On to Queenstown

Wednesday 7 July 2010

We checked out of our hostel without any problems. We had a later flight, so we walked around town for a bit. A taxi driver found us and offered us a ride to the airport for the same price as the shuttle. We were a bit weary of the offer, because we didn't see the car. Who knows, he may have been some creepo guy and taken us hostage. We ended up taking the shuttle for $2 less than we thought. So it was cheaper than the taxi anyway!

Our flight was around 1:00, but we did not have time to really eat. We had a three hour flight. Because it was a short flight, we did not get any food. So we were starving by the end of the flight. We flew over the Nelson area and the Southern Alps. We could see the snow covered mountains and the outline of the two islands (north and south islands). It was quite beautiful. The guy at the window seat was sleeping, so I was leaning way over him to get pictures of the mountains. I was just hoping that he would never wake up and see me leaning over him. That would be a bit awkward.

We arrived in Queenstown and looked for the bus. We were not sure exactly where to pick up the bus, so we went back inside and asked. The lady pointed out the window and said, "That's the bus you need." It was right where we were standing, so if we stayed a little longer, we would have seen it come up.

The bus was bright yellow and sounded as well as looked like it would fall apart at any second. We got off the bus and walked up the hill to get to our hostel. We dropped everything off and ran outside to soak up the last few minutes of daylight we would get. We followed a self-guided tour of the city. It took us through a couple of the streets, along Queenstown Lake, and along the peninsula. The views were phenomenal. This town has the convenience of a town/city, but the beauty of camping in a National Park. It was inedible. It was a clear day, but quite crisp.

The water in the lake was so still and had incredible reflections. Even in the pictures, you couldn't tell which side was right side up or upside down. The mountains looked an arm reach away. As we were going along the peninsula, we went up the hill to the gardens. It was a rose garden and several roses were in bloom. Well, that is kind of an interesting word to use as the roses, the leaves, and even the dirt and grass were frozen. The ground crunched under our feet. I actually had to bust out my gloves, mittens (that I wore over my gloves), earmuffs, and jackets to keep from freezing.

I absolutely loved Queenstown. I know it is a party town, but I feel like most towns here are. At least there is an incredible beauty here right in town. After the nature walk, we walked up and down the touristy town streets. Then we headed back to the hostel for the free vegetable soup. I had two big bowls to make sure I was really full. Who knows when my next big meal will be...