Queenstown and all its glory

Trip Start May 07, 2008
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Trip End May 20, 2008


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Flag of New Zealand  , South Island,
Friday, May 16, 2008

We spent the first hour this morning doing our separate things - Natasha exercised and Natalie studied (yes, she really did).  A coffee stop and peanut butter cookie at the Sandfly Cafe counted as breakfast and we were off to Queenstown.  Te Anau this morning was grey, cold and foggy......Natasha reminded Natalie to get NZ lotto given that Natalie apparently picked the best day of the entire week to go to Milford Sound!!! (Natalie will buy scratchies).  As we drove out of Te Anau, through Mosstown and on to Queenstown, the weather became finer and finer.  By the time we arrived in Queenstown, there was bright sunshine and only a light cloud about....deceptively warm looking (but COLD).

We began by parking in town and walking up to the Skyline Gondola.  We enjoyed a ride up the mountain, before indulging in a buffet lunch at the top overlooking Queenstown.  Next, we took on the luge, first the beginners course and then two efforts at the advanced course.  Natalie finally finished in front......with a few extra bits of help!  By now, our hands felt as though they belonged to someone else due to frostbite, but we were not deterred.  We travelled back down the mountain in the Gondola, found the car and located our hotel.

The hotel was beautiful - about 10mins walk out of town and magnificent views.  Only a couple of teething problems when we arrived - only 1 very large bed in the room (which magically became "twinned" with a little help from housekeeping) and no water (renovations on the hotel caused the Council to require the water be turned off).  All was forgiven, particularly when the tv was turned on and there was a message welcoming "Miss Mutch" to the hotel!

Natalie next took a 15min stroll back into town and found herself a jet boat ride to go on.  1 hour of adrenaline, slight queasiness and chill factor of around -5......but AWESOME fun.  Natalie only suffered a few bruises on one arm!  Next, Natalie went down to the underwater observatory and saw the eels and ducks in the lake from underwater.  Cute.  Natasha in the meantime, was interviewing the head of Queenstown Tourism......or someone equally important.  We met up at the pub aptly named "Guilty", before heading next door to the Pig and Whistle (a little more up market than the Swan View pub of similar name) for a beer.  Our next stop was the Minus 5 Bar (yes Damian, Natalie did go).  Apparently especially for us it was -8.6 degrees...even with the thick jackets, gloves and boots provided, we still only lasted about 15mins.  We each enjoyed an arctic sunrise first though!

The final stop of the evening was back to the hotel bar for a drink and then the restaurant for dinner......YUMM.  We might have enjoyed a nightcap of a few bubbles before it was definately bed time.. In the Minus 5 bar.....
In the Minus 5 bar.....
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