NZ FAM: Day 2

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Alarm went off at 6:30am and woke up feeling run down from lack of rest already and it’s only really the first full day of our trip today! Rachel & I woke up earlier then the rest to scarf down breakfast quickly then we set up the coach with our Contiki gifts on each seat. Each bag had our Contiki NZ FAM guide, a few selling tools and $50 gift cards for each of them. As everyone got on and we started driving, I did an intro of myself, Jay and Rachel. I let them know that Brad was meant to be on the FAM but last minute changes came up so we would be hosting this trip on his behalf. I explained the gift cards and went through the guide we created. Our day song on this tour was quite different. It was “How Bizarre” by OMC (who are apparently Kiwi’s). Murray took over with some commentary for a bit and then again we took over. Rachel & Jay gave out Contiki vests we brought for each agent. As we gave them out, we called up each person and Murray asked questions for each of them. They were all random on the spot questions so it was quite entertaining and a great way to get to know everyone else on the coach. Our first stop for the day was at a town called Geraldine. We had 30-40 minutes or so to walk around. I went in a yummy bakery and bought a pastry, saw another small church and bathroom break and then back on the road again. We continued driving onto Lake Tekapo. It was still cold and rainy but as we got to the Lake for our lunch, the sun came out a bit which made for some much nicer photos. This was a photo stop I have seen many pics of before, online, from other friends. There was a tiny church on top of a hill on front of the lake and apparently in the background would be Mt. Cook, however with the low cloud cover there was not a mountain in sight. Everyone went camera crazy snapping lots of pics before we went for lunch. We all ate at the same pub/restaurant which had all windows so we had a beautiful view of the lake while eating. I got to know some of the other girls on the trip such as Sally, Carly and Amanda from Vancouver. These girls were a riot, full of energy and great spirits! The majority of us all got some sort of deep fried pub food as there wasn’t much else to offer. Back on the bus again and the drive got more scenic as we headed through beautiful hills and fields. Murray put on a movie “Pirate Radio” for us on the way to Queenstown. Got to Queenstown and I fell in love immediately! Since the majority of our tour were from BC, they were not as impressed as I was with the Mountains and beauty. I have been to Whistler but Queenstown was unlike anywhere I had ever been! Our hotel ???? was built into the hillside so our rooms all had beautiful views overlooking the lake and the mountains. Rachel & I are sharing rooms this entire trip so when we both got in the room, we were surprised to get a letter from the hotel owners welcoming our stay. They also included a complimentary bottle of red wine. To me this was a really nice touch of class which made us feel extremely welcomed! Only downfall was the room was freezing cold and our heater wasn’t working so we had to get someone to come up and fix it. We all then went for pre-drinks as per Murray’s orders at the hotel bar. They sold Contiki hoodies and t-shirts so I bought one for a souvenir. Ate a yummy buffet dinner at the hotel and then we were going for our first surprise. Surprise #1 was to an Ice Bar in Queenstown called Minus 5. The entrance was all paid for plus 1 drink. We were given coats and gloves and had a ½ to enjoy it before the next group came in so it was good to see everyone enjoying it. I felt terrible like my cold was hitting me with full force so I wasn’t in the best condition for partying. Everyone then walked to another bar called The Buffalo Club. Had 1 drink there and was lame according to the rest of the group as I headed home to bed by 11:30pm.

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