I have arrived in Queenstown, New Zealand. That makes Country #27 and New Zealanders (aka, Kiwis) are all super nice. I think they’re even nicer than Australians where I felt out of place A LOT of the time. However, in New Zealand, either I’m immune to it or the people are just cooler. I arrived on Wednesday to a studio apartment at The B&B on the Hill. And it’s certainly on a hill… you have to walk 20 minutes down into town and the walk back up is a definite glute workout. But the views of the lake on the walk are stunning. This one is from “my” backyard.
It’s definitely colder in New Zealand and I’m not used to cold weather. It’s quite a sight watching me untangle myself from my scarf and headphones cord! But again, the views are worth venturing out in the cold.
The first day I arrived (Wednesday), I walked into town and found a restaurant where I could buy a steak. Everything is super expensive in New Zealand so I decided to go to the grocery store and make myself lunch everyday to try to save some money. My B&B has a fridge, microwave, kettle and toaster which is really convenient for a traveler. On Thursday, it rained off and on and was below 50 deg so I stayed in all day and munched on my own food. Then at 5pm, it got sunny and bright (ie, WARMER) so I walked into town for some yummy Thai food.
Today is Friday and no rain in sight so I hiked up Tiki Trail to Bob’s Peak. It was a pretty easy hike but I’m definitely out of shape so it felt a little rough. The highlight of the hike was that it smelled like Christmas trees up there. Which makes me excited to be home in time for Christmas this year!
The views from the top are pretty.
And instead of hiking back down, I indulged and spent $16 USD on a ride down in the Skyline gondola. Overall, Queenstown is pretty but it’s definitely made for thrill seekers (ie, mountain bikers, skiers, zip liners, etc). I am leaving tomorrow for Christchurch for 3 days. I have no idea what to expect but New Zealand seems to be the perfect backdrop for scenic postcards.
There She Goes... 