling we are a bit old for the skydiving and bungeeing (is that even a word?), we entertain ourselves with less risky activities. I enjoy some horse riding in Glenorchy, which was more like ‘horse surfing’ due to the constant horizontal rain, though did see a bit of the Lord of the Rings (LOTR) scenery….wading through rivers was a ‘first’ for me, and did feel as though we were floating away at times!

 

Mike took the more sedate option of winery touring, and think had a more ‘dry’ experience than me, weather wise that is!

We both braved the rain again for a jet boat ride up Dart River, and enjoyed an afternoon at the local cinema watching the award winning The Revenant (did put me off riding for a bit, after that scene involving a horse, a tree and a cliff!).

Lots of Awesome people running in trainers with a small bottle of water strapped to their backs, whilst we are tramping around Moke Lake with a full day pack feeling not quite Awesome enough yet……

Awesomeness training!

Because we’re worth it!

What better way to relax after a long days tramping than to sit back in a hot tub and pick out the Southern Cross in the night sky and treat ourselves to more yummy food?

So we have had a varied two weeks here in Queenstown, and do feel like we are becoming a bit more fit with our outdoor adventures……picked up our new hire car and off to Wanaka next to explore the Lakes District and more of Mount Aspiring National Park.