Queenstown - self styled 'adventure capital of the world'. Sitting on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, surrounded by mountains, this is Ambleside on speed. There are more ways here to part with your money by risking life and limb than you have ever imagined. Bungy jumping (invented here in 1988), white water rafting, jetboating, river surfing, whitewater sledging, base jumping, canyoning, mountain biking, paragliding...the list seems endless. And if the adrenalin fuelled rush gets too much you can opt for gentler activities such as horseriding, ballooning or a ride on a steamboat on the lake. For the real adrenaline junkies, though, nothing will quite beat the farm tour with its jaw dropping demonstrations of sheep shearing.

Needless to say all this attracts a lot of tourists. Mostly young people but a fair number of older ones and, for some reason, lots of Japanese. I didn't have the Japanese down as thrill seekers - maybe I've misjudged them.

For Kate and I arriving from the emptiness of New Zealand's Southland this was all a bit of a shock. So having stocked up on some essentials and done a quick walk up Queenstown Hill to get the views we decided that the excitment was too much and decamped to Glenorchy - 40 km north at the end of the lake and, if anything, in an even more spectacular setting. Here we've found a nice quiet campsite with resident Paradise Duck and very laid back owners. And good WiFi!

Glenorchy is prime walking country. The Routeburn Track - number 10 in the world's 10 best walks apparently (Who decides these things? Is there a UN '10 Best in the World' Commission?) - starts from here and there are plenty of less challenging walks around. With a good weather forecast for a change we're looking forward to changing our driving shoes for walking boots.