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Published: April 7th 2008
View from the plane
Flying Wellington to QueenstownSunday 30th March, I got up after hardly any sleep at all, the bar downstairs had music going on all night! Got a taxi to the airport at 7.30am, unfortunately didn't have time to meet Mary for breakfast cause 'Sweet Mother's' cafe that I had been going to all week didn't open until 8am. The Air New Zealand flight to Queenstown, leaving at 9.45am, was the best flight I have had so far this trip! The two stewards on board were really funny and as well as handing out lollies to the kids, gave one to this guy from I think, Birmingham, who wanted one. It was announced that they would be coming round with 'nice tea and average coffee'. Then the captain said that as it was a particularly fine day weather wise over the South Island, that instead of flying the usual flight path over the sea, he would take us over the centre of the country so that we could see Mount Cook. Anyway, the plane banked left and right round the mountain so that both sides of the plane could get a look, it was great! Unfortunately, I was so busy enjoying the view I didn't get
the camera out to take a shot of Mount Cook, but managed to capture some other mountains etc. Feeling a bit ill with this cold, I treated myself and got to the hostel in Queenstown (Pinewoods) via a taxi. The driver was very helpful and took me through the town centre and showed me around. Pinewoods backpackers is nicely set back from the town centre, which suits me fine as Queenstown is a party town and wakes up after about 11pm at night when everyone is back from their day trip. I couldn't get into the dorm until 2.30pm so went walking into town and sat by the wharf and watched people doing various energetic things in the sunshine, it's a very picturesque place.
Monday 31st March, I had a lie in until 11am and listened to my i-pod - absolute bliss! The radio attachment that Mike gave me is brilliant and picks up all the local radio stations. I've got a cold :o( - will be nice to stay at the same backpackers for a few days and chill in style. Everyone is very sociable and friendly,the girls are nice and normal (they don't all look like models
for a change) and the room is quiet, hurrah! I had lunch at the recommended Japanese restaurant, but decided to be adventurous and ordered the Shashimi (raw fish) to try, not my best decision, definitely cannot eat raw Tuna, the miso soup was delicious though. In the afternoon I took the Gondola up the mountain and went on the luge. The luge does not go all the way down the mountain, but it was a lot of fun. Next to the Gondola was the AJ Hackett bungee, one of the founders of bungee jumping - er I'll be giving that a miss!
Tuesday 1st April, I met Amelie, french canadian, at the backpackers and she let me go with her to watch her getting a tattoo! 40 minutes of agony judging by the look on her face, it put me off getting one done. I was thinking about a maori design, er will carry on thinking...
Wednesday 2nd April, relaxed AGAIN, which was lovely - whilst everyone at the backpackers is doing canyon swings and bungee jumps, I'm doing lunch! Bought a new pair of shorts and saw 'Step up 2' at the cinema, which was totally brilliant
- fantastic hip hop dancing. Cold is better today.
Thursday 3rd April, Happy Birthday to my brother Daren, I hope he got the card I posted last week in time. Left the backpackers in Queenstown to get the bus to Milford Sound - 5 hours in the coach there, luckily I'd already been warned so was prepared for a long journey. Weather wasn't very good to start with,but some very nice scenery when we got there, and a couple of little stops on the way. On the way back the driver dropped me off at Te Anau where I'd booked a hostel,saving me 2 hours journey time in the coach. Had a lovely eve with some really nice people in the hostel and we all ended up sharing wine and chocolate and peanut butter, chocolate dipped into peanut butter is surprisingly nice, it's an american thing. I opened my Ata Rangi bottle of Pinot Gris. Realised I'm getting bored with just sight-seeing, it has been 6 weeks after all, and talking to so many people who are doing hikes inspired me to have a bit of a challenge, so I decided to start getting into hiking. I am in
Sculptures at the Airport
Thought these were rather nice Fjiordland after all and the hikes are fantastic so I've heard.
Friday 4th April, I got up at the Lakeside Backpackers in Te Anau, around 10am ish, lots of people in the hostel are doing 4 day treks on the Milford Track or 2days or so on the Kepler Track or the Routebourn, staying in huts. They are all very organised, getting in light weight food supplies etc. and not carrying excess baggage. Unfortunately, it absolutely poured down in the morning and I felt really sorry for some of the girls who had set off and would be staying in a hut that night without a shower. At 2pm I went across the lake to see the Glowworms. It was very magical - we walked a bit and then got in a boat, they were only about an arms length away like stars in the sky. I kept my mouth shut in case one dropped from the ceiling, they are after all maggots that turn into a kind of mosquito. Got chatting to more nice people in the kitchen that eve, half of Ohio turned up, am definitely going to hike more and have a bit of a challenge,
something to keep my brain ticking over etc.
Saturday 5th April, I got the intercity bus to Queenstown at 10am, quick lunch in Queenstown, then got the Wanaka Connections bus from Queenstown to Wanaka. The intercity is only one day so had to change bus companies or stay over in Queenstown again. On the way, the bus driver pointed out where a girls body had been thrown under a bridge and they'd caught the murderer 15 years later! I arrived in Wanaka and checked into The Purple Cow. Shock! turned out they didn't book me into a female only dorm - but the guy from Israel is really quiet so should be ok (5 girls to put up with poor chap). I'd heard Cinema Paradiso in the town was brilliant so I went along for the 4.15pm showing of 'Love in the time of Cholera' - the cinema's fame spreads far and wide and is run by a Scotsman and his wife - very atmospheric. Sofas etc instead of normal cinema seats, a lot of fun. The film was very amusing, not what I expected. I'd been recommended to do a walk to the Rob Roy Glacier by people
at the backpackers in Te Anau, so that eve phoned up a shuttle company to ask them to take me up to Raspberry Creek where the walk starts, it's about an hours drive. Unfortunately as I was the only person who wanted to go they would not take me, my hiking hopes temporarily dashed. Luckily I bumped into Andy from Brighton at the notice board, who'd just arrived in Wanaka and was interested in doing the walk and offered to drive us in his car the next day if we shared petrol costs, great!
Sunday 6th April, after a quick check at the i-site visitor centre as to the details of the walk,we set off, great views on the way to Raspberry Creek, had to go through a few fords (good job it wasn't raining) and a 30km gravel track, quite exciting being out in the sticks a bit. 15 minutes walk from the car park and we reached a swing bridge, argh, only froze once tho this time. It took about 2 hours to get to the glacier and I definitely need to get fitter! Thought the views were better than Milford Sound actually though, a lot more
variety of landscape - forest, waterfalls, stream, glaciers. Had lunch and a break, some Kiwi families were up there making the most of the weekend, and then we headed back down again before it got too cold. Arrived back in Wanaka around 5pm to a gorgeous view of the lake. Celebrated completing my first walk with a lovely bottle of local wine, Pinot Noir ($32 though, the wine is definitely not cheap - just very good) and some nice pasta at 'The Cow' restaurant.
Monday 7th April, post hiking aches! Found out on email that although I did 'very well' in the interview I didn't get the IBM job. Spent the day organising my next move, the lady at the i-site centre gave me some good ideas. Unfortunately intercity has now cancelled their bus route from Wanaka to Mount Cook as summer is over. Therefore, tomorrow I'm off to Queenstown, will stay over at Pinewoods again, then Wednesday will go from Queenstown to Dunedin. Am looking foward to seeing some more wildlife on the Ortago Peninsula near Dunedin....ta ta for now x
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If it's Tuesday ...
You sure are seeing lots, Mandy. I relate to the comment about being over-touristed. Sometimes it's good to stay put for a while and absorb. There's a famous saying about 'Knopwing everything' about a place when you've visited it for up to 3 days - and realising you know a place quite well when you've lived in it for 3 years -- and in between having all your certainties lose their clarity. At times it sounds a though it might be quite hard work. I hope you're coping well in the main. I'm sure you'll have lots to look back on and remember when you finally get home and stop for a while.