A Very Busy Day

Up early and out of the apartment at 8.10 to head up the montain to Coronet Peak ski area. The road up was properly sealed (unlike Treble Cone). About half way up we got into the cloud and what had seemed a bright day in the making down in Queenstown looked gloomy up here. We parked up (it only took about 20 minutes from our apartment) got Tash's gear on and she had time for a quick drink of lemonade beofre we met her instructor Tom, an American guy from Colorado (who suggested later we should go there for Tash's future skiing development).

Tash went off and I went in to get a coffee and had a breakfast burger (huge with crispy bacon, egg, has browns and salad). The Ashes cricket highlights were on the TV so I watched that untilEngland had won then ventured outside to see if I could see Tash. The weather switched between foggy and bright and clear throughout the morning and I took some pictures while it was bright and was entertained watching a family of beginners trying to put their skis on.

Didn't see Tash (turned out she had progressed to slopes beyond the learner area that I was watching) so IwWent back in and had a hot chocolate and waited for the end of the lesson. I met them at about 12.25 and Tash had had a great time and Tom said she was a natural, it was very rare to see someone progress as quickly as her and that we had to take her skiing! Tash did a couple of runs down the shallow beginners slope using the carpet belt and certainly looked smoother than I ever did after my couple of weeks of skiing at school.. That wasn't very exciting though apparently so we headed back to the apartment, dropped off the hire gear and met the others (who had watched the Minion movie and fed the ducks at the lake).

We went to the i site to book the Gondola and Luge and the Ziptrek Encounter for 5pm and also the K Jet which Ed really wanted to do for tomorrow. We headed up the Gondola (one of the steepest cable cars in the world) and joined the queu for the Luge ride, donning our helmets. A cable car took you up to the luge upper area and we queued fo the beginners section (everyone has to do this the first time). We were shwon briefly how to make it go (push the handle forwards, but not too far as that engaged the parking brake) and pull back to slow down, steer left and right like a bike handlebars). Then we got our stamp to say we had been briefed and off we went. Tash and Ed were a bit slow and cautious so I overtook and went down. It was great fun, easy to control and on the longer straights you could build up a decent speed. I got tot eh bottom and had to wait a bit for the kids (though Tash was held up helping a small boy who had crashed) and we joined the queue again. This time at the top we could join the shorter queue for people with a stamp and go down either the scenic slope or the advanced one. We went down the scenic one again, I followed Eddie who got up some decent speed and Tash was much quicker.

The third time we went up the stamp queue was much longer. I went down the experienced route, which had some steeper sloped in it where you almost felt like you were airborne. The kids stuck with the scenic route again and were much faster. We then went for some food with just enough time before we got to the Ziptrek to check in, Sam was skipping this.

We put on our harnesses and got the safety briefing from Danny and Dan our instructors and off we went. The lines were fast and long - on the first we just went down normally, then Danny came down upside down. On the second one Danny went first and showed us how to go upside down by holding low on the rope and leaning back and putting our feet up in the air. Ed and Tash didn't try, but I did. I certainly felt like I was upside down and had my feet touching the wire, though the kids said my back was bent. Before the third one we were told the tale of how the lake became tidal (it is one of the few tidal lakes in the world). In Maori times a giant lived on the mountain opposite Queenstown and was looking for but couldn't find a wife, so one night crossed the lake and took a Maori girl. The Giant didn't realise he had taken the chief's daughter and so the tribe launched attacks to try and get her back. Eventually they managed to get the girl back and burn the giant and he died about from one part of him, his heart that lasy at the bottom of the lake slowly beating and creating the tides. The scientific explanation is the lake is very long (and sleeping giant shaped as we saw on a diagram) and can have different atmospheric pressure at the Kingston and Queenstown ends causing tides.

On the third zipline we were challenged to fall backwards into it, eyes closed hands an legs etc straight like a penguin. Ed didn't like the idea, Tash had a go, but grabbed at the last minute and i did it! The lst zip line was as long as the other three put together. We all took a running jump at it and sailed past an incredible view of the lake and the Remarkables mountain range (which runs exactly North-South, rare in nature). We also learnt about the ecology of the area and the philosophy of only doing things that were good for the environemnt and for people, with a tale of a girl who has to take 6 zip wires to school without any safety equipment and with her little brother in a cloth sack hanging underneath as he's too young to do it himself. The company support a micro loans initiative to help small businesses in developing countries.

The trek was over and great fun it was - photos to be viewed in the morning at their offices!

Busy day over we headed back to the apartment for some snacks and TV.Okumaya devam et