They made it! Phil (Ken’s brother) and Tanya (sister-in-law) joined us for ten days of excitement, which kicked off in Queenstown - the adventure capital of New Zealand. We began by hiking to a peak overlooking the town (we gave each other accolades for taking the “difficult route” as 99% of the tourists rode the gondola to the summit). The weather cooperated so we caught a panoramic view overlooking Lake Wakatipu and city below (pop: 11,000).
We purchased three rides on the hilltop “luge” - essentially a three wheel go-cart type track near the top of the gondola. The “advanced” track was far superior because we could gain speed on our mini carts as we sped around the banked corners. To reward our efforts we opted for the easy route down the hill - the gondola.
The drive through the local wineries in Gibbston Valley gave us views of the autumn-colored foliage (remember it’s fall here in the southern hemisphere). We sampled a range of excellent wines (the region is known for pinot noirs but we actually preferred the whites). Our favorite was a sauvignon blanc flavored with feijoa, a local green fruit similar to a guava with a tart apple flavor.
We enjoyed a luxurious lunch on the winery’s sun-filled patio, but the eatery winner was the perennial favorite “Fergburger,” where we gorged on ginormous “best burgers in town.” What a great first day!
The following morning began with a thrilling ride on the “shotover jet,” a hover-craft-type speedboat ride along the shallow and rocky Shotover Canyon. The wet and wild ride included 360 degree spins and near cliff swerves. The guys definitely rated this as a highlight as we all screamed and threw our hands in the air (the blistery wind nearly froze our faces but we didn’t care).
After driving an hour along the lake towards Glenorchy we found a recommended nature hike. Tanya and I power walked while the guys took a slower “photographers pace” (we later learned their slow pace was because they got lost).
We drove south to Te Anau and walked a brief hike along the Kepler Track - or as we called it: Moss Mania. Moss blanketed the trees and ground like a soft layer of green foam and wild mushrooms grew abundantly. Later that evening Tanya and Phil visited the glow worm caves, but Ken and I declined as we had our worm experience earlier in the trip. And now... we’re off to the raw wilderness of the Milford Sound!
Special thanks to Mom for sending us her camera to get these shots!
Special thanks to Mom for sending us her camera to get these shots!
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