Resort By The Lake

  Queenstown, New Zealand
Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Queenstown, New Zealand



We arrived in the adrenaline capital of the world by lunchtime. Queenstown again, four years later. I originally came here when I was attending my cousin's wedding in Melbourne in 2002. A resort town central to adventure tourism and extreme sports, Queenstown was established around an inlet on Lake Wakatipu with a marvelous view of the Remarkable Mountains. It was here that bungy jumping was born.

In this town, one could spot some celebrities. In fact, I was told Sam Neill from "Jurassic Park" and "The Piano" was enjoying a cup of coffee at a local coffeehouse, Joe's Garage Cafe. Virtually unadorned but filled with a buzzing atmosphere and loquacious locals, it was a trendy, highly recommended cafe in town.

Today was more of a day off for our tour guides. With an independent day to ourselves, we could either challenge our adrenaline level or relax by the lake. The group was pretty much dispersed in this tourist town. Some people went sky diving while others tried out bungy jumping. Since I was not so keen on challenging the systolic function of my heart, I opted for a more relaxing time off.

It was in Queenstown that I encountered the true wrath of Kiwi English. Searching for a cell phone repair store, I inquired at the front desk for directions. One lady instructed me to walk down the street and look for a store called "Beeg Beer." I stumbled over her intonation, and politely, she repeated three to four times at my request. Still not registering what she had just said, I implored her to write it down. Never had I requested anyone to clarify in writing what was enunciated in English. This was a first. Looking at the name, I instantly felt stupid. She was trying to convey all along the name, "Big Bear." If ever a bear was sneaking up behind my back and the locals were screaming, "Bear! Bear!," I would probably say, "A Miller Lite, please."