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Hi everyone, here's a blog to let you know what we've been up to in Queenstown for the past three days!
We didn't arrive until around midday on Wednesday after a long, round-a-bout drive from Te Anau, during which we think we saw possibly the most cows we've ever seen in our lives, stretching back along the road for about two kilometres and creating a huge 'go-slow' area! We love Queenstown though, it's probably our favourite town we've visited so far. It's much more happening than Christchurch or Dunedin, with an overspill of cafes, bars, restaurants and shops in the impossibly picturesque, autumnal surroundings of Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables. The first two days were a bit overcast, but today was all blue skies, and with the deciduous trees turning hues of orange, red and yellow, it is really beautiful. There's loads of chalets, and it has the feel of a ski town, which I suppose is what it really is in the winter!
On Wednesday afternoon we had our first exhilirating activity in New Zealand: jetboating! A jet-boat on the Dart River, with us in it, spent 25 minutes hitting speeds of 85 kilometres per hour through narrow canyons, just about avoiding rocks, with 360 degree turns thrown in for good measure. It was bitingly cold, and I had my hat done up tight so it didn't fly off! It was great fun, and slightly nerve-wracking when we got so close to rocks and branches, but it was all perfectly safe...We even got some free photos thrown into the mix, with an action shot that looks funny as both Joe and I are waving the wrong way! We needed to relax afterwards, and picked the perfect place: Patagonia, an icecream parlour and cafe rolled into one, right on the waterfront. We all had one of the best icecreams ever (mine was white chocolate and hazelnut) and a pot of tea.
Yesterday was spent doing another crazy activity on the waterways around the town, this time river-surfing! We hauled on wet suits and thermals, boots, fins and helmets and jumped in the freezing river with a bodyboard. You had to keep your body on the board and paddle with your fins downstream. Most of the time, however, you didn't need to paddle, as we were in Grade 3 rapids! We clung on to our boards for dear life as we flew over huge waves, spun around in whirlpools and attempted to 'squirt', where you dart forwards with your board underwater in certain areas (though we didn't actually manage this!). It was amazing fun, despite the cold, and we travelled ten kilometres in total, all the way downstream on two different runs. We all ache today though, from all the paddling and kicking. I'd definitely recommend it as a cool activity to do! The day was capped off by a freebie thrown in by the river-surfing company: an hour in the thermal pools at Queenstown. Jo, Joe and I got our own private pool, with a retractable roof, so you could look out on stunning scenery whilst warming up after the freezing river. It was a pretty unforgettable experience. They even gave us a hot dog with fried onions fresh from the barbecue afterwards!
Today was a more relaxed day, as we recovered from the last two. This morning we visited the Kiwi Birdlife Park, where we were able to see the inconic NZ bird up close and personal, in the dark houses (they are nocturnal). They are really strange to see, as they are fairly large, and move about like mammals. They have feathers that are more like fur, have nostrils at the end of their noses, and have no real wings, so are completely restricted to the ground. They take on the role of hedgehogs or badgers really, as they don't have any native mammals here in NZ. We also saw kea (NZ native parrots), NZ pidgeons, teals, stilts and an owl, as well as the tuatara, a NZ lizard. The conservation show was really cool, when we had birds literally flying just over our heads, and got to see the tuatara close up. Next, we played a round of mini-golf in possibly the best course I've ever seen. It was indoors and built around models, but it had lifts which your ball would get carried up, and every hole was themed, such as 'downtown', 'the mine' or 'the lake'. When you holed your final shot on the 18th, your ball disappeared and a lollipop popped up instead!
This afternoon we had a relaxing time wandering around Queenstown's waterfront, and then into the Queenstown Gardens. These gardens were really pretty, especially at this time of year. A combination of perfectly sculpted grounds and brilliant views out over the town, Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables meant we got some really good photos. They had incorporated tennis courts, an ice-rink, bowls club and 'frisbee golf' (it looked strange!) into the grounds, which we all thought was a cool idea.
Tomorrow we're moving on to Franz Josef glacier, where we're spending the next two days. We're hoping to get a tour around the glacier and maybe do a small walk in its vicinity...
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