Queenstown

Hello from Queenstown!

 

Some other observations of New Zealand:

- New Zealanders really like rugby.  A lot.  Don't ask a question about rugby if you don't want a half-hour answer.

- Feet: No aversions to getting feet wet or dirty.  All hiking river fords have signs telling you to keep your boots on when crossing rivers.  Not sure if this is to protect your feet from the river or the river from your feet.  Whereas, in most cities, people frequently wander around barefoot.  Hmmm.  Pavement is hot, I would tend to think. 

- Travel: Most kiwis I speak to have travelled internationally.  They even have a term for it, the "O.E." or Overseas Experience.  Most travel for at least a year before or after higher education, or both.  Much more so than a lot of Canadians, in my experience. 

 

Since I last wrote, I've travelled down the West Coast of the South Island, stopping in Hokitika, the centre of greenstone/pounamu/jade carving in New Zealand.  Lots of amazing sculpture to be seen (including a full-size jade replica of the America's Cup thought to fetch over 1M!), but fairly pricey so didn't buy much.  Found out that BC is one of the other few places where jade is found, so didn't want to spend a lot on something I'm supposed to have at home!

 

On to Franz Josef glacier.  Amazing!  The glaciers on the west coast of NZ are unique, in that they come to 300m abover sea level, and pass through coastal temperate rainforest, making them very accessible.  I did an 8hr glacier walk, which turned out to be 9hrs long because with all the melt, a new route had to be found, resulting in us getting lost and stuck in some icefall!  Made for some interesting manouvers and photos though! 

 

Then on to Wanaka, a lakeside tourist town that reminded me a lot of Penticton.  The lake was very nice for swimming, and the 35 degree heat made it most welcome.  Did a nice walk up one of the local mountains there. 

 

Then it was in to Queenstown yesterday.  I was surprised by it..... much smaller that I would have expected.  Reminds me a lot of Whistler, a purpose-built tourist town that is very popular with the party crowd.  Kiwis it turns out, are very creative when it comes to terrifying themselves.  Five bungy jumps (including the first in the world), four skydives, jetboating, whitewater rafting, a bungy cannon (that shoots you into the air like a rubber band and then bounces around), a canyon swing (swinging way across a canyon on a bungy), river sledging (where you put on a helmet and get a modified boogie board, and then jump into class V rapids and hope you get down in one piece!), canyoning (same, but without the board!), parabungy (where you go paragliding, then bungy jump from the parasail?!) etc. etc.  Whew!  I think I'll stick to the more
sedate hiking and admiring the scenery.  Queenstown is bordered by the Remarkables mountains which featured prominently in the Lord of the Rings (along with about 10 other locations within an hour of Queenstown), and which live up to their name as they change colour at dawn/dusk and are reflected in lake Wakatipu.

 

I've got big plans for the coming weeks.  On the 7th I'm heading to Te Anau, then doing a three day wilderness kayak trip into Doubtful Sound.  After, a day to recuperate, then a full day kayaking on Milford Sound, followed by another day of rest, then four days on the Kepler Track, on of the "Great Walks" in New Zealand.  Will be challenging for sure, but all great experiences!

 

After, no concrete plans, but probably working North to Nelson and looking for WWOOFing work.

 

Hope you are all well!  Best wishes and hugs,

 

Kristi