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Published: September 12th 2008
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Sunday Morning in Queenstown
....stopping for some great photo ops of a beautiful sun rise over the Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables Another day, another sub zero morning, this time in Queenstown, a centre for adventure tourism.Queenstown is built around an inlet on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin lake shaped like a staggered lightning bolt, and has spectactular views of nearby mountains. Skiing, jet boating, bungy jumping, mountain biking, tramping and fly fishing are all strong promotional themes.
Queenstown is a major centre for snow sports in New Zealand, with people from all over the country and many parts of the world travelling to ski at the four main mountain skifields (
Cardrona Alpine Resort, Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Treble Cone). We are up and about very early as we have lots to cram into our schedule today. It is Sunday morning, freezing cold, but the sun is shining (again), no traffic ( unlike when we arrived last night - what a busy town), perfect to enjoy a good "look around" this very exciting town. We drove around the lake, stopping for some great photo ops of a beautiful sun rise over the Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables. After a hearty breakfast in the trendy Shotover St cafe precinct, we drove out to Arthurs Point to ride the world famous
Shotover Jet Boat Shotover St
....After a hearty breakfast in the trendy Shotover St cafe precinct on the Shotover River.
Shotover Jet is the only company permitted to operate in the spectacular Shotover River Canyons. I am excited...I have been looking forward to this as the highlight of
my trip....Judy and Brett do not share my enthusiasm after watching a boat roar pass as we walked out on to the observation deck over looking the river... so that makes me the only starter. Each boat carries 15 passengers, riders gear up in a waterproof coat and a life jacket before climbing on board. What a thrilling ride - skimming past rocky outcrops at close range in your Shotover Jet 'Big Red', as you twist and turn through the narrow canyons at speeds of up to 80kph in sometimes only 10cm of water And the major highlight - hold tight for the world famous Shotover Jet full 360º spins!.....all with the temperature topping a freezing two degrees. This is without a doubt the most adrenaline pumping, exciting experience a mid 50 year old can endure. After 25 magnificent freezing minutes on the water, I dragged my numb body back to the family and declared that it was one of the best things I have ever done. As
Shotover Jet Boat
....And the major highlight - hold tight for the world famous Shotover Jet full 360º spins!..... you board the boat you have your photo taken that can be purchased in a souvenir album of your ride. When I went to buy my album, the young lady behind the counter asked me "What did you think of Junior, your driver? I said he was very skillful, and it must take heaps of training and experience to able control the boat like he did. She quipped back, "He is not bad, considering he has only been driving for two weeks" Terrific... a jet boat driver with "L" plates...now you tell me!!!!
Time to head to the historic town Arrowtown for lunch, (and another one of those magnificent "lamb & mint "pies),only a twenty minute scenic drive from the famous Shotover bridge.where the Jet Boat complex is located. Being a Sunday, Arrowtown was so busy with tourists and locals filling all the restaurants and cafes. Quick lunch and we head off to Fox Glacier on the West Coast. Fom Arrowtown we drove 60km back to Wanaka. before rejoining Highway 6 to take us over the Southern Alps to Haast on the West Coast. We refuelled at Wanaka, but could not resist another look around this fabulous town and "cuppa"
Shotover Bridge
.....only a twenty minute scenic drive from the famous Shotover bridge on the banks of Lake Wanaka. After leaving Wanaka around 3pm, we took the Haast Highway through Albert Town toward Lake Hawea. The road follows the lake for about 25kms before crossing a rocky ridge called The Neck and then rejoins the northern part of Lake Wanaka. The lakes are only 1000 metres apart. The drive is moderately easy, but the road through these lakes is very winding. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking, especially with the sun sinking behind the snow capped mountains. Leaving the lakes districts behind the road meanders into the tiny hamlet Makarora, the gateway to the Haast Pass. The Haast Pass rises to a height of 562 metres above sea level at the saddle between the valleys of the Haast and Makarora Rivers. The Pass covers 80kms, it starts at Makarora and ends at Haast township on the West Coast. The road passes through predominantly unmodified thick beech forest. The road is a real challenge for drivers, especially for large vehicles like our motorhome. The trip through the Pass takes about two hours, a short break at "Gates of Haast", a single lane bridge that crosses high above the Haast River gorge is worthwhile. After conquering
Sunny Lake Wanaka
.... could not resist another look around this fabulous town and "cuppa" on the banks of Lake Wanaka. the Pass we drove the final 20kms to Haast in pouring rain, and with pending nightfall it was time to make camp, even though I really wanted to get up to Fox Glacier. As we rolled into Haast we could see waves from the Tasman Sea breaking on a very lonely beach. Unfortunatly, Haast was not quite the town we expected, it consisted of a store, a motel, and a caravan park ....that was closed for winter!!! We decided to push on another 120kms to Fox Glacier. The coastal road to Fox becomes very challenging again, especially at night, making a very slow trip. After another two hours of hard driving, we were really pleased to see the "Welcome to Fox Glacier" signpost. We found the Fox Glacier Holiday Park... unfortunately fifteen minutes after the office closed. After my day behind the wheel, this was as far as I was driving..enough already!!! Pulled into a vacant site, plugged in the power,.... sort it out tomorrow. Good night!!!
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