Queenstown Blog

I promised you all I would write about Queenstown, so here goes!

The drive from Nelson to Kaikora took about 5 hours or so, and Kaikora isn't too far outside of Christchurch, so we drove a bit further and camped about 25 minutes outside of CHCH (thats the abbreviation...Wellington is WGTN and Queenstown is QT as well). We then took the scenic route, through MackenzieCountry, to Wanaka. Wanaka is a tourist town, but it has beautiful views in every direction, and delicious pizza too! I made Eoin sleep in a cabin because, really, after a week in a tent I am not the happiest Alexa you've ever seen.

So we slept in a cabin, ate delicious pizza and then started off towards QT (Queenstown, remember?). BUT FIRST. We stopped off at Puzzling World. It's basically a museum of holograms, puzzles, and illusions. It was pretty fun. There was one room where everything was on a slant, and there were stairs you could stand on that made it look so crazy! I can't even explain..here is a picture:




Woaaaahh! What is going on? :)

They also had one of those cool rooms that makes it look like one person is a giant and the other person is teeny tiny.





Anyway, after that we drove into Queenstown, pitched a tent, and started the hunt for jobs and apartments. We got an apartment our second day here. It is a studio apartment (bed, livingroom, kitchen and bathroom) with internet, TV and a washing machine for only a bit more than what we were paying in Wellington. Eoin also got a job our first day here, and I am still looking. There is nothing available except Housekeeping and bricklaying. I'm a bit frustrated because I had such good luck and fun in Wellington with jobs, I just expected it to be like that everywhere...oh well.



Anyway, aside from getting an apartment on our first day here, Eoin and I also went on the Skyline Gondola which overlooks the town. From there you can also luge, paraglide, eat expensive food and go to a giftshop. We did all of it except the expensive lunch (its about $30 per plate for a buffet!!).



The luge was really fun. We got two rides, and the first time you go you have to do the scenic route. It's really tame with wide turns and maybe one or two dips. The second track is steeper with sharper turns, more tunnels and more dips.



After the luge ride, Eoin told me to think about paragliding. I thought about it and decided to ask the people at the ticket desk about it. I convinced myself to do it, along with the help of the skilled sales people at the booth, and here are the results:


It may look like I was having fun, but shortly after this picture was taken I felt really sick. I rode the rest of the way down with a barf bag in my hand. I didn't get sick, but I felt really out of it the rest of the day. Don't worry. I am done doing crazy things for the rest of the trip. :)


Well, unfortunately I have nothing else exciting to say. I posted some pictures and some videos and the links are on the right-hand side of the blog.