Queenstown Feb 3rd to 6th, 2010

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I love New Zealand, the scenery, the people even the twisty and narrow roads, the only one thing that I would change would be the addition of air conditioning. Our hotel in Fox Glacier was without and so is our hotel in Queenstown. The temperature in Fox Glacier was 27C and in Queenstown it is 30C. Queenstown is a charming tourist friendly town with lots of restaurants and easy walking around the harbour. On our second day in we took a flight to Milford Sound (better than a 5 hour drive) and then a cruise around the Sound. Milford Sound is everything we heard it was towering mountains plunging into the water, cascading waterfalls, seals lazing on the rocks. Unfortunately we did not see any dolphins. The flight to Milford Sound also highlighted one of the reasons why there are so few people in the South Island. You have high steep mountains and very narrow valleys, not ideal conditions for farming or other human activities.

The next day we took a cable car to the top of one of the mountains overlook[ng Queenstown. The overview was terrific. At the top one could take a ski lift chair higher up and either take a lug run or if more daring parasail down to Queenstown, I would have been temped but wasn't feeling 100% so I passed on both activities. Later I talked Mare into joining me in a 1 hour jet boat excursion, after skimming bridges, the shore line, overhanging tree branches and a number of very tight spins in the boat and hearing multiple times from Mare that I owed her. The day was completed with a leisurely cruise around the lake.

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Photos

Old and New
The steamer is an old turn of century

Comments

[Carroll]

I've heard how phenomeal New Zealand is but thanks for allowing me to enjoy it through both your and Mare's eyes - truly a beautiful island.

[Morgan Mare]

New Zealand
Hi Carroll Todate New Zealand has to be one of the prettiest countries we have visited. How are you doing, have you done much travelling since we last saw each other. Morgan