Remarkable Remarkables

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Queenstown is brash big brother to Wanaka - the self styled adrenalin capital of the world. If you want to practice risk activities in a way that European health and safety probably wouldn’t allow, this is the place. There is every conceivable opportunity to bungy jump, skydive, white water raft, free fall and jet boat - all at a price. If you opt out, they seem more than happy to relieve you of your wedge in the nearest bar. The town has that Oz party backpacker feel to it in a pretty overgrown Alpine village setting. We were mundane in our adrenalin selection and settled for the Shotover jet and a lot of strenuous walks mostly up big hills. We caught an Atomic Shuttle to Te Anau through some very Scotland scenery. Te Anau was quiet and small and only really changes when the bus trip hordes stop for a rest break or overnight en route to and from Milford Sound. We treated ourselves to an Italian meal and were up early for our transfer to Milford Sound and some sea kayaking. It was 120 kilometres into the cloud of sand flies and Milford, the most accessible of the deep fjords that characterise this area of the coast. Sea kayaking seemed like a good option to see the fjord, rather than a scramble on a tour boat. We felt fit after being away for a while, but this sea kayaking business finds muscles you didn’t know you have - in retrospect it was a good decision not to try the 2 day trip to Doubtful Sound! The weather had broken and it remained cloudy and drizzly all day - this apparently was good news for paddling, as a spot of sunshine would have induced a breeze and made every stroke that bit more difficult. The scenery was good but not breathtakingly wow, as we weaved in and out of the convoy of tour boats. Wildlife made an appearance in the form of a Fjordland Crested Penguin, but no dolphins.

We certainly slept the next day - the kayaking had certainly finished us off - and all that we accomplished was a trip to the Te Anau Bird Park to see just how destructive a Kea can be and what a Tui looks like in the flesh as opposed to the side of a beer bottle. We caught the Spitfire Shuttle the next day for Riverton and Invercargill - formerly billed as the world’s most southerly city. It remained to be seen whether the not so complementary Lonely Planet comments of the day were correct.

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Photos

Queenstown
A view over Queenstown

Wanaka
A view of Lake Wanaka

Queenstown
..on the Shotover River

Queenstown
The Shotover River

Queenstown
The Remarkables

Queenstown
The Shotover Jet

Queenstown
The back seat driver on the Shotover Jet

Queenstown
The Shotover Jet speeding down the river

Milford Sound
Sea kayaking on Milford Sound

Te Anau
...on the shores of Lake Te Anau

Milford Sound
Weather turned out nice then

Milford Sound
It's a bit difficult to spot, but there is a Fiordland Crested Penguin in this photo somewhere - the world's rarest penguin