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Hi all
I've been really looking forward to writing about the week I spent in Queenstown, New Zealand. It seems like ages ago now, but I had such a good time that it would be a crime not to share it with you.
I used to walk to school many moons ago with my 2 good friends Rob Sousa and Liam Tubridy. Rob is the guy I still know in Windsor who travelled with me for a while back in Thailand. Liam now lives in Aucklan with his girlfriend Nic, and after visiting him there last year I promised I'd return. So, when Liam caught wind of the fact that both Rob and I were in his neck of the woods, he badgered us in to flying over for a reunion. In the back of my mind there was the slight worry that we might not get on after such a long time apart (15 years since school), but as it turned out we all got on even better than ever before! Bring on 7 days of wall to wall fun and side-splitting laughter.
Joining the trio were Ed (Liam's old flatmate from Wellington) and Alan Hedges (Liam's cousin who I also went to school with). Liam and Ed had a wedding to attend in Queenstown, hence the location, and what a great place to all hook up. It's commonly referred to as the adventure playground and/or extreme capital of the world, and in my opinion it meets both these descriptions on every level. To put the icing on the cake, it also happens to be slap bang in the middle of arguably the most beautiful landscape in the world.
Rob and I spent the first couple of days exploring the area while the wedding went ahead elsewhere. We started off with a walk to the top of Mount Lomond(?) which lasted a good couple of hours and rewarded us with fantastic views like the one you see in the picture (inset). Whilst at the top, we had a few luge races, which basically involves sitting in a little black go-cart-type-thingy and freewheeling around a mini race track. When you get to the bottom of the track, you simply put your luge on a conveyor belt and then jump on a ski-lift to get back to the top. Rob, being the competitive and passionate Portuguese-blooded chap that he is, didn't take very kindly to me spanking him 3-0. Tee hee hee.
Whilst at the top of the Mountain we also went to take a look at 'The Ledge'. From this point you can do either a swing or bungy jump (or both at a discounted price). We watched a couple of adrenaline freaks wildly plunge 50m from the ledge and then hang 400m above Queenstown whilst waiting to be winched back up. I have footage of a
Swedish guy screaming like a baby whilst doing a swing, which you can see at www.myspace.com/chriswoodsakawoodsyakasid.
I've always steered clear of the idea of doing a bungy jump because I've had problems with my ankles over the last few years. However, The Ledge is the only place in Queenstown where you can do a bungy without having to hang from your feet. No more room for excuses - the seed had been sewn...
That night, Rob and I reserved a table at the Mountain Top Restaurant for a buffet dinner where you can eat as much as you like for $50. We somehow managed to wangle 'table no.1' which is located in the far corner of the restaurant with a view to die for. The food was fantastic and we even got a free Gondola back to the bottom.
After the wedding ceremony, the 5 of us boys booked in to a huuuge apartment with comfy beds, luxury sofas, a monster of a DVD/Surround sound system and a balcony with tables and an outside heater (not that we needed it). After saying bye bye to Nic (Liam's missus) and a lengthy spell at the 'bottle shop', we were ready to party!
To be continued...(C'mon, it's sunny outside!)
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