Last night we went to dinner at Winnie's (short for Winnebago's) because Christine and Kathy had so highly recommended it. It was a large lodge looking structure that served pizzas. Winnie's did not disappoint and I ordered one that included cranberry sauce, brie, and chicken and Scott got a traditional Italian pizza. In addition to the pizza, we continued our tradition of ordering garlic bread at every restaurant that offered it and then comparing and contrasting it to previous ones we have had. I know that sounds weird, but we are together in an RV for a month and we tend to run out of "deep" things to discuss. Winnie's garlic bread was a fresh baked loaf and mighty tasty.
So, I finally got my hands on a cute little lamb this morning. Before we boarded the bus to the Shotover River, one of the guides brought in a lamb with a bright bow tied around her. Christmas come early in my book! I asked to hold her and he gladly let me. Oh, it was so sweet and soft--you just wanted to snuggle with it. But, I had to give her back.
This morning we also had 2 of our Queenstown adrenaline activities. First, we road the Shotover Jet Boat on the Shotover River. It claims to be "the world's most exciting jet boat ride," but I don't think they have seen me drive my jet ski. We were a little disappointed because everyone we had talked to had hyped the ride so much. Don't get me wrong, it was fun to ride a jet boat into a river canyon at speeds as high as 80 km/h and it does lots of crazy 360's and whips around rocks and canyon walls. The driver would swerve very close to large boulders and the shore. He only came close to hitting rocks, but I on the other hand have already hit boulders before in Big Dave's jet skis at Bass Lake (still really sorry about that dad!).
Next, we were transferred over to the Shotover Canyon Swing which claims to be "the world's highest swing." I believe that claim. It was pretty high up (check out the pics). It is 109 meters high and includes a 60 meter freefall and a 200 meter arc swing. What was really cool about this company was that you got to pick your "style" and they had many to choose from. In addition, you could add additional jumps for $20 a piece if you were feeling extra brave. I jumped first out of the group and chose the backwards style. With this jump, you begin by standing backwards with your heels over the edge and then you slowly fall backwards like you fall on your bed. They had me do it John Travolta style, with my pointer finger of one hand shooting to the sky. Having to jump on your own volition is completely against human nature so it was a little difficult to make myself fall. In addition, you have no idea where you are falling because all you see is the platform quickly slipping away. But it was such a rush and I decided to do a second jump.
But Scott jumped before my second jump. On the platform we saw some David Hasselhoff memorabilia and commented on it as we too are Hoff fans. Scott asked if they had any of Hoff's music, and in fact they did. So they put a Hoff song on for Scotty's jump and everyone was dancing around like freaks and singing along. Scott did the same jump as I did and screamed like a girl. No, just kidding, but he did wave his legs about and decided that one jump was enough for him.
For my second jump I decided to push the envelope a bit. I chose to do "gimp boy goes to Hollywood." Strange name, I know. For this jump, they suspend you out over the jump zone and then position you so you are upside down in a headstand position and starring directly at the ground. Then, you point your hands to the river, arch your back and wait until the guide releases you. This fall was pretty wicked and I definitely recommend it.
After our swing, we returned to town, grabbed lunch and decided to do a hike. There are some gondolas that run up the hill near our motor park and we heard there was a track that followed the route. Why pay $18 for a gondola ride when you can get some exercise, right? Plus, we are cheap. Boy, were we in for a surprise. That was the hike from hell. It was so steep and long. We were both swearing and huffing and puffing. At the top, we treated ourselves to some of the famed Magnum ice cream pops...you can't say no to ice cream advertised with pics of Elizabeth Hurley. Well, I can, but Scott is another story.
Tonight we are going to tried out a new restaurant recommended by Rusty (aka, Wooly Mammoth--remember, I am the gazelle) from the Air Force rubgy team we met on the ferry. It was called "Cow" and was on a dodgey side street downtown. It served pasta and pizza and had a very dark European pub look to it. Because it was so small, they asked you to share tables and we lucked out by sharing ours with 4 snowboarders from Brisbine, Australia. The dinner was excellent, expecially the garlic bread loaf, and so was the company. I must say, the food in New Zealand is pretty tasty. We have gone to some sketchy places, including hostels, and had really good food. Yet again, anything sounds good compared to canned soup.
The weather here has turned pretty chilly. The best way to describe Queenstown is as a ski resort town in Colorado. It shares similar winter weather conditions unfortunately as well.
Tomorrow we are headed to the fjordlands on a full day bus trip to Millford Sound via Te Anau. I doubt my knees are excited about so many hours on a bus, but we hear both the scenic drive and the boat cruise will be well worth it. We plan to pack our GameBoys and Ipods to avoid killing each other while sharing the bench seat.
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