Queenstown (with sam)

Arrived in Queenstown after waiting for my bus which was late for over an hour; partly delayed and partly due to fault on the ticket!!!! 5 hours later we roll into Queenstown. For the first time i have to negotiate the town by myself, with no help from the lonley planet guide (emma has it). So i stod arond for a bit just being, then i decided to pop into the tourist info that i was so conveniently next to - i didnt notice till then. Sorted witha map and armed with all my stuff, i set forth in search of my hostel. Now why is it that maps dont tell you how steep hills are eah?Is it possibly due to the fact that nobody would book to stay in certain hostels if they did? I suspect so. As it happened my hostel was perched at the VERY TOP of the hill over Queenstown. The climb was worse than the death climb in Tekapo, minus the rockfalls, but armed with a fully packed back pack, rucksack and food bag, with locals looking on in amusement - no help offered. So as you can imagine by the time i got to the top, and very wwell i may add too, i must have looked as if i spent a week on Mount Cook running a marathon. Falling in the door i muffled a quick 'hi' at the residents and jumped into the shower sharpish. Refreshed and smelling like cheap soap i wandered into the kitchen an set about making dinner. There i got chatting to a group of old guys (thanks god - hummm), 4 brothers from auz. There we chatted and drank and ate and all was well. I also met another guy from birmingham who had just got here from auz to work the season. He had unfortunaly landed a job in the vineyards and wasnt best pleased. The next morn i met some more people who have come here for work. Most people are not having much luck as this year things seem to have got off early start where recuritment for the winter ski jobs is concerned.  

Snow and cold in town

Before leaving the warmth of the hostel i booked up to do the ledge swing which is a swing thing right at the top of the hill.more later....

My first day was bitter cold, grey and windy and snowing. I had a long lie- in and the thought of being out all day was not a good one. I put on all the clothes i owned and went in search of a scarf or 'scaf' as Jo Taylor would say (just thought of you). Mission successful after some kid tried to sell me one for $50 - do i look rich??!!- but settled for much cheaper option.

I generally pottered around the streets in search of art galleries i was told about, and anything elce that caught my eye. I headed down to the far end of town past the quay as it was so bloody windy. I walked down a tree lined ave by the lake. All the trees were having thier golden leaves whipped around and the water was choppy. I then headed back into town after what must have been 5 seconds. One back in town i had a look throught the shops and and it turns out that this tourist town (which is a bit of a shame as its quite pretty when its sunny) has not 1, but 2 oldy sweet shops. The first one was a British Lolly shop with all the sweets stacked in tubs with the red lids. It was run by a guy from Lancishire who infromed me all of it was impoted from the uk, apart from 2 choc bars. He also had a selection of british groceries which made me laugh. Apparently the brits come in to get the stuff when they are on hols - what loozers. I mean cant you cope a few weeks without yorkshire puds, birds custard powder and marmite?? I felt i should support the shops cause and i bought some old scholl bubble gum and some big red cinnamon chewing gum - isnt that american i ask myself??!! Then wandering through tow i stumble across the other sweet shop. Well i couldnt exactally not go in now could i? Shop Two was named the Remarkable sweet shop after the 'Remarkables', the mountains which truly are, and look over the town. Inside the shop there were sweets stacked in glass jars, boxes and thier contents of bars exposed, a hand made choc diplay cabinet and a fudge cabinet. There was cappachino, mocha, rocky road, choc mousse and this one with red balls in it. The guy asked if i wanted to try and i said YES. So then after i had tasted and asked questions i kind of had to buy some. So i settled with the mousse one and and One with red ball which was actually choc orange. so then i was happy. more happy than ever.

Insparational Galleries.. my boring bit so short and sweet

There was a really interestin artist that caught my eye in one galley. All his pics were really simple. A pain egg like figure in a bid space, looking a bit lost and well sad. When i asd about him the lady said he wanted to illustrate childrens book but ended up doing paintings as they sold. Cool. but sad. Then in another gallery there is a guy who traditionaly did lanscapes. The one day he looked at his dog when he was leaving and i looked really sad. He said that dog looks lonley. So he painted a picture. But it was different to his usual stuff, it was cartoony and humerous. A usual client saw it and loved it, but the picture was only for his kids. He went on to write a book about the dog  and now he is famous and has a major grand spanking gallery in Queenstown. now wouldnt it be nice if all our lives worked out like that. The funny thing was when looking at his work some of it looked just ok, some was crap, and some was amazing. I suppose its like that tho, ood days bad days. I just hope mine turns out ok. If it doesnt just say it does anyway. thanks.

The rest of the afternoon was spent trying to get sketchbook done, food shopping, and chatting to a couple at the hostel, the brummy guy and a american who just would not shut up. He kept going on about these plans he had to change the cities. i mean they were good but he was just such a bloody bore but loved the sound of his voice. Does that sound like anyone you know?? so that sent me to sleep.

Skyline and the gondola 

Up early today and the sun shone. Queenstown was like a completely different place. The sky was blue, the lake was blue, you could actually see the mountains covered in snow and the golden leaves in the trees. All in all it was a  good start to the day. I headed into town early and had a goose around the water edge. It was lovely, what with the boats, the tress and the market that was being set up, it was 1000 miles apart from the ugly Queenstown; grey, cold and all tourist shops and tack.

I headed up the hill so i could get on to the gondola up to the Skyline complex. The gondola ( a cable car up the side of the hill, with only space for 4 people sitting) route is clearly visable in the photos, where there is  line cut hrought the trees on the steep hill side. I jumped in a gondola and a family of there joined me. There was a young couple with there little lad who was about 4. They all seemed very nice and where travelling nz for 4 months whist the lad was still young. The view on the way up was cool. By the time you got to the top it was amazing. You could see right over the thill and lake to the mountains. It was stunning. Whilst i was waitng for the sky swing i just had a walk about, looking at the views.  

Sky swing

My time had come to face the skyswing. I wasnt really nervous untill i had to sign a few forms to say it was my responsiblity if i died and it caused trauma my family watching. That wasnt a prob as they wernt here, so i idid consider putting a deposit down for the dvd if i did die. he he. When i got down there the family had come to watch which was nice. The lady took my camera to get some photos....

I walked down to the bungy platform which was hanginf over this real steep drop, to the right of the gondolas. I watched a few people throwing themselves of the ledge and felt glad i wasnt doing it. The guy got me all harnessed up and i went across to the inner ledge. I asked if there was any chance that i would land on top of the gondola pods, and he said yes it was very high. how reasurring. From there i got lowered down a meter or two in the harness and i was trying to remember all the safety advice i had to take on board whilst hanging over this sheer drop. In order to sake the swing you have to hang there in this harness and pull this tag so that you fall and swing. The guy counted me down 3,2,1... 'arrhhhhhhhhhhhh arhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaarhjhhhhhhhhhhhhh. s*** s*** oh my god, what am i doing'. And that was pretty much how it went. It was quite a shock you see. As you pull the thing your body just falls straight down and you go all floppy. It kind of differnt to the bungy, cause then at least you have to phyche yourself up and you throw yourself off. With the swing you are just lying in thin air only to pull and chord and hurtle down then out over queentown and the trees. It was pretty cool tho. I got back to lots of popel talking and smiling at me on the viewing platform. The lady said that i had got quite an audience and a lot of appreciation. I think it was due to the fact that i was ther first one to do it and i have a big mouth. I got the dvd so i hope there is noise on it. it was actually a bit embarrasing as it just came out. next time i want to do the bungy. There was this little 11 year old who did the bungy. I cant believe her parents let her do it but they were american so that explains a lot.

The Luge

After watching other pitiful attempts at having fun, i said goodbye to the family and sat and had luncheon over looking the view. Then i decided it was high time i gave the luge a ago. The luge is basically a down hill cart track which you ride in a toboggan with wheels. Its as funa s it sounds!!!  You clamber onto chair lift to the top of the hill witha bike helmet. There you hop off and hope to god that you dont get pushed over or swept up by your chair. You then purchase a ticket for the number of goes you get to go down. Now if you havent bben before you have to go on the 'scenic track' first, which to me didnt sound too fun. It would be far more my style to hop on the advanced track, not know how to drive the cart and fall over the edge of the mountain. Very risque but fun. Unfortunatly i stuk to the rules just because if i did die it may be hard to get hold of family and emmas to take me home. Maybe no-one would even notice if i had gone, for a few weeks anyway. So the scenie track was more fun tan anticipated, especially if you dont use your break and ride through tunnels and alongside kids that clearly have no fear. Up the chair lift again and down the advanced course. There was lots of bumps which i flew over and tilted roads, but i felt like i was getting old. I realised i had my hand on the break most of the way down!!!! Damn you stupid fool, this was ment to be exteme fun, stop playing like a parent and get moving. I fact i think the mums were going fast then me at one point. Im retrospect i think it would be a good idea to purchase unlimited rides so that you can get your extreme ride with practice makes perfect and all that... and so you dont end up showing yourself up by getting over-taken by the equavalient of the saga bus tour.

After the trauma of realiseing i am no longer the fearless young bean i once used to be, i headed down the gondola into town where i mooched a few more art galleries, as older people should, and settled for a lavender hot choclate which was bloody gorgeous.

The Gardens

The gardens looked lovely. The contrast of the yellow and red leaves (it autumn here) against the greenery was amazing. There are lots of tall thin trees lining the lake and the gardens are full of colour. Topuary hedges, statues and a little bridge and pond make this the ideal spot for a picnic in the summer.

Night out in the Party Capital

By the time i had got back to the hostel i was dark and time for tea. There all the 'regulars' were having a few drinks, but i had to pack my stuff as i had a bus to catch at 8:25 in the morn. It nice to be prepared so i said i would join them in a bit. And so i did. Turns out they had been drinking sice about 4, and went to play the frizby course in the park ( yes i though how odd too, but it exists!). I had a few beers from last night so got tea and we all sat and chatted. They were on the harder stuff like wine and brandy, and when the bottle was offered around i couldnt possibly say no - i mean its impolite isnt it. So time went on and drink went down and all was well. I i have to say i had wanted to see what Queentown was like at night. Everyone says it is the place to party. Everone was heading out and i as quite pissed at this satge but didnt notice and decided to go too. We ended up in this bar and i was dancing on the table, chatting to loads of randoms etc. Then me and the english girl and one of the american girls went off to another bar. Welll we ended up in many bars, none of which i can reallly remember. At the end of the night i started to sober up a bit and we had to geta taxi up the hill as there is no way i could have walked. By the time we got back i must have literally colapsed into bed...but i did have time to glance at my watch... it was 5 oclock!!!! oh my god. and with that i fell asleep. sorry. with that i fell unconcious.

 Will i ever learn?    

  The next morn i woke up and got stratight out of bed not even thing about the hangover just thinking Bus Bus. I got all my stuff togeather as fast as i could and ased people waht the time was. On one seemed to know than a guy on the computer said oh its 9:30. I said what?!! he said 9:30. And i was like s*** s*** s*** s***. Ive missed my bus. Arhhhhhhhhhhh. So it was tyhen i realised i was still drunk. I went to the hostel reception and had to book another one for later that avo. I lied down on the sofa and started to fell ill. Very ill. So ill i couldnt eat, sleep, talk, think. In fact i think at the time if someone had offerd me death i would have taken it without hesitating. I stayed there for what must have been the best part of the morning, and then hopped in the shower for the rest of the day. By then it was time for the bus and i was worried about dying on it. As it happened i had a can of coke and felt much better. On the bus i kept lolling between sleep and not sleep and it felt good. I arrived in Lake Wanaka feeling slightly disorientated but better one the less.

After a two day hangover, and missing your bus, you begin to ask yourself, when, if ever will i grow up? This is a question i can never answer. Everytime i think i can have just a few nice drinks of and evening it all goes OTT, you forget you are drinking, and the next day pound coins are popping up your throat and down the toilet. Oh well, must keep trying.  

So that was Queentown.... If you want to party its the place to be. You wont remember much tho. You wont have much money left when you leave there as you will be temted by al the adrenalin tourist stuff to do. And if is cold and grey the place is a dump.