DAY 18 - 21: QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND

Friday, Feb 07  Day 18 - Monday, Feb 10  Day 21

QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand 

We said goodbye to Australia and got ready for our adventures in New Zealand -- first stop Queenstown.  Queenstown is known for its awe-inspiring mountains, beautiful fjords and numerous outdoor adventures (it is often known as the "Adventure Capital of the World").   Flying into Queenstown was an experience itself -- flying thru the mountains and landing in a valley at a small airport (when the pilot said "prepare to land" there was no visible land in sight).   So in prep of what we would experience, Beth and I decided that we would "not be ourselves" and we became "New Zealand Beth" and "Kiwi Karen" (kiwi is the national bird)

Upon our arrival in Queenstown, we connected with Denise and Andy who were once again joining us for a few days.   We spent the afternoon exploring the area and as always indulging in good drinks and food. Queenstown reminded everyone of Boulder, Colorado due to its laid back atmosphere and population of young kids lounging about the town.  The town is situated on Lake Wakatipu, a long z-shaped lake formed by melting glaciers, and surrounded by the spectacular  mountain ranges. The scenery is stunning and magnificent and I lack the words to adequately describe it.

See pic of guy flyboarding,  the guys were mesmerized -- and jealous. 

At our hotel our bellman is also our concierge -- Ed.  He is an adorable 23 yr old (who reminded us of Danny Bloomstone) and he turned out to be a great concierge.  He steered us to all the best restaurants.

Saturday : Dart River Funyak Tour

Our day started at 7:30am with a 45 minute coach ride to Glenorchy.   We were given a wetsuit, rubber boots, fleece shirt, and life jacket and were directed to the changing rooms.  I interrogated the staff re the cleanliness of our outfits (" I do" believe that they are washed after each use!) 

But in the end, KiwiKaren donned the gear and we all got ready for our jet boat ride up the Dart River. 

The ride was at speeds of up to 85 Kmh (approx 55mph) winding through the narrow and braided river system on water depths as little as 6 inches.  The ride even included exciting 360 degree jet spins.  Our jet ride took us to the inflatable canoes where we paddled through the channels of the Dart River.  The scenery was spectacular with many of the mountain tops snow covered against the blue sky of our perfect day.

Sunday: Doubtful Sound Excursion

This day started at 7am and included many forms of transportation (taxi, bus, ferry, bus) to get to the isolated Doubtful Sound. 

Doubtful Sound is part of the Fjordland National Park (a fjord is a long, narrow body of water created by glacial erosion surrounded by steep cliffs). We took a 3 hour cruise on a catamaran viewing the pristine scenery -- waterfalls, mountains and numerous little islands (all untouched by man).  We were fortunate to have perfect weather and sat outside basking in the sun.  We were also lucky to see Bottlenose Dolphins who were swimming and playing alongside our boat, New Zealand Fur Seals basking on rocks and swimming in little pools, a white albatross and a black swan, who flew in from Australia (he looked tired).  The highlight was when the captain announced that he was turning off the engine and asked that everyone stay perfectly still -- no cameras or movement.   We were treated to perfect silence surrounded by beauty and nature.

 

Monday : Free Day

After two action packed days, we were all ready to have a day to sleep late, relax, exercise, and catch up on emails, blogs etc.  We all reconnected around noon for a little shopping (girls shopped while guys picked up our rental car). We headed to Arrowtown, a former gold mining town.  The town consisted of one street so we toured it pretty quickly.  We rented bikes and rode on a windy path alongside the Arrow River.   We ended our bike ride with ice cream -- of course. 

It was another perfect day -- sunny, blue skies and in the high 70's.   Throughout the day, we saw many hang gliders coasting along the mountainside (looked tempting to some, but...)

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Queenstown.   Tomorrow we say goodbye to Denise and Andy and head off to Franz Josef.

Miss and love you,

The Sisselberg's (via Karen)