Queenstown - wow!! The home of stunning scenery and adrenaline packed fun!! Our trip thus far has been absolutely amazing despite a few bumps in the road including a smashed windshield courtesy of a random rock kicked up at us by a passing car. None the less, we've had an exceptional time. The weather has been amazing and Queenstown has been no exception. Queenstown is the half way point for our trip around the South Island and since there is so much to do here we decided to stay a few days to rest up, recover and have a bit of adrenaline packed fun.

We had the best intentions on our first day here to pack in as much as we possibly could, but after a week of driving and over 1500ks our bodies made us rest. We spent the afternoon curled up in our swish campervan watching dvd's and sleeping. Of course, we had to make up for lost time later that night so we headed down to the local Mexican joint where we munched on great food and drank ourselves silly with a litre of Sangria and local beer. Admittedly, we didn't feel the best this morning, but we weren't about to let the sangria hangover stop us so we headed up the Gondola for a bit of fun. If you never do any of the adrenaline packed activities at the top of the Gondola, it doesn't matter because the view from the top of the mountain is absolutely worth the trip. Queenstown is such a spectactular place. I want to move here! Of course, Ben and I both being adrenaline junkies and competitive to boot decided that a few races down the Luge track were definitely in order so we strapped on our helmets and had 10 passes down the advanced track. SO MUCH FUN - I think we laughed and carried on more then most of the kids did! We managed to pretty much stay neck and neck for all of our races so another round of races is definitely in order - probably in the North Island when we're there next week.

Of course, I couldn't come all the way to Queenstown - the extreme sports capital of the world - without participating in an extreme sport so I summed up all of my courage and decided that a bungy jump was in order. After signing away my life - literally - they make you sign a death waiver / certificate of completion and what they call a "toe tag" before you jump - I was harnessed in and all set to jump off the ledge. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared to death, but wow was it worth it. Next time I'm going to swan dive! :)

So, that's Queenstown in a nutshell. We've seen some amazing things so far on our trip. Along with Queenstown, Milford Sounds was definitely another stand out - albeit in a more peaceful way. Lots of pictures and more details when there's more time to update. For now, we're going to rest up before we head out on the road tomorrow up the west coast where we'll be jetboating, checking out Franz Joseff Glacier, hanging out in Abel Tasman Park and going whale watching.

We may decide to stay in NZ and never go home...

PS You can see my bungy jump video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snNQWD4NAQ8

and our luge video is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkIJcvpEvdc