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Published: December 21st 2006
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Before it all went Pete Tong
and our 90 minute flight turned into an 8 hour adventure. The best part of these travel blogs is re-living your holiday in a lot more detail than you would otherwise. New Zealand was simply amazing. It has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world, for sure.
Apparently there had been a few glorious weeks of sunshine prior to our arrival in October, and all the snow had melted, the ski season had ended, and the sun lotion had come out for the summer. As we were in the air from Auckland to Queenstown however, Mother Nature changed her mind, and in a sudden blizzard dumped fresh snow all over the moutains, catching everyone unaware and prompting a string of shops to close due to "the unexpected bad weather"... we appreciated the honesty of one which put up a sign saying "Gone skiing - I'll be on XYZ slope offering tows up the mountain for a gold coin donation".
In such poor conditions the pilot had to detour to Invercargill and we were put on a coach to Queenstown. The funny thing was that by the time we made it into Queenstown (some 8 hours after we left Auckland, instead of the 2 hours it should
We woke up to this in Queenstown
View courtesy of the Heritage Hotel have taken) it was all clear blue skies and sunshine. Still, we were more than happy to have been inconvenienced, as the snow made the dramatic landscape even more spectacular.
We were lucky enough to get a room at the beautiful Heritage Hotel, overlooking the lake and mountains. Big thanks to Janine and Candice for organising that! Queenstown was stunning, with a huge array of activities to keep even the most hyperactive person busy. We took the gondola up the mountain to take photos of the area, and whizzed down the luge for a bit of fun. The beauty of the area is such that it constantly took our breath away... and that wasn't just from the cold.
A white-knuckled ride on the shotover jet was another fun activity we partook in, as long as your idea of fun is travelling at high speeds only inches away from the canyon walls. The crazy jet-drivers executed 360 degree spins whenever they thought we were getting too comfortable, sometimes skimming over water only 6 inches deep. We were most grateful for the heated handrails and wet weather gear they provided, although Bronson got really wet anyhow as he'd gallantly sat
View from Queenstown Gondola
On our way to the Mountain-Top Luge at the side of the boat.
It was only with a promise to return in August for the ski season that we could tear ourselves away and start on our drive northwards. Along the way we stopped at Arrowtown, a tiny gold-panning town that looks like it has not changed in decades. Really quaint and charming.
It was with some trepidation that we drove north to Arrowtown, as we hadn't got any snow-chains at all, and we started to worry that we might actually need them. Driving over the Crown Ranges we saw a parking area from which we could take a nice photo, and upon realising that the snow was actually pretty deep (up to 2 feet in some places) Sharon decided it would be a great time to have a snowball fight and build her first snowman. Most of you already know the story, but it was here that Bronson proposed (and a very surprised Sharon accepted). The snowman's head conveniently doubled as a tripod for taking the photo to mark the occasion. Thanks Mr Snowman!
With big smiles on our faces, we drove on to Wanaka (home to Puzzling World, where we completed the
Great Maze in 25 minutes (so we're 5 minutes smarted than children... woo hoo!) and had fun mucking about in the Illusion Rooms. The rest of the drive to Aoraki (also known as Mount Cook) yielded yet more amazing vistas, we had to stop ourselves pulling off the road every 15 minutes to take more photos (the blue water of the lakes was especially eyecatching). The Hermitage Hotel where we stayed was tucked into the base of massive snow-covered mountains. We had hoped to do a bit of walking around, but the blustery wind which threatened to blow the car off the road, coupled with recent events convinced us to chill out and enjoy a 5-star meal at the Hotel Restaurant instead. Upon hearing of our engagement earlier that day we were presented with a signed copy of the Hermitage Cookbook as well as a "Congratulations" dessert plate. We briefly considered getting re-engaged every day to see what other freebies we could score!
From Aoraki we drove to Christchurch, where it was warm, sunny and 28 degrees. We didn't stay long enough to really get to know the place, but first impressions are of a hip and happening place
Breathtaking
Not just for the beauty, but because it was freezing up there. with some excellent shopping, trendy bars, good food and quirky indie cinemas. In Christchurch we handed back our trusty El Cheapo car, and jumped on a plane back to Auckland for some North Island time.
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Felicia
non-member comment
love the ring!
ok, so i admit, i didn't really get a chance to read your blog, I just like to whiz thru the pretty pictures...but wouldn't u think I'd rather be in bed coming home from work at 2am? Damn those bloody retail-xmas-shopping hours!! Why people wanna shop at 1am, still puzzles me....Have a great Christmas guys!! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx