Hanging out in Queenstown

The drive to Queenstown was spectacular- turquoise lakes, snow capped mountains, swathes of forest amd valleys of violet from blooming flowers. Another road worth driving; reaching our destination and finding it equally beautful was a bonus I hadn't expected. Set on sloping hills in front of a lake and postcard perfect mountains all around- Queenstown is the best located town I've ever visited.

Parking up we knew Queenstown had a reputation for daredevil pursuits. Having promised both of our parets that a bungy jump was not on the cards (Dad says it's not natural and that the rebound makes all your organs hit each other, plus we'd heard from a couple of others about four day hangovers from the adreneline surge) we headed to information to see what could be on the cards, but now it was time for bed in preparation for the epic drive to Milford Sound.

Setting out the next day we soon discovered why people were prepared to take this long drive to such a distant sight. If we thought the roads we had already seen were pituresque then these were outstanding. The first leg to Te Anau was through rolling green hills, pretty and pleasant, but passing that and out through the mountanious pass we were confronted with dramatic beauty. Towering peaks were layered with thick snow whilst crystal clear streams ran across the valley floors, beautiful plants everywhere. The journey was broken up with a number of stops where we ran around witrh the camera, filled with an energetic enthusiasm bought about by the sheer wonder of the environment surrounding us.

One of the stops allowed us to complete a circular track through forest so thick with moss the whole place looked carpetted. The twisted trunks and large irregular growths on the trees gave it an enchanted air which was enhanced by the bird call resounded through the trees. Blakey has now identified the dormant twitcher within and has taken to silently stalking noises to spot the little feathered creatures, using his camera zoom for a better look whenever possible. To really top the walk off, halfway around the track we reached the shore of a crystal clear lake with views across to the surrounding snowy peaks once more.

Further around the road we stopped at the beautiful mirror lakes, which in the brief time it stopped drizzling, lived up to its name with reflections of the still stunning scenery in its surface. As we continued around the winding roads heading further into the ranges we climbed high enough to encounter a valley filled with a ice, a huge chunk slowly melting at the side of the road in the relative heat of summer. At this point the road took a dramatic route straight through the mountain via a roughly hewn tunnel.

Emerging on the otherside at such a height was breathtaking. We could have held a finger on the shutter of the camera all the way down the winding road to the valley below, and every shot would have been worth it. After almost an entire day of driving we made a penultimate stop at The Chasm. Following the short walkway along we soon crossed a bridge to see an impressive waterfall. However, it was when we reached the next bridge that we realised the real draw to this place. Here the waterfall had eroded the stone to create a series of eerie looking holes and tunnels which Blakey described as the 'darkest waterfall' he'd ever seen. There was something quite sinister about the shapes.

Just 20 minutes down the road at 6pm, we finally reached Milford Sound itself. It was one of those times that the journey there was just as spectacular as the destination, which can sometimes be a little disappointing as in this case I was expecting a 'grande finale', though perhaps the drizzle that had started again by this time dulled the scenery slightly. We wandered around for a little while and when a streak of golden light pierced through the sky and the waters stilled as the rains stopped the huge reflective expase of water became far more appealing. What an amazing day.

We headed back to the fantastically cosy Milford Sound Lodge to pitch the tent for the night. By this time of night and with snow peaked mountains all around us it was blooming freezing, so the sudden onslaught of sandflies did nothing to increase our excitement whilst erecting the tent. Nevermind- we headed inside to the cosy lodge to heat warming bowls of soup before crawling into our sleeping bags for the night. It was not the best night as we shivered, huddled in little balls!

Next morning and the frosty night was explained by an utterly cloudless sky, beautifully blue. As our enthusiasm for photography grows we hear ourselves being embarrassingly geeky about the 'quality of light' and decided to head back to the sound for a morning shot, but not before the important task of locating a phone to wish Blakey's brother Patrick a Happy Birthday.

With all the important tasks done was started to make the long drive back to Queenstown. Seeing everything from the other direction and for a second time did nothing to lessen its imapct, thought with fewer stops the drive was swifter. By the time we got to Queenstown though we were both exhausted. Having almost eaten our way through our supplies we dragged our weary bodies into town with the intention of finding some good food. However, a guilty craving came upon us as we both turned our noses up at all the nutrituious $16 meals and we decided to back track a few kilometres to a drive through Burger King. Salty fries and a milkshake were heaven, and the Kiwi Salad burger for veggies is amazing. Most of you would probably have been more satisfied with Blakey's double bacon cheese burger. Everything tasted completely artificial and delicious.

Hitting the campsite our bones were still cold from a night in the mountains and our heads weary from the epic adventure. We had a huge day to follow so we did the ultimate in lazy- put the tent on the front seat and collapsed the chairs down for a night in the car. I honestly think I could have slept anywhere that night!

So our final day in Queenstown arrived and this was going to be a highlight. My lovely lovely parents gave us a lovely lovely Christmas present a couple of weeks early, some money to be extravagant with at this time of year. Having booked ourselves three nights in a self-contained flat for the Christmas period (a very exciting prospect after all this time in the tent!) we put the rest towards something far more adventurous- a hang glide from Coronet Peak.

The drive up the mountain range got both of our tummies tingling. Even with our feet on the ground the views were beautiful with the blue lake extending out across the horizon. Our friendly instructors chatted away to us and my pilot for the journey, Augusto, inspired us both about the next leg of our trip as he spoke of his home, Chile.

Getting out of the van at the top of the mountain we felt a long way up- almost 4000ft in fact. We were quickly put into our harnesses and had a practise run across the car park to get our stride into sink with our pilot. Within moments the huge kites that were to hold us in the air were prepapred and Blakey was taken to the launch site. The prospect of running down a fairly steep hill with a contraption that big is a little daunting, but after just a few steps the wind catches, throwing you into the air. I was just as nervous as Blakey when my turn came, though with a little more control over my facial expressions it seems!

One, two, three and we were off. The air caught the glider and after an absurdly long struggle to position my feet on the bar I achieved my flying position. It was utterly exhilararting as the wind rushed past my ears and across my face, causing my eyes to water and a grin to spread that was permanent not just for the duration of the flight, but the hour that followed it too! Augusto encouraged me to hold my arms out and I was soaring in a bird like fashion. It seems we were very lucky on our flight too, the winds pushed us higher and higher as we passed the swathes of forest on the slopes below, taking large spirals to prolong the path towards aour landing zone. It seemed to last for ages!

When it was time to come down Augusto said he could find no 'sink holes' and asked if I would like to do some manouvres. When I asked if it was scary he replied "it's quite safe", so still grinning I decided to hold a little tighter! Suddenly he turned the glider into the wind and it started to dramatically spiral downwards. The G force was similar to being on a waltzer at full pelt, and combined with the streaming air led to some rather unattractive snotty moments! Having descended a fair distance he pulled it out of that position and pushed it the other way, spiralling down once again. A third spiral and we were ready to land. Suddenly I realised I hadn't been taught this bit, so asking what I do he said "nothing, just brace yourself!" We started to hurtle towards the ground as he drove the wheeled A frame towards the grass and it sped along the field, my nose alost touching the ground as I tensed my body in order to prevent the momentum causing injury! Eventually we came to a stop, almost as exhilarating as the ride itself!

So we had risen to the challenge of Queenstown- picked an adreneline pumping activity and managed to enjoy every moment. You will wonder how we got out faces back to normal whe you see our photos!