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Week two- Queenstown
I'm going to start by saying that this was probably one of the best weeks ever. It was a typical Nadia (lets just impulsively do something to throw me completely outside my comfort zone and hope it pays off) thing to do when I booked a random 9 hour bus from Christchurch to Queenstown and a hostel, two days before I was about to go. I was honestly so apprehensive about going that I emailed loads of people for a bit of confidence that I would i fact find some people there. A few of the loads: Clark, Ronnie, Sally and obviously a huge recommendation from Anna and Mark. So anyway, I hopped on the bus thinking that this was all a bit of a dreadful idea, but no, this is New Zealand, and i was going to Queenstown. The rest is history! Haha! No seriously, I met three amazing Oz girls on the bus and four great English guys and we really hit it off and spent three amazing days and three 'manic' nights and one 'not so manic' night together. The bus journey in itself was actually good, we stopped off at lake Tekapo and watched as Stu took all his clothes off and went for a swim in the melted snowy lake, which broke the ice, haha! (Little pun for you there) ;) And we all found out about each other. A few of the guys had been traveling for 9 months and Queenstown was their last week, they'd been before on their trip and wanted to go back for their last week. The girls were over for a week of snow.
When we arrived I had absolutely no idea where my hostel was so Stuart helped me with a bit of navigating and carried my bag to 'Bumbles Backpackers'. When i got to the hostel i was a bit ill and cold and exhausted however the boys had managed to convince us girls to come out for a big first night in Queenstown and had given us all directions to their lodge...I just remember thinking that I really couldn't be arsed but somehow found myself getting ready to go out. I managed to pack my bag from Christchurch very poorly and forgot a single pair of jeans so I pulled on a dress, some cream wooly tights (that's only purpose in life was to be worn under sallopettes and to never be seen) and my new bright orange fluorescent toms courtesy of Anna. I was later told by Will and Stuart that 'if ten was hideous and one was hot I'd be a seven, and that the guys were a big deal in Queenstown and they couldn't be seen with me on their arm!' Haha! I walked about Queenstown helplessly in the dark with frostbite (very glad to have the hideous cream tights on now) for about half an hour until Stuart came and found me and made me some noodles to warm me up. Night one was probably the biggest night in Queenstown that we had. 5$ jaeger bombs in '1876' and then onto Whinnie's club and at the end of the night found myself in dorm 7 playing 'ring of fire' and drinking Midori. I've So many stories to tell from that night which won't be told on my blog but let's just say that I was regretting booking a bungee jump for the next day!
Day-1. Stuart met me, and my new found bumbles friend Peter who won his bungee free at a club, at the bungee station in town. Looking very fresh and full of hilarious stories from the night before. I hope you've seen the video of my jump! Despite my awesome whiplash, it was infact me jumping and not a rag doll dummy! It was just the most insane thing that I've ever done. The 135ft Nevis bungee was $260 and mine was only $180 and 43ft but it was so amazing! I'd do it again in a heart beat. DID NOT EXPECT THE WATER DUNK THOUGH! After the bungee me and Stuart had more noodles and went and did circuits in the park then went for a run around the lake. (Was just bringing a bit of Newlife Fitness to Queenstown!)
That evening I met the girls (Jessie, Mikaela, and Lauren) outside FergBurger and we went to a cute little Indian for dinner. I later had a night invasion into my dorm when I was fast asleep by Stuart who had been split up from the guys and didn't really know what was going on!
Day 2- I met the girls outside the station ready for a BIG day at Coronet Peak. My boots and board cost me $22/ £11 which is just ridiculously CHEAP however a days lift pass was $100. Eeeeek! Had a cheeky Skype to mum the day I arrived and she encouraged me to spend pretty much every penny I had on the mountain! The views from the top of the highest chair were just breathtaking. I couldn't believe how far I could see along the gorgeous snowy Southern Alps and down below the turquoise New Zealand lakes and long white clouds in the valley and the para gliders. I wish I could explain how awesome the view was, I couldn't get enough of it! It was just incredible to see, in front of my own eyes, the very best of Earth. Unfortunately I don't have a great deal of pictures of the view because my phone was in a grump and didn't like the cold. However, my phone loved the heat of the sweaty clubs so GREAT, my whole trip looks like I was a nocturnal alcoholic instead of a keen snow bunny! We did manage to sniff out a mountain ice shnapps and BBQ bar on the top of the mountain though! Cheeeeky! Coronet was a bit icy and and I fell on my left bum cheek on about five occasions but absolutely nothing beats flying down a mountain slightly on the edge of control.
Time for some APRÈS: We had pre drinks of Midori (melon liquor) at Nomads which is an insanely big hostel with about 600 student backpackers in it. Lauren and I had an interesting experience of making noodles when slightly drunk (sooo bored of noodles now) and the kitchen had about 50 students all cooking at once with really loud music. I just wanted to stay forever, so many interesting people! We caught the guys in '1876' and then onto 'Buffalos' then 'Whinnie's' again. Amazing.
Day 3- Had a fast morning, a slow sleepy hanging lunch and a lazy hilarious hilarious afternoon on the slopes watching Lauren take her first steps on a green slope! Lauren was insanely funny. After Coronet Peak I got ready for my last night in Queenstown :( and guess what I had for tea?! NOOOODLES! We all then went for a Chinese and after finding a very hungover stu and will in bar xtreme, we went on to have shot teapots in 'The Find'. There we picked up some guys who had just arrived in Queenstown and we showed them a great night haha! Felt like I was passing on the baton!
Almost missed my bus back to Queenstown the next morning but was woken up by a text from Nick all the way from the UK, 'BABY YOIR BUS!!!!???', who is still looking after me and how ditsy I am!
If I was to come back to New Zealand I would do it so differently already because I'm running out of time:
I would visit the ice bar in town which is 32$ entry but EVERYTHING is made of ice, like the glasses and bar and bottles ahah!
I would stay in Queenstown for a few weeks and get a job to have some money as three days was just hideously short. I wish I'd stayed for much longer and I miss it so much already!!
So my next blog entry will be about:
Hamner hot springs where i am just now and its snowing in hot natural pools and hopefully the Franz Josef Glacier where I will do my skydive!
Missing home but I've got the travel bug and I never want to leave!!! I want to travel forever!
However, I'm coming home a week early and skipping Sydney because its a money drainer for a poor person like me and I'd rather do skydiving and sand boarding and swim with dolphins than look at architecture! Save that for middle age!!
Love
Nadia x
Apologies for crap writing! Did not proof read!
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