Day 310 / 2016 - A Trip Across the Ditch Part 2

We continue our road trip around the South Island of New Zealand taking in all the spectacular scenery New Zealand had on offer. We are now heading into the mountainious region of the South Island.

Day 7 Dunedin to Queenstown

Our castle accommodation included breakfast as part of the room tariff. We headed to the breakfast dining room which this time was in the old stables. Arriving a little early we had to wait a few minutes while they finished setting up. Settling down at a table for six we order a cooked breakfast with the lot (no tomato for me) as well as some cereal and toast. The others sooner joined us smelling the aroma of frying bacon wafting outside. Finishing breakfast and admiring the view for one last time from the balcony we reluctantly checked out. Taking a final walk around the gardens we jumped in the bus and headed for our next destination Queenstown.

We passed through a number of small towns stopping at the village of Milton for a morning tea. We passed through beautiful valleys and crossed flowing streams one after the other continually remarking how green everything was and how magnificent the snow capped Mountains were. Stopping in at Alexandria for lunch we made Queenstown by late afternoon. Our accommodation was a little difficult to find this time as there were no visible signs. After a few phonecalls we discovered that our accommodation was in the same complex as the Mantra if only they had mention the key box located next to the mantra reception.

Booking in we tossed a coin to determine who would get what room then settled in. The view from the balcony overlooked lake Wakatipu with the snow capped Remarkable mountains as the backdrop. The unit was about 6 km from the centre of town and contained three bedrooms each with there own ensuite as well as a fully equipped kitchen. That afternoon we took a drive into town and booked a meal at the Stratosfare resturaunt which is 700 metres up Bob's Peak above the town and is accessible by a 10 minute gondola ride. We also wanted to try out the Luge track located in the same complex but we thought to wait untill we get there as the weather forecast was not favorable for open air activities that day.

Doing a little supply shopping at the local supermarket we then made our way to the bottleshop for wine then order pizza for tea from Dominos which we took back to the unit to consume with the wine. John and Leila booked a scenic flight over Milford Sound which also included a boat and kayak tour. We were a bit concerned about the weather but they did provide a guarantee they would not charge them if the weather was too bad to go.

Day 8 Queenstown

It rained overnight but the morning was clear. Fresh snow had fallen on the mountains and it was bright up enough (although a bit cold) for us to go for walk around the lake. We watched the jet boats passed under the bridge we stood on before returning back to our unit.  Taking a drive into town we booked ourselves and Frank and Alice a lake cruise on the TSS Earnslaw as well as a horse trek over at Walter Peak.

By the afternoon weather had once again degenerated into a cold wind with showers. John and Leila decided they would like to experience a jet boat ride which goes out into Lake Wakatipu and up one of its tributaries. A strong cold wind was now blowing across the lake and the boat was bouncing as it pulled up to the small jetty. Undeterred they boarded the boat heading off into the wild waters of the South Island rivers. They returned about an hour later all excited about how it had been an exhilarating trip.They made it back to the accommodation just as it began raining constantly.

That evening we headed out for dinner at the Stratosfare resturaunt. We had intended to ride the luge beforehand but due to the falling rain we decided against it. Riding the the gondola the the rain on the windows had obscured some of the view but we could still make out Queenstown. Arriving at the top we all ordered drinks then Anne and I took in a Maori Huka demonstration which was hugely entertaining. The first part was somber as a sign of respect to their culture but the fun soon started with lots of audience participation. After the show we joined the others at a window seat overlooking Queenstown way below.

The buffet dinner was scrumptious with a wide selection of culinary delights from different nationalities. The food tasted fresh which is sometimes at odds with the buffet style of dining. Unfortunately Alice couldn't make it as she was not feeling well we hoped she would be okay for the horse ride in the morning. After stuffing ourselves silly we returned to the ground once again via the gondola. It was still raining but we could clearly see the lights of Queenstown as we made our way down again. Exiting we made a dash for the car then made our way back to the apartment to retire for the evening.

Day 9 Queenstown

Morning broke to another fine day although once again a little cold. There was another fresh dump of snow visible up on The Remarkable mountains. Today there were a number of tours booked, John and Leila were off to Milford Sound via a scenic flight with the rest of us heading for a lake cruise and horse trek. John an Leila left early being picked up by the tour company. The rest of us jumped in the bus and headed for a parking spot near the lake. Parking is difficult in Queenstown with all the free and cheap parking gone by early morning. What left was $2.00 per half an hour with a max of $12.00 for a whole day up to 9 am.

Walking to the boat we checked in and given our boarding passes which included a 40 minute horse trek. The boat left her berth and steamed gracefully across the he lake. The Earnslaw is an early period steamship powered by a fully working steam engine. Our captain gave us a brief history of the Earnslaw and how it came to working the lake as we sailed. Docking at Walter Peak Station 45 minutes after we left Queenstown we were met by Lloyd who was to be our guide. We walked up to the horse marshalling area where he assigned us each a horse whom he though would suit our riding skills.

Leading he guided us along a trail that took us to an outcrop of high ground where we could get a clear view of the valley below. This was our first horse ride in many years but we soon felt comfortable perch high on our steeds. Leaving our lofty lookout we then wound down another trail eventually leading back to the stables. Dismounting we then walked (sorely) back to the main house where tea and scones were supplied as a morning tea. The Earnslaw returned to pick us up again so bidding farewell to Lloyd we then steamed back to the Earnslaws berth located next to the main centre of Queenstown. Returning back to the accommodation we met with John and Leila who had also just returned excited from their flight and cruise over at Milford Sounds. They relating how spectacular it was flying between the mountain peaks and how lucky they were with the weather. That evening we found a pub which served great grub for dinner before once again retiring for the night.

Day 10 Queenstown to Christchurch

Reluctantly we packed up and checked out of our accommodation which had been home for the past 3 nights. It was also sad as this was the last day Frank and Alice would be with us as they were flying back home tomorrow. On the return journey we stopped at the bungy jumping centre and watch as 4 brave souls take there turn at leaping of the bridge spanning the river below.

We drove over Lindis Pass which had a sparse covering of snow. We all jumped out at the parking area located at the top of the pass and decided to throw snowballs at each other. Getting back in we took off just as a large tourist bus pulled up that was close the peace would be briefly shattered. We stopped at Omaramara for fuel and lunch the headed towards the coast passing through more spectacular lake country. We spotted a lot more caravans in this area as there were bountiful camping spots by the lakes with the ground a lot flatter than further south from where we had come.

Returning to Christchurch we booked back into the Quality Elm then shared a final meal at what had become a favourite in Christchurch the Thai Po Thong resturaunt. That evening we had our final drinks. There will be no more spontaneous outbursts of "Get to da Choppa's" or "I like pizza Steebe"