"No stopping, avalanche zone"

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We returned to Queenstown via Gunns camp on the Milford Road. Just to put this in context, there were probably only six of us within a one hundred mile journey by road that night. The site of a former Labour camp built to house workers constructing the Milford Road, the campsite has a small museum displaying items such as remnants of the explosives used in constructing the mountain tunnels. The Milford sound road is billed as being one of the best drives in the world, and for once I feel that there is a lot of truth in an otherwise perhaps seemingly exaggerated statement! Slightly disconcerting were the "no stopping, avalanche zone" road signs.

The remote location of this campsite probably goes some way to explain the rather endearing eccentricities of the owners. There were quirky signs galore, such as "spring water" with a slinky and empty water bottle, and a gate to nowhere signed "you are now entering a sandfly reserve, please close the gate".

The contrast between here and our arrival into Queenstown was overwhelming to say the least. Tom was very happy as we cast aside our usual fare of tinned veg and pasta in favour of Queenstown's favourite burger, the Fergburger and enjoyed a night time stroll in civilisation!

Marketed as one of the adrenaline capitals of the world, with tour agents on every corner, each one promising experiences more exciting than the last, you could spend a small fortune here. (We had just visited a former gold prospecting town, but had unfortunately not been panning ourselves anyway - hehe). Anyway we opted to wait and see if we could skydive in taupo and we occupied ourselves by hiking up the Queenstown mountain and taking a ride on the shot over jet boat, a high speed adrenaline fuelled boat ride in the shotover river canyon, complete with 360 spins about a foot away from canyon walls! Despite being extremely commercialized and rather over-advertised, it was very entertaining!

Tom was then allowed fergburger a second night in a row!

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