12. Cloudstown

This post comes to you from a blog that has now had over 5000 pageviews! This means that either quite a few people are reading it, or that just a few people are reading it a bit too much! I thank you for taking the time to look at my photos and read about my experiences here in NZ. I assure you that there will be many more posts to come.

Anyway, last weekend I went to Queenstown, famous for its adrenaline sports, skiing and according to a well regarded guidebook, its 'competitive drinking'.

I am not a fan of extreme sports. I am aware that the adrenaline rush feels good, but I am also aware that adrenaline is a chemical naturally produced by the body when in extreme danger. Take bungee jumping for example, I use bungee cord to secure small light things, such as a toolbox or a coat onto the quad bike. Quite regularly it doesn't work and things fall off. I weigh about 12 and a half stone, so I would not trust that stretchy rope. Hence why I avoid adrenaline sports!

I am also not much of a skier, having never skied on a mountain before, I would need a few lessons. As well as hiring all the gear, the cost starts to add up. So, the logic might suggest that I focused on the third aspect of the towns reputation, it being NZ's most popular 'party-town' , which I didn't. Much.

In actual fact I went to meet up with two friends from home who are doing the 'Kiwi Experience', backbacking and hopping on and of buses all around NZ (having already done Aus!) Staying with them in the hostel gave me a bit of an insight into the other way of seeing NZ, as opposed to my way of mini excursions when I get the chance. In fairness, my roster of 8 days on, 2 off, 8 on, 3 off, is pretty good and better than most who dairy farm I bet.

I drove to Queenstown (about 280 km), most of it in the rain. Meaning I missed out on a lot of very impressive countryside as I concentrated on staying on the road. On the way I, and a few other cars, found our way blocked by one or two Merino sheep.

I think they were on their way to get shorn. I saw a lot of near naked sheep on the way, looking very clean, but a bit nippy!

When I got to Queenstown the weather, reminiscent of a Welsh summer, was still miserable. I feel like I didn't see the town at its best. The clouds severely hampered the views that are so famous and postcard friendly. The alpine town seemed nice though, with lots of shops selling ski gear, lots of bars and lots of boats offering rides, cruises and tours of Lake Wakatipu. Eventually the rain stopped a bit and I managed to get a few snaps of the view across the lake.

That night I had a good catch up with my friends, it was very strange to see familiar faces so far from home. We went out with a load of their fellow backpackers firstly to get what turned out to be the the greatest burger I have ever eaten. Better than my homemade lamb burgers the other week. Fergburger is a legendary establishment and my naive skepticism was found to be completely unfounded. The Fergburger with Blue Cheese was incredible and I had another one the following day, this time, a Double Fergburger with Blue Cheese. Just looking at this photo makes me want another one.

After the top quality lining of the stomach, we went and had a few beverages. Including one which was served in a china tea-pot. I am guilty of paying an extortionate amount of money for an average drink, far too much ice and a few minutes of novelty! There was a few moments of serious decision making whether to drink out of the spout or lift the lid and use it like a mug. Obviously I went spout and there is a photo of me doing so somewhere, but that will never find its way onto this blog!

The following day after a poor nights sleep in a small bunk-bed, in a stiflingly hot 10-bed dorm room, the weather had improved. The clouds were still covering the high ground, and it is the high ground where we went to explore. We went on the famous gondola that rises up 'Bob's Peak' to offer stunning views of the mountains, lakes and town below.

At least I assume the views are stunning, but the clouds were white and thick, and I could have been anywhere in the world, in a cloud. The Māori name for New Zealand is Aotearoa, which translates as 'The Land of the Long White Cloud.' I think the long white cloud was all bunched up over Queenstown when I was there. 

I managed to get a few pics of the mountain tops peeking out opaque whiteness. At the time they did look very dramatic. I will return on a clear day and get myself a proper photo of the panorama.

I am aware that these three photos are very similar, but I thought the occasion warranted a few pictures. Especially seeing as the photo of the burger found its way on.

Whilst we were up on the top of the hill, we went on the luge, which involved an ill-fitting helmet and some seriously impressive overtaking on my part. There were two tracks, the 'Scenic Route', or the 'Advanced Route'. It has to be said that there really wasn't much difference between the two. On both, there were far too many automatic cameras taking unexpected photos. Here is an 'official' one of me with a race-winning grimace, having just Lewis-Hamiltoned my way to the the front! (Louise and Hannah, now minor celebs for appearing on this blog, struggled to keep the pace up).

The laws of gravity mean that the heaviest person wins, so to be fair, I don't know how much of the finishing order relates to driver skill.

Queenstown was good fun and I'm looking forward to returning later on in the year, I fancy renting a kayak and exploring the lake. Or maybe a spot of fly-fishing. A more gentle past time than the skiing/bungee jumping/paragliding/sky diving etc etc that makes the town such a haven for thrill-seekers.

My drive back home was much better than the journey out, the lack of rain meant I could see some of the awesome landscapes that the area is so famous for. I think at some point I took a detour through Middle Earth and passed by some very impressive country.I half expected to see a few Riders of Rohan round the next corner, and this river looks decidedly Gollum-esque. I warn you that the Lord of the Rings references will continue as long as I am exploring the countryside of NZ!

The Remarkables - living up to their name

I took these two photos whilst driving, a useful skill I have developed.

I am a big fan of the rugged country, I have far too many photos of hills, mountains, lakes and very distant hawks to put on this blog!


It is getting near my bed time so I will have to call it a day on the blogging front. My alarm goes off at 4:10 am so I hit the hay pretty early at the moment!

I will just use this opportunity to wish my sister Victoria a happy 128th birthday (last Sunday). Also I'd like to congratulate my former colleague (he thought he was my boss) and friend Sam on his engagement, he's taken the plunge and decided that the farmer needs a wife! Good luck to her!

Thanks for reading, here's to the next 5000 views!