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T&KonTour
Monday 14 March, Wanaka to Queenstown
Big day today, birthdays for Kathy and Colin. The first stop was at a small quilting and craft shop on the outskirts of Wanaka, and then we continued on for a kilometre or so to the airport. There we found the National Transport & Toy Museum. Another place where we made use of our Senior status and received a discount on the entry price. A remarkable collection of all sorts of stuff, but rather stacked together due to the lack of display space. They are constructing a new 4 storey building which is being sunk 2 levels into the ground due to the proximity to the airstrip.
There are two routes from Wanaka to Queenstown. One tracks over the mountains, the other through a gorge and takes 20 minutes longer. We chose Crown Range Road over the mountain and on our one-hour drive were rewarded with panoramic views over Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu. We also stopped at the historic Arrowtown for lunch and an ice cream. Very cute "one street" town that was the centre of a gold mining industry, but now mines the tourists. Good for a quick stop though. Then on to Queenstown and the St James Apartments which are very close to the centre of town.
The girls poshed up and we headed to the wharf where the -5 Ice Bar is located. Despite the name the bar is kept at -8°C with almost everything (including the walls, bar, glasses and seats) made of ice. On with the heavy duty jackets, gloves, and footwear for the girls. We lasted half an hour (which we were informed was better than most) and downed a couple of cocktails each. Then a 600m walk to the base of the cable car. We climb over 450m above the town on the steepest cable car in the southern hemisphere. Our tickets entitled us to a pre-dinner drink in the bar, followed by an up-market buffet with a table next to the window. Even when the sun eventually disappeared we still had a lovely view with all the lights in the town. After a great birthday dinner, we walk slowly back through town to our apartment.
Big day today, birthdays for Kathy and Colin. The first stop was at a small quilting and craft shop on the outskirts of Wanaka, and then we continued on for a kilometre or so to the airport. There we found the National Transport & Toy Museum. Another place where we made use of our Senior status and received a discount on the entry price. A remarkable collection of all sorts of stuff, but rather stacked together due to the lack of display space. They are constructing a new 4 storey building which is being sunk 2 levels into the ground due to the proximity to the airstrip.
There are two routes from Wanaka to Queenstown. One tracks over the mountains, the other through a gorge and takes 20 minutes longer. We chose Crown Range Road over the mountain and on our one-hour drive were rewarded with panoramic views over Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu. We also stopped at the historic Arrowtown for lunch and an ice cream. Very cute "one street" town that was the centre of a gold mining industry, but now mines the tourists. Good for a quick stop though. Then on to Queenstown and the St James Apartments which are very close to the centre of town.
The girls poshed up and we headed to the wharf where the -5 Ice Bar is located. Despite the name the bar is kept at -8°C with almost everything (including the walls, bar, glasses and seats) made of ice. On with the heavy duty jackets, gloves, and footwear for the girls. We lasted half an hour (which we were informed was better than most) and downed a couple of cocktails each. Then a 600m walk to the base of the cable car. We climb over 450m above the town on the steepest cable car in the southern hemisphere. Our tickets entitled us to a pre-dinner drink in the bar, followed by an up-market buffet with a table next to the window. Even when the sun eventually disappeared we still had a lovely view with all the lights in the town. After a great birthday dinner, we walk slowly back through town to our apartment.
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