We arrived in a rainy Queenstown at around two thirty in the afternoon. The bus journey from Dunedin had taken about four hours, but there was plenty of nice scenery on the way, so it flew by. We took the short walk up the hill to our hostel, then checked into a nice double room as it was only marginally more expensive than two dorm beds.

Once we were settled in we walked down into town to get our bearings. The town itself is a pretty little ski town, situated on the edge of Lake Wakatipu and surrounded by mountains on all sides. The area is famous in backpacker circles as 'the adventure capital of the world' and caters for adrenaline junkies by allowing you to climb up, jump off, ski down, or take-off from various peaks and rivers. We headed straight to the information centre and left shortly after with more leaflets than we could carry. We took a quick walk down to the lake front, then headed back to the hostel to get out of the rain.

In the evening we got chatting to the other travellers in our hostel over a few drinks, but chose to stay in watching Rainman when everyone else headed to town. We must be getting old!

After a good nights sleep - The first without a sleeping bag for a while - we got some breakfast then walked down to town. I had decided to do a bungy jump during our time in Queenstown, so we headed to the bungy centre to peruse the options. In the end I decided to go for the 43m Kiawaru Bridge Bungy, which is the worlds original jump site. The jump was booked for 9:30 the next morning, so I had the rest of the day to think about what I had just done.

In the afternoon we took a walk around the local park, where we found a frisbee-golf course (essentially 18 'holes' of getting a frisbee from A to B in the fewest possible throws). Bizarrely, the shop that rented the frisbee was on the other side of town, so we asked in the local ice rink if they had one. We rented one for $2.50, but it didn't fly very well so we gave up after ten minutes. So much for that! We took a walk along the lake instead which was quite pleasant.

In the evening we stayed in watching TV, fully aware that any alcohol wouldn't be a good idea with my impeding bungy the next day.

We were up early as I had to check in at the bungy centre by 8:30. After half an hour hanging around in the shop, where they have video loops of all the jumps, we got on a minibus and took the 20 minute drive to the bridge. No real nerves so far.

When we got to the bridge I had to get weighed in, then spent a few minutes with Amy watching the first few people jump. Everyone was going first time, which didn't bode well for me as I was sure I'd hesitate. I'd had enough waiting around, so I went on to the bridge and got my harness on. There were a couple of kids in their early teens ahead of me in the queue which I wasn't happy with, as I'd look daft if I didn't jump. I was slightly nervous at this point, but not as much as I'd expected to be.
All of a sudden, when I was sure I had about 10 minutes before I jumped, I was bumped ahead of the kids as they send people off in weight groups. I had to sit on the edge of the bridge whilst they secured the rope to me, but the staff keep you talking to keep your mind off the jump. The worst bit came next, as my feet were bound tightly together, but I needed to shuffle to the end of the jump platform. At this point you have no choice but to look down at the water 43m below. This was the point when I started to get a little nervy, but the staff are really good, and before you get a change to let it settle in, they give you a few instructions:

Look at the camera and wave.

Look over to the crowd and wave.

Focus on the bridge in the distance.

3-2-1 Jump.

Without really thinking you just go, and all of a sudden the river is heading towards you fast. Just as I thought I was about to hit it, the rope sprang me back up again and I was bouncing all over the place. It was great fun! I'd asked to hit the water, but at this time of year they can't guarantee it as the rope can get taut in the cold. It's probably a good job I didn't make it though, as the water would have been freezing.

After the jump we had to wait around for everyone else to finish, and the photos/videos to develop. The photo packages are expensive, but they were pretty good so I thought I'd treat myself.

When we got back into town we went to KFC as a treat, then went up the gondola to the top of the hill overlooking the town. After taking in the awesome views, we decided to have a go on the luge track that is situated at the summit. We did the compulsary easy run on our first go before racing each other down the curvier track. It was great fun.

Once we had finished on the luge, we spent a few minutes watching some people do The Ledge Bungy Jump that is situated at the top of the gondola. It was different to the one I did as you're attached at the waist and can run off, but the views are amazing as you jump out looking over the whole town. We took a short walk around the summit, then headed back home for some food.

Whilst drinking a few bottles of wine in the hostel, we got talking to an Irish guy called trevor, who persuaded us to go out for a few drinks. A couple of the bars gave 2 for 1 drinks when youn showed hostel keys too, so it wasn't too expensive. We got back home at about 3am after a really long day.

We got up the next day at about midday, after a well earned lie in. After the events of the day before, we had decided to have a quiet day, so we spent some time on the internet then watched films in the hostel. The new football season started later that night and our tv room had sky, so myself and some Irish lads spent the whole day clock watching before the first match at midnight. Amy went to bed after that game, but I stayed up until half past two in the morning.

After a second last start in a row, we decided to get up and do something productive for the day, so we planned a walk. Before that though, we decided to go to Fergburger for breakfast, which is a famous independent takeaway in the middle of Queenstown that apparently makes amazing burgers. Despite being sceptical at first, we can honestly say that they were probably the best burgers we have ever had. I had Angus beef with blue cheese and a plum chutney.

Once we were stuffed with burgers, we started our walk up one of the hills above the town. The walk was pretty easy going through the woods, but took about an hour and a half to reach the view point at the summit. We mucked around for a bit taking photos, before heading back down. Amy managed to get a couple of blisters too, so the walk back was a slow one.

During the time since my bungy jump, I had been telling Amy to have a go at something similar, and I'd finally managed to persuade her on the walk, so when we got back to town we headed straight to the bungy shop to book a couple of tickets for the Nevis Arc before she changed her mind. To clarify, the Nevis arc is the worlds biggest rope swing, with a radius of 125m that drops you right along the valley floor.

We spent the rest of the day in the hostel, and I was up until 5am this time watching Liverpool, and after all that they lost!

We woke up at about midday with Amy already thinking about the Nevis Arc. We had to check in at two o'clock, then get a bus like last time. On this journey though the guide was a real wind up merchant playing songs on the stereo like 'Free Falling' (Tom Petty), 'Jump' (Van Halen) and 'I believe I Can Fly' (R Kelly). I thought this was funny but Amy didn't.

When we got there we took a look at the frankly mental 134m Nevis bungy which we weren't jumping, then went to get kitted up. We had to walk over a rickety metal walkway to the platform, where we watched a few people swing first, then we got strapped in. They dangle you over the edge then ask if you want a countdown or a surprise. We opted for a surprise so he kept us chatting for a minute before letting us go mid sentence. All of a sudden we just dropped away then saw the floor coming towards us, before we changed direction and swung right over the valley floor. It was great fun, but I think Amy was just relieved at first. We bought the photos, then went on to the internet to get them uploaded that evening.

After an exhausting day we got an early night for a change. The next day was our last in Queenstown, and we had a trip to Milford Sound planned.

We were up at six in the morning to catch our bus just before seven. The journey took five hours, but we slept for the first couple before reaching Milford Road. the driver provided commentary along the way which kept up awake, and we were glad he did because the views were stunning. We drove through thick jungle, past mountains and waterfalls and alongside recent avalanches. There were regular stops for photo opportunities too so we got trigger happy and took loads.

Once we reached Milford Sound, we all got on a boat for a cruise out, past Mitre Peak, to the end of the Fjord and back. Everywhere we looked was beautiful, and my camera was struggling to take the strain. The boat took us under waterfalls and got us soaked, but the weather was pretty nice so we dried off soon enough. We saw some penguins and seals along the way as well which was nice.

When the bus headed back we were tempted to take a nap, but we managed to stay awake at least until the end of the Milford Road again. Another Fergburger when we arrived back in Queenstown, then off to bed. We'd had a great time in the last week, but it had cost us a pretty penny, and we were ready to move on...