Queenstown

Bridget:

If you’ve ever read or watched a travel program about New Zealand, chances are, you’ve heard of Queenstown.  Dubbed the adventure capitol of the world, Queenstown is a huge tourist attraction with several adventure sports to take advantage of:  skiing, jet boating, sailing, mountain biking, heli-anything, river boarding, sky diving, and bungy jumping (this is where it was invented).  That combined with all the shopping and restaurants, and you’ve got yourself quite the holiday.  Craig and I didn’t want to put too much of a hole in our pockets with the rest of the South Island to see, but we did live vicariously through others for a few minutes at the Kawarau Bridge Bungy (the most famous location):

Before coming to New Zealand, a friend of a friend of mine from FSU got in touch with me to let me know he had also made the move to New Zealand and had already been living and working in Queenstown for a few months.  Alex and his wife Jillian were kind enough to invite us to come stay with them, and it just so happened that Craig and I arrive in Queenstown around New Year’s Eve.  Perfect! 

Upon arriving into the city, we took a drive through the city and knew right away we were in for a good time.  People crowded the streets popping from shop to shop, traffic was tight, and we even got caught up in a drunk driving check point at 11:00 a.m.  Yes, you read that right….Craig (who was driving) was breathalyzed at 11:00 in the morning.  We later found out from Alex & Jillian that this is a regular occurrence.   Don’t worry…he passed. J

The Steamer Wharf

NZL14 - the boat that won NZ the America's Cup in 1995 - now sails in the lake by Queenstown.

That day we spent time strolling in and out of all the hip stores, eating long-craved-for pizza, and taking a Gondola ride up the mountain for excellent views of the city and the mountains in the background, called “The Remarkables.” Here are some of the better pics from the top:

                                                                                                                     

The rest of the afternoon we drove up to a small town called Glenorchy.  While it wasn’t much to see, the views on the way sure were.  Here is a pic from one of the road pull-offs after the clouds were clearing a bit:

That evening we met up with Alex and Jillian who showed us a fantastic time and night out on the town.  Their friends Pete, Shannon, and Nic completed the “crew” to help ring in the new year (and decade).  The city had set up a huge outdoor concert down by the “Wharf” and created quite the party scene with all the adjacent bars and restaurants.  We couldn’t hear the countdown (third year in a row for me) but had no trouble realizing it was midnight when the fireworks show began.  Happy New Year!  So fun!

Bridget, Jillian, & Nic celebrating New Year's Eve.

The next day before we headed out of town, we just had to see what all the fuss was about at a local burger joint called “Fergburger.”  Every time we walked or drove by, there was always a line out the door.  Well, we gave it a whirl and were in heaven.  The burgers might be the namesake, but we thought the fries and garlic aioli really hit the spot.   Yum. 

We can’t thank Alex & Jillian enough for opening up their home to us and showing us such a good time.  We couldn’t think of a better way to ring in the new year!

Next Stop:  Mt. Cook