Originally, I had planned to visit the Great Barrier Reef, but a chance meeting with an adventurous New Zealander in the summer persuaded me to forego this in favour of a tour of New Zealand's South Island.
Distances in Australia are immense and I have no wish to spend more time constantly on the road after 3 months in a bus. New Zealand has a lot to offer and I am anxious for discovery.
Landing in Queenstown is like travelling to another universe. We fly in over snow capped mountains, jagged and precipitous and then descend along a valley with the river below into a sunsoaked pretty airport. I am unprepared for the cold air which hits me as we exit the plane and quickly don my fleece for warmth. It's 23C and I'm freezing.
Queenstown is an easy place to love. It is small, quaint and lively, surrounded by beautiful mountains and situated at the end of a glassy, turquoise blue lake. It's a scene straight off a picture postcard.
My accommodation is a cross between a backpackers and a hotel and is perched halfway up a mountain. The room overlooks Queenstown and the view is well worth the climb. Families, young backpackers, and oldies like me, mix and chat in the kitchen and lounge.
The Shotover Jetboat experience up the river is recommended with Skippers Canyon adding a 4x4 rough track mountain ascent to get to and from the start point. I am also keen to do some walking and horse riding. By the end of my few days there, I have climbed a mountain, ridden through fields of wild lupins, fairy woods, up glacial rivers, and seen where they filmed Lord of The Rings. I have also ridden in a high speed Jetboat up a narrow canyon in less than a foot of white water, after scaling a mountain track with sheer drops off the side (memories of Kathmandu put that into perspective though!). Time to move on for more adventures.
Distances in Australia are immense and I have no wish to spend more time constantly on the road after 3 months in a bus. New Zealand has a lot to offer and I am anxious for discovery.
Landing in Queenstown is like travelling to another universe. We fly in over snow capped mountains, jagged and precipitous and then descend along a valley with the river below into a sunsoaked pretty airport. I am unprepared for the cold air which hits me as we exit the plane and quickly don my fleece for warmth. It's 23C and I'm freezing.
Queenstown is an easy place to love. It is small, quaint and lively, surrounded by beautiful mountains and situated at the end of a glassy, turquoise blue lake. It's a scene straight off a picture postcard.
My accommodation is a cross between a backpackers and a hotel and is perched halfway up a mountain. The room overlooks Queenstown and the view is well worth the climb. Families, young backpackers, and oldies like me, mix and chat in the kitchen and lounge.
The Shotover Jetboat experience up the river is recommended with Skippers Canyon adding a 4x4 rough track mountain ascent to get to and from the start point. I am also keen to do some walking and horse riding. By the end of my few days there, I have climbed a mountain, ridden through fields of wild lupins, fairy woods, up glacial rivers, and seen where they filmed Lord of The Rings. I have also ridden in a high speed Jetboat up a narrow canyon in less than a foot of white water, after scaling a mountain track with sheer drops off the side (memories of Kathmandu put that into perspective though!). Time to move on for more adventures.
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