Queenstown

Arrived once again in darkness to our new destination... crazy Queenstown! Its the winter ski season here so lots of people wandering around in snowboarding outfits but no snow to be seen! Apparently the ski season was due to start early June but by early July they resorted to making snow and spraying at the top of the mountain so that the locals could start making some money - alot of people come here to do seasonal work but were all starting to head elsewhere as there were no jobs! But the weather for what we wanted to do was perfect, nice clear, cold, crisp, sunny days ..... ideal for canyon swinging and jet boating!!!!

First thing the next morning we headed in to bustling Queenstown to get ideas and booked up for some adrenaline filled fun times ... the town is lovely but filled with loads of british school kids! Went to enquire about the canyon swing where you swing off the edge of a cliff 360ft high above the Shotover river. The girl asked if we were ready to leave in half an hour, so without a chance to have any second thoughts we were on a little mini bus heading out to this big canyon!!!! Once there we also decided to go first as we thought if we saw anyone else jump off the edge we wouldnt do it. Unbeknown to us, the style of swing we went for wasnt the easiest, we went for the one where you are joined together and you step off the edge. This was the most scared we have ever been but helped being strapped to each other, once you have free falled for 60m you then swing over the canyon which was the fun bit. Mike decided that once was enough for him but I decided with the adrenaline rush I would spend our hard earned cash and throw myself off the edge again. This time they hung me over the edge for a few minutes and then let me go .... it was still good fun but we went straight for a well deserved wine and beer before our jet boat ride. Was definately thinking the jet boat ride wouldnt be as scary as the canyon swing but it was..... they drive you at high speed very very close to the rock walls, and the cold water on the face at this speed is a little sore, we both came off the boat with nice ruddy cheeks and new hairstyles!.... again, another quick drink!!! This was enough for us and we headed out for a nice meal and drinks, plenty of places to choose from and most with lovely roaring log fires....cosy!

The next morning we opted for a slightly more relaxing day, had a Fergberger for lunch (the most amazing giant burger ever) and then headed for the gondala and up the mountain to the skyline area where we played on the luge for most of the afternoon! They also had another 'swing' where you swing out beside the gondalas bringing tourists up the mountain and out over the mountain trrees looking down to Queenstown below. Mike decided against this one and I opted for the 'hang over the edge' swing!!! This was still fun and I loved swinging out over the trees.... again, another large glass of wine was needed straight away. There is a nice restaurant and bar at the top of the mountain with amazing views over Queenstown, after a couple of crazy days we decided to chill here for a bit and enjoy 'cocktail hour'. A few drinks later we were looking for dinner, they had a buffet option but they also had an option where you can fill one plate with as much dessert as possible for a fixed price ...... we thought that this was definately the best option for us and the most nutritional, so Mike and Lucy style we filled the plate up and then some with a lovely mixture of yummy desserts for our dinner!!!!

Time to leave Queenstown and head towards the amazing Milford Sound and the fiordlands. Beforehand though we were interested in checking out nearby 'Glenorchy'! We were curious to see if this little village in the middle of an island in the middle of the Pacific looked anything like Glenorchy at home. After a little sprinkling of snow overnight, the tips of the mountains were snow capped and the drive to Glenorchy reminded us of Glencoe, Fort William and Glen Etive. This part of new zealand was settled by the scots and alot of scots still remain. In fact, waiters, shop assistants and luge assistants are all either scottish or irish!!! Travelling in our campervan is great as we having everything we need with us, so an early departure from Queenstown and we stopped and made poached eggs on toast and sat at a picnic table in Glenorchy for breakfast - great start to the day!!!