Queenstown New Zealand

Plane left at 7:40 am so up early. A kind friend volunteered to drive us to the airport relieving some of the stress. I made a ridiculous offer for an upgrade it was accepted. An uneventful trip, Queenstown has spectacular views on landing. We left Melbourne in fog, arrived to a beautiful sunny day in Queenstown.

A very well positioned hotel close to town albeit on a steep path to the shopping and entertainment area. It is a spectacular place, a very large lake visible from the air surrounded by mountains with a hint of snow on the top. Very rugged and popular with those looking for outdoor adventure, bike riding, hiking and of course lots of water sport. We walked into town and were surprised by the number of tourists.

Day two up late recovering from the early morning start. We walked into town for brunch. A magnificent sunny day but a jacket was still needed, not exactly hot. It is so hard to not take photos . It reminds me very much of Bled in Slovenia minus the 12th century Castle and church and of course, the church on an island in the middle of the lake is missing as well.

We walked through the gardens, watched crazy speedboats with thrill seeking passengers bouncing around on the lake. We just mooched with no particular plans. Dinner was more up-market than the previous night. Venison and my first Central Otago Pinot. Very nice but at $20 a glass it should be!Read more