31st January 2008

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31st January 2008
Today started off overcast and grey with a few light showers first thing and a chilly 14 degrees. As the day has gone on the weather has cleared as the sun has come out and we are now enjoying 26 degrees. We have driven the 70 kms from Wanaka are now in Queenstown, the tourist centre of the South Island.
In the winter this is a major ski town and has all the appropriate shops. We are also close to the Remarkables Mountain range where in winter they ski. The outdoor clothing here is very impressive as you would expect in a town which offers every outdoor sport imaginable. You can take plane flights, helicopter flights, bungee jumps, tandem sky dives not to mention going paragliding, walking, jet boat rides, boat cruises, sail boats, fishing trips, white water rafting, kayaking, canonying. It seems they have everything here.
We have had a cracked windscreen in the subaru for the last few days and have all been watching anxiously as the crack in the screen has grown by the day, so this morning we found a windscreen repairer here in Queenstown and checked the car in for the windscreen to be replaced.
We decided bungee jumping and white water rafting were for younger folks than us and we are saving more helicoptering for Mt Cook so the highlight of the day has been a jet boat ride up the Shotover Gorge. You travel up the narrow gorge at up to 50 miles an hour and the young tearaway driver delights in getting very close to the rocks to elicit sreams from the more nervous passengers! Every few minutes the driver would put the boat into a 360 degree spin. At this point you are told to hang on in case you fall out of the boat. Not really likely but it adds to the excitement. It did get very wet at times because of the spray kicked up by the boat.
Now there is the important decision as to which resturant to choose and it's Bob's turn! Hope it's not Macdonalds!

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Photos

Paragliding round Queenstown Harbour.
No we haven't done this!

Morning view from Alexsis Motel
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Comments

[amy]

aw you big chickens!!!
aw mum and dad Why didn't you bungee? that would have been so much fun , and as for white water rafting NZ is the best place for it, oh well book me a place for next year, i'm so there!!