New Zealand
Cardrona

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    • Day 75

      Hot Pool & Ice Cold Snow

      June 22, 2022 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C

      We discovered that at the lovely place we stay, there's an outdoor pool! A hot one, and a very cold one. After a fun day skiing, we enjoyed a swim in the hot pool, and it was even hotter after jumping in the cold one!! Surrounded by snow the hot pool felt even warmer!Read more

    • Day 15

      Cardrona - Hotel

      January 15, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

      1863 gegründet ist das Cardrona Hotel eines der ältesten Hotels Neuseelands und nur eins von zwei verbliebenen Gebäuden aus der Goldrausch-Ära im Cardrona Valley. Früher war Cardrona eine wohlhabende Siedlung. Die historische Hotelfassade ist repräsentativ für diese verschwundenen Stadt und ist ein
      wichtiger Teil der Geschichte Neuseelands. Heute geniesst das Hotel Kultstatus - ein Besuch sollte ein Muss für Durchreisende ohne eigene Schlafgelegenheit sein DZ CA 200 NZ$/Nacht.
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    • Day 23

      Aktion für Breast Cancer

      December 16, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

      Plötzlich an der Straße....hängen da lauter BHs überm Zaun. Was ist denn da los? Auf jeden Fall motiviert es neben all den Japanern auch uns zum Anhalten 😀
      Es handelt sich um eine Aktion zur Lenkung der Aufmerksamkeit auf Brustkrebs.
      Jeder bzw jede Frau kann einen BH aufhängen und so mit zur Aktion beitragen.
      Ich hab meinen angelassen.... der war nach der Wanderung so verschwitzt, da hätten sich nur die Fliegen gesammelt 🤣
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    • Day 82

      Mulled wine & local food by the fire

      June 29, 2022 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 2 °C

      Our last day of skiing / snowboarding today! Time is flying! With excellent slope quality Guido and me got quite a lot of runs in at our topspeed 😉😜. In the afternoon we had fun with Speedy Gonzales (Quinten). Julius has hurt his knee yesterday, and he was more then happy to play minecraft in the restaurant, and made a friend with same interests.

      At night, we went for dinner at a historic place, the Cardrona hotel. It's a hotel built in the goldrush days in the past. The local food, beef Wellington in our case, and wine (pinot noir) tasted well. In New Zealand they know what good food and cozyness is! The dessert, mashmellows roasted in the fire outside in the cold made the experience complete 😁.
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    • Day 57

      Backcountry Saddle Expeditions

      January 26, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

      At 9.30 am I arrived at the Backcountry Saddle Experience in Cardrona.
      I found this tour on Bookme and my friends in Queenstown actually were also recommending this place.

      First I had to sign in and fill in a safety paper.
      While we were waiting for the last people to show up Pam, the owner, was deciding to get the first group already away.
      So she and Olivia started to give the first 7 of us, including me our horses.
      My horse I Cherona but everyone calls her Cheesy.
      As you maybe can see, they have Appaloosa horses here!
      Really cool colors and super chilled horses. They stand loose around the yard and no one is walking away! Really impressive.
      And what was very important for me, they all look really, really good! Big belly and a lot of muscles! 👍🏼😊

      When everyone in our group got their horse they started to but the bridles on, tide the belt and help the other people upon the horses. Looks like I was ending up in a beginner group 🙄😅
      3 total beginners, 2 with a little bit experience and on with good riding abilities.
      Well, I was not expecting too much, let’s see what will happen today.

      When everyone was ready and happy we got the order to stay behind each other and always in the same order as it is best like this for the horses.
      I was ending up as last behind two really slow horses with total beginners on them that had no idea what to do. 🙈😬
      Oh my god, I was thinking. But I decided that it doesn’t matter and I will enjoy the ride anyway.
      Pam told me, that Cheesy can be a little bitch and get grumpy when I use my legs too much, so I should pay a little bit attention to this and if she tries to bite me I should really tell her to stop it.
      Ok, at least my horse has an own mind, sounds interesting. Me and grumpy mares... 🙈😂

      Then it was time to leave the yard. We went with Olivia, while Pam was fixing the other group ready.
      We started to slowly walk up a hill. After the first gate, we were passing Olivia asked if everyone is feeling comfortable and as the answer was yes from everyone she said, perfect let’s trot a bit.
      That was a surprise for me! I was not expecting that we gonna trot as well so that was really nice!

      The horses are so calm and behaving so well, that it’s even for the total beginners absolutely no problem to handle them and trot around a little bit.
      I started to like the trip more and more as we were more and more often trotting some parts, where the track was really good.
      As we had to pass another gate, Olivia was going around and just checking everyone’s belt and tighten them up a little bit more, if needed. She asks the woman in front of me, the other good rider if she was feeling for a canter, but her answer was no.
      So I was like: I’d like to if it’s ok?
      The answer was: “of coarse!
      You are anyway the last one so that’s absolutely no problem, just wait by the gate while we trot over the field and I will wave at you when you can start to Galopp after us!”

      Oh yes, now I was really happy and super excited.
      Cheesy as well. She got also really excited when the other ones were trotting away from us, so she didn’t want to standstill.
      When Olivia waved at me, I just had to give Cheesy the head free and of we go!
      She is as happy as I am over this nice canter!
      She is not running like crazy after the other horses so we had a nice canter over the field until we were back with the group!

      And I even got the chance for one more 🤗😎
      The same system here, I was waiting until the other once for a bit away and then we took off again. 🤩🥰

      The next part was mostly up a hill on a small path so we had to walk for a while until we reached a small but steep hill, where everyone was allowed to take a short canter up the hill if they wanted to.
      We had to wait a while as a few people in front of us were walking up the hill anyway.
      Cheesy got too excited that she was turning a little bit too early around the corner so she had to jump over a little creek.
      Well, I got a jump as well 😉
      She also showed me her bitch faces a few times when she was thinking that I am telling her to often to keep up with the rest of the group, sometimes even before I was doing something, just like she was saying: “Don’t you dare to touch my belly with your heels!! “ 🤣🤣 Mares 🙈🤣
      Shortly after that, we reached the highest part of our track where Olivia was so nice to take some pictures from us. After that, we followed a path down the hill and got only to trot two more times for a short bit as this track is very uneven.
      We had to pass a few mud holes and even two creeks.
      On the first one, the horses got a chance to drink, what everyone also did!

      A little bit more than 2 hours after leaving the yard we were back.
      The horses got a food bag around their had and was all standing loose at the yard happy about some food 😊

      I was the last one to leave as I wanted to thank Olivia for the possibility to canter as well.
      She told me, that they always give the experienced riders the chance and that’s why I was riding at last so I could easily pull up and wait without disturbing the other horses.
      Very good system and so nice, that every rider gets a chance to really enjoy the trip in this kind of way!

      I am so glad, I booked exactly this tour! 😊
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    • Day 23

      Fun+Fun+Fun = QUEENSTOWN

      November 23, 2019 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

      Schon die Abfahrt nach Queenstown lässt die Bremsen glühen, dann sind wir in der quirligen Stadt am Lake Wakatipu. Funsport-Angebote an jeder Ecke und beste Wohlfühlatmosphäre! Wir freuen uns auf den Abend an der Beach Street!Read more

    • Day 61

      Cardrona

      February 26 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

      Ich habe mir heute einen Ruhetag gegönnt. Die letzten Tage waren ziemlich kräftezehrend. Ich wohne zurzeit in Cardrona. Während die Leute früher wegen Gold gekommen sind, dominiert heute der Tourismus.Read more

    • Day 73

      New Zealand, here we come!

      June 20, 2022 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

      In the early morning we left Maroubra to fly to Queenstown. With all the covid measures that New Zealand has, it is a long day with lots of waiting before we finally arrive in Queenstown. But we made it. The arrival with the airplane was truly spectacular over all those beautiful mountain tops! In the evening we arrive with our rental car in Cardrona. A nice and warm home awaits us, and the boys can't believe how cold it isand want to play in the snow immediately!!Read more

    • Day 20

      Horseback Riding

      April 17, 2019 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

      Heute erkundeten wir die Umgebung nicht zu Fuss, sondern auf dem Rücken von Pferden. Eigentlich wollten wir ja in Cardrona Skifahren, aber dazu ist es noch zu früh. So genossen wir bei bestem Herbstwetter einen super Nachmittag auf Savannah und Cheese (Abkürzung für ???). Neben dem obligaten Schritt, gings auch im Trab und Galopp über das gelbe Grasland. JupiieeeRead more

    • Day 141

      Bradrona & Cardrona

      February 17, 2019 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

      Auf geht es nach Queenstown. Ein Städtchen umgeben von Bergen, am Lake Wakatipu gelegen und mit einer Unmenge an Angeboten für alles was Wandern, Fallschirmspringen, Paragliding etc. betrifft. Ich hole mir gegenüber von meinem Hostel im Café noch einen Flat White für unterwegs und verlasse dann Haast. Zu Haast gibt es nicht wirklich viel zu erzählen, da ich hier nur übernachtet habe. Unterwegs pausiere ich für eine kleine 1,5 h Wanderung (hin- & zurück) zu den Blue Pools. Tatsächlich verfügen sie über glasklares und türkis schimmerndes Wasser. Ich brauche wohl nicht zu erwähnen, dass es kaltes Wasser ist. Das hat allerdings einen Deutschen nicht davon abgehalten von der Brücke aus ca. 10m Höhe zu springen. Leichtsinnig, aber muss ja jeder selber wissen. Ich habe mich währenddessen dazu hinreißen lassen, ein Steinmännchen im Uferbett zu errichten.

      Auf meinem weiteren Weg nach Queenstown bin ich zudem an einer Destillerie vorbeigekommen und habe mich spontan für eine Führung entschieden. Um auf das Gelände der Destillerie zu gelangen ist „Bradrona“ zu passieren. Ein Zaun mit hunderten BH’s, der im Jahr 1999 von vier, sagen wir etwas beschwippsten Damen zwischen Weihnachten und Silvester mit der Verzierung ihrer BH’s „ins Leben gerufen“ und 2006 im Rahmen einer Brustkrebs-Kampagne für eine Spendenaktion genutzt wurde. Eine farbenfrohe, extravagante Form der Landschaftsgestaltung. Jedenfalls, habe ich mich der dort ansässigen Cardrona Destillerie gewidmet und die letzte Führung des Tages um 15:00 Uhr als Privatführung genossen, natürlich mit einer kleinen Verkostung am Ende.

      Im Anschluss noch kurz die letzten Kilometer bis nach Queenstown zurückgelegt und dort versucht das Hostel ohne Navigationssystem zu finden. In weiser Voraussicht hatte ich vorher den Standort über Google Maps am Laptop aufgerufen, ein Foto mit der Kamera gemacht und konnte nun darauf zurückgreifen. Es hat dennoch etwas gedauert, bis ich mein Ziel erreichte, aber es ging auch mal ohne mobiles Endgerät.
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    Cardrona

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