Queenstown Jan-25-2010

We made it to Queenstown Sunday on schedule; a very bumpy landing; winds 40K, sharp right angle turns as we spiral down between the mountains – Pilot talking us through the expectations so no heroics from any passenger. We landed quite safely 10-minutes early! Liz & Helen left us a note with AVIS; they had walked to the Marina Apartments. The hotel was only 2+K from the airport all downhill and they needed fresh air after their long journey! We understood that very well!
Within an hour of landing we had our luggage and rental car; and met at the hotel. The roads are simpler than around Hamilton. The hotel is new; we have a 2-bedroom unit facing Lake Wakatiu with the towering Remarkables mountains as a backdrop; kitchen, laundry, and balcony. New World grocery shopping is 2K away and Frankton Arm walkway an easy-1-hour trek is minutes from our door. We’ve hit pay dirt again!
Queenstown surpasses all our expectations! Downtown is compact bordered by Lake Wakatiu and the Remarkables. We gravitated to the lake first! On route we talked to crew and actors involved with a Bollywood production called ‘I hate Love Stories’. The leading lady is the daughter of the game show host on ‘Slum Dog Millionaire’. We decided to orientate ourselves with a ride on the Skyline Gondola, 790m above Queenstown. We were not disappointed; breathtaking views of the lake, the mountains and the town. For perhaps an hour we sat at the top and watched people testing their driving skills in a series of downhill hairpin bends in a luge; or paraglide in tandem and singularly from the mountain’s edge. We watched in awe has the pilots straightened their lines, harnessed in their passenger and then jumped off the face of the mountain into the updraft! They soared over Queenstown, the lake and into the valleys! We watched spelled bound; Liz the only one with a yearning to try ... medical insurance coverage kept her by our side!
Hunger drove us off the mountain for home! By 2pm we were ready to explore some more. This time we drove north to Arrowtown. Gold was discovered in the Arrow River in 1862 and thousands of miners from around the world flocked to the area. At the height of the rush, 7,000 people lived here; building cottages of stone and timber, hotels, saloons and gambling /dance halls. Today the town is preserved with most of the original `fronts’ to attract tourists; for $3.00 + $10 deposit you may rent a pan and go down to the river to search for gold. A colourful town and we did see a few golden flecks!
On the drive back to Queenstown, we stopped at Shotover River Canyon to watch the jet boats fly through the canyon at record breaking speeds and spins with water flying everywhere.... no thank you! The canyon was jagged cut, through very steep cliff; water aqua green and the sand fine & warm. We were home a little after 6; tired from all the sun and fresh air. Tomorrow we move further south to Te Anau, as we celebrate Helen’s birthday and prepare for our trip to Milford Sound on Wednesday.
So far we love the south island of NZ!