Queenstown

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We should probably try to learn proper grammer before we go though! Sorry about that.


This country is amazing!! The absolute most beautiful place I could ever imagine. I sat up front next to the driver on the way down mostly to get a good view but also to keep the trip entertaining. I knew he had good taste in music as he had the radio on classic rock. The first song was Ramblin’ Man and then Like a Rolling Stone I could not have chosen more appropriate songs to begin this journey. The weather started out nice but then got really cloudy, windy, and cold. Then got really sunny and warm, then started to rain as we got to Queenstown and hasn’t quit. But the mountains create their own weather and it’s constantly changing so I’m not too concerned. We drove by some of the most blue lakes. The most beautiful color blue I’ve seen. All run off from the melting snow. According to the driver the oceans all used to be this color when the Earth was still forming.

I took about 100 or more pictures just cause it was all so beautiful I couldn’t help from taking as many as possible. It was also interesting talking to the driver. He spent 14 years working in San Francisco in the catering business. He once catered a party Bono was attending and bar tended a party for Metallica. He had some good stories.

Queenstown sits in the middle of nowhere. Completely surrounded by mountains with a river like lake along the edge. It sorta reminds me of Breckenridge, CO. but more surreal. There is only one road to get here and it’s a two lane highway all the way from Christchurch. There is a small airport which has domestic commercial flights. Apparently the city is completely isolated once it snows. It could be days before they can get snow cleared to move traffic through.

The city is very wealthy. Homes are well over 1million NZ $. And the price of living here is outrageous I’ve never seen prices so high. Johnny Depp is attempting to buy an island in the middle of the lake for $12 million. The architecture is very trendy and “nice” looking.

It is also adventure capital of the world. The home of the first bungee jump, it hosts more fear sports than anywhere else. Things I’d never dream about doing. If you were ever going to skydive this is the place to do it. Since I’m scared of heights I’ll be staying on the ground. Actually I don’t have time to engage in any activities as I leave in the morning. I’ll be back at the end of my trip. I may go whitewater rafting but that would be the extent of my adventurousness. And would probably be more likely to go on the Lord of the Rings tour. Call me what you want but spending heaps of money to pretend you are going to die is not my idea of fun.

I head down to Dunedin tomorrow it’s on the east coast and I think home to the biggest college in New Zealand.

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