Thursday, November 12, 2009

Queenstown: There's no place like home

Once I arrived in Queenstown, I was a little apprehensive and my expectations were low. As much as it had been built up by so many backpackers, those thoughts had been shattered by Wanaka; most people in Wanaka believed it to be the better of the two.

I must say that Queenstown is amazing. It's basically a city filled with some of the best parts of Canada. Some call it a mini Whistler. I will admit that if it was snowing, I could have easily suffered from "snowboardinitis". A condition that many Canadians fall victim to during a winter visit to Queenstown.

After spending hours sitting at the lake, looking at the "Remarkables" (name of the mountain range), and longing for snow to fall under the gondola, I decided to book a trip to Milford Sound. Milford is up for nomination as the "8th Wonder of the World" and yes, it is incredible. We took a long, early morning drive through Te Anau then into the mountains and down through to a port where we boarded a boat to take a 2 hour cruise through the sound out to the edge of the Tasman Sea. Simply Brilliant. We saw plenty of dolphins, penguins and seals.

The next day I wandered around Queenstown, had an infamous "Fergburger" which was the biggest most delicious burger I've ever eaten in my life, followed by a few teapots at the local World Bar.

The following day we took off to Dunedin, had a short stop and continued onto Lake Tekapo. This lake is like nothing you've ever seen in your life. It's the most amazing turquoise! I did a hike today up Mt. John to the observatory where they have nightly viewings. Lake Tekapo has the most beautiful night sky in the Southern Hemisphere; hoping for a clear night tonight!

Off to Christchurch tomorrow to see Matt and Abby! So Excited!!

No comments:

Post a Comment