Queenstown is stunning. After walking the 55 km of the Milford Track it was time for a little rest and recuperation amid the splendour of Queenstown, by Lake Wakatipu. The view from the top of the Gondola is magnificent. You can walk, catch the gondola are even take a helicopter up.

If you have your trusty thermos and your emergency rations of scotch finger biscuits  to tide you over, (they travel where scones fear to tread), take time to appreciate the panorama, the town below or the tourists equally enjoying the spectacular scenery.

After a busy day savouring the scenery or joining in the umpteen activities available in Queenstown you can catch your breath while admiring a marvellous sunset.

It was late when I finished digging over the garden bed last night, the sunset was so peaceful and I fancy I saw a shooting star, and so I thought of Queenstown.                       Time to dig again.

It is a great place for a vacation and if you are planning adventure New Zealand tours, you shouldn’t miss it.

There are so many fun activities that you can do in Queenstown that you wouldn’t want to go back.

Water activities

Go on a sailing trip where you can join the crew or just sit back and relax as you enjoy the ride. You can also go kayaking in the waters of Lake Wakatipu. You will experience the natural reserves bordered by spectacular mountainous milieu of Southern Alps. And if it’s a challenge you want, go rafting in the white waters of Skippers Canyon. But the watery excitement doesn’t end here. Go on the most exciting jet boat ride ever- nothing would ever come close to the excitement you will experience here during New Zealand tours.

And if you are looking for some peaceful time in the water but more than kayaking, you can get funyaks and paddle your way to paradise. Or simply get a taste of nostalgia with a steamboat that would take you on a tour of the lake.
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Horse riding

There are plenty of horse riding options available on New Zealand tours. There are many stables in the area that offer spectacular scenery. Enjoy the scenery of crystal turquoise waters and snow capped mountains while riding a horse. There are many horses to suit different types of riders along with experienced guides who know how to handle things while providing a learning opportunity to the tourists.

Mountain biking

If you do not go biking on New Zealand tours, you have missed the essence of coming to this country. There are many mountain biking opportunities here for biking lovers. You can either bring your own bike or rent one from any biking destination.

Bungy jumping

If you want some adventure on New Zealand tours, do not forget to go bungy jumping. Queenstown provides a lot of bungy opportunities at Kawarau Bridge, Nevis Highwire, AJ Hacket, Shotover Canyon and many more.

Apart from these activities, you can take ATV tours, wine tours, or go Heli skiing. There are plenty of other helicopter options as well. There are many action combos that you can get in this city. Queenstown provides many adventurous activities for everyone who wants to go on New Zealand tours.

Related articles

• Queenstown Adventures Await! (channelvoyager.com)
• White Water Rafting in New Zealand (gorentals.co.nz)
• Unforgettable Farm Experience at Walter Peak High Country Farm (gorentals.co.nz)
• The Snow has finally reached Queenstown (gorentals.co.nz)
• Queenstown Cruise – Queenstown, New Zealand (travelpod.com)
• Queenstown has something for every daredevil (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Schreiner Conquers Snowfest at APPT Queenstown (pokerlistings.com)
• An easy night – not so much – Queenstown, New Zealand (travelpod.com)
• Work and Zephyr – Queenstown, New Zealand (travelpod.com)
• New high school confirmed for Queenstown (radionz.co.nz)

First time I arrived to Queenstown I had no idea how it was going to be, I didn’t check any brochure, or any webpage related to it. I just knew that Queenstown is considered the capital of the adrenaline world, nothing more. I wanted to be surprised.

And sure as hell I was.

Cloud over lake Wakatipu

From bungy to skydiving, downhill or whatever you can imagine you can find it here. For me it was just…. beautiful.

Queenstown is located by the shore of the third biggest lake in New Zealand, the lake Wakatipu. Maybe the urban development could have been done with a little more attention to the detail. But the surrounding landscape is just one of the most spectacular I’ve ever seen.

Along the shore there are big weeping willows and in the Queenstown gardens, you can find a great variety of trees and flowers, and it is also a great place to walk and enjoy the view.

A girl in the shore of Lake Wakatipu

The water has a deep blue color and it is cristal clear and The Remarkables mountain range surrounds the lake. I can’t imagine how beautiful this place must be with the snow-capped mountains.

Reading by the shore of Lake Wakatipu

I just loved the place.

I think the images speak for themselves, but if you’re considering a trip to New Zealand, you must visit Queenstown, at least two days.

Hope you like it.

They say Lake Wakatipu is as deep as the surrounding mountains are high. My mind just boggles at this. Our world is so vast, yet in these images I see a beautiful collision of vibrant colours and light which invokes our emotions, natural and man-made creation, life in people and death in stones, the magnitude of mountains and comparative smallness of humans, friendship and solitude, as well as so much more. To me, these pictures show one type of beautiful. Enjoy. Imagine.

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Queenstown est une charmante petite ville de l’île du sud de la Nouvelle Zélande entourée de montagnes, située sur le bord du lac Wakatipu. Elle est particulièrement connue pour ses nombreux sports extrêmes, telles que le saut en parachute, saut à l’élastique, rafting… Pour notre part, nous nous sommes contentés de visiter la ville, faire quelques pique-niques (bien plus facile avec une cuisine mobile) et visiter les vignobles. Queenstown se situe au beau milieu d’une région de producteur de vins. Nous nous sommes donc arrêtés pour une nuit juste en dehors de la ville, dans la taverne Gibbstown, ou nous avons été accueillies très chaleureusement, et avons enfin pu profiter d’une douche chaude.

My country is beautiful, of that there is no doubt. The Maori people, know as the tangata whenua (native people of our land), call New Zealand ‘Aotearoa ‘ which means ‘land of the long white cloud.’ Below, the first image certainly conforms to this legacy.

Speaking of legacy, what sort will we leave? Sometimes I wonder whether our land will be as breathtakingly beautiful tomorrow as it is today. If all of creation was made to collectively flourish; is that not nature as well as you and I? Yet, what does flourishing look like? I suspect it isn’t as subject to relativism as we might first think. I suspect our Creator intended something very different to that of our world’s current and projected state. I suspect He has restoration in mind, where he will one day walk among us again and beauty will not be as fleeting as it seems today.

“When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in worship of the Creator.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

(Photos copyrighted to Lizzie Pawson. Taken beside Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand)

Medicine Lake – Jasper National Park, Canada

Lake Wakatipu – Queenstown, New Zealand

Is there anything that captures a fleeting moment better than a rainbow? It was the first thing I thought of when I saw the subject for this weeks photo challenge. Here are two of my favorite photos from opposite ends of the earth. The first is of Medicine Lake in Jasper National Park in Canada. We were heading back to our lodge and even though we had stopped at this location on our way out to take some great photos, the addition of the rainbow demanded another stop and photos of this fleeting moment. The second is of Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown, New Zealand. We were on our way to Milford Sound, when because of the weather, we could not take the short flight over from Queenstown. So we took the long drive around but were rewarded with this rainbow and numerous waterfalls on the route.

Today I took about a two hour flight from Auckland to Queenstown, South Island.  Every local in Auckland has been telling me to head to Queenstown for a nonstop party.  Queenstown is a resort town in the south-west of New Zealand’s South Island.  It is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu.

I never really plan too much when I travel.  I read a little bit on the internet and feel out a destination when I get there as I have commitment issues.  I usually find a better thing to do or see when I actually arrive at a destination.  I bought my one-way plane-ticket last-minute yesterday.  I actually tried to fly yesterday but the seats were all sold-out.  When I arrived in Queenstown today, I really had no idea where I was going.  I wanted to drive directly to an awesome ski resort called Cardrona, but that ski resort did not have a lot of options online for accommodations.  Someone on the street today recommended the X Base Hostal in Queenstown.  However, there were many lodging and backpacker hostals to choose from.

It was a good thing I did that because word on the street here in Queenstown is that most of the ski resorts are pretty sleepy.  It is best to stay in Queenstown and then do the half-hour or hour drive to the resort.  Well, that’s only if you want excitement at night.

When I travel alone, I usually like to stay in hostals so I can meet people and learn from them.  I rented a bed in a six-bedroom dorm room with it’s own bathroom for $29 New Zealand Dollars – not too shabby!  One thing I have noticed about my hostal experience throughout the world is that at times they have a stench of the filthy traveler, but this hostal was surprisingly clean without any smell. The hostal is in the center of the small town and my room is right on the street with several windows and a small balcony.

When I arrived in my room today, I was happy to see that there is only one other guest staying in my room.  My roommate is from Switzerland.  I talked with him about Switzerland as I went snowboarding at Zermatt and visited Zurich last December.  He told me about his travels in New Zealand so far and his future plans for Singapore and the Phillippines.  I offered some travel advice on the Phillippines as I spent some time there last Summer traveling and recording my music album.  They say that Auckland is a sleepy city compared to Queenstown. Right now they are in the middle of Winter Festival which is about 10 days of non-stop action with over 60 events including street parties, fireworks, music, comedy, sheep racing, and these other races where people dress very strangely.

I am not coming to Queenstown just for the crazy nightlife, but I want to go snowboarding!  There are several ski resorts near Queenstown including Cardrona, Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, and Treble Cone. This town is the center for adventures as you can bungy jump, sky dive, jet boat, luge, hang glide, canyon swing, cliff jump, and much, much more.  The surrounding areas of Queenstown contain many locations used in the filming of the Lord of the Rings.  The reason they filmed here is because of the absolute beauty of the landscape.

Well, tonight is White Wednesday at the hostal bar.  Take a look at this flyer!  Tonight is Jelly Wrestling, Wet T-Shirt contest and Wet Jock contest for cash prizes!  WISH ME LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!

The combination of a new puppy in the family (relentless!) and the fact that my guest blogger today, Adam Jones-Kelly, is a wonderful writer, blogger and world traveler (since he was seven years old) has me handing over the helm of my blog yet again this week. For my readers who are drawn to all the travel-love I often indulge in here—plus any Kiwis in the group!—today’s post will be a total delight. I encourage you to follow Adam’s blog at OnSite: Eating, Sleeping & Coping Around the World. He really has a razor sharp take on the places he visits—always spot-on, VERY funny and insightful—and his photos are stellar. I’m partial to his Kiwi post, presented here, because of my love affair with that country. His photos in this post, fairly recently taken, had me fumbling for my Amex card until my husband reminded me of the likely effects of taking a puppy that hasn’t been housetrained yet on a 16-hour Air New Zealand flight. Enjoy!

Brendan Gill once wrote “Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious.”
The Kiwis were apparently paying attention.
New Zealanders are an irreverent bunch, playful, adventurous, and happy, quite possibly the happiest people I’ve ever known. Kiwis don’t just live life, they attack it, with a wink and a grin.

Rangitoto volcano across from Auckland Harbour

The approach to the world’s highest cliff jump has a couple of somber warnings for wary visitors, carefully placed along the gravely walkway.
This is not surprising, since one side of the walkway is a sheer cliff, off which you’d enjoy a 300-foot plummet before face-planting into the canyon below at 100 miles per hour.
What is surprising is that the signs neglect to mention the certain and painful death lurking mere inches away, instead alerting passersby to be on careful lookout for gnomes.
Life here is not real serious.
My favorite all-time Kiwi billboard was selling itself, and proudly proclaimed that it “Stands out like dog’s balls.”
I love Kiwis.
Before leaving Queenstown we all agreed that a ride on the Skyline Gondola to the top of Bob’s Peak was in order, and a visit to Fergberger a must.
So, still peeling so extravagantly from my Bora Bora sunburn that I looked like a leper begging for coins, we queued up for the five minute ride up the mountain. Though shedding skin in such profusion does garner you a great deal of personal space, the line was long, so Soo and I amused ourselves by peeling large flakes off my arm and depositing them at the feet of horrified tourists.
Once to the top we quickly forgot all thoughts of tormenting fellow travelers, so magnificent were the vistas on display as Queenstown spread out before us, enveloped by the majestic snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps and kissing the shore of Lake Wakatipu.
It’s catch-your-breath beautiful, and we happily settled in at the bar at the Skyline restaurant to enjoy a drink while staring out the window. (The restaurant itself is a buffet, allegedly a really poor one, and costs a fortune. We failed to come up with any reason to eat there since lounging in the bar area afforded you the same views.)
That out of the way, our last Queenstown must-do was lunch at Fergberger. The hole-in-the-wall joint making the biggest, juciest burgers you’ve ever seen, started a decade ago because the owner, Ferg, believed that locals deserved a spot to eat when they were “drunk to hell.” Their website pleasantly notes that in the early days the restaurant was guilty of swapping “chips for tits.” Ah, Kiwis.
There’s always a line out the door, and once having ordered it takes 20 minutes to get your burger, but it’s mouth-watering oh-so-worth-it deliciousness. Among my favorite menu items are the Sweet Bambi, the Cockadoodle Oink, the Holier Than Thou, the Bun Laden (falafel, of course) and the Cock Cajun burger, which apparently has nothing to do with sex, though after eating one you’ll need a cigarette. I sure did.
We unhappily departed Queenstown on Air New Zealand. (Unhappily because we were leaving, not because we were on Air New Zealand. It is, in fact, one of the world’s top-rated airlines, winning the 2011 Air Transport World’s Airline of the Year award for the second time in three years, but one that, being Kiwi, doesn’t take itself too seriously. And it’s perhaps the only airline on earth capable of convincing me to pay attention to the here’s how you fasten your seat belt, put on your life vest and find the emergency exit in the unlikely event of a water landing routine. Air New Zealand accomplished this by presenting the airline safety features in a video that incorporates Richard Simmons, 70s dance music, flight crew in nothing but body paint and the members of the national rugby team.)
It’s hysterical, completely endearing and utterly Kiwi.
The first few minutes of our flight, however, were less endearing.
My wonderful friend Jo is one of those people practiced at supervising everything around her, even those things that don’t really require supervision. The pilots on our flight unhelpfully declined to allow Jo to manage things from the cockpit, so she was left to fret about how they were doing in the back with the rest of us.

The author with a few of the 40 million sheep that make NZ home!

Regrettably, they gave us plenty to fret about for the first few minutes.
It was terribly turbulent upon takeoff, apparently not uncommon for this little corner of the world. (Airfare Watchdog’s list of The World’s Most Thrilling Airports puts Queenstown #2, noting that “Queenstown… lies below The Remarkables, a jagged mountain range seen in The Lord of the Rings. On descent, passengers may feel a sudden drop in altitude caused by strong downdrafts. Bird activity by the runway, as well as frequent bad weather and poor visibility, also make Queenstown Airport a real knee-knocker.”)
On takeoff, we got the sudden drop.
The pilot, to his credit, was racing for higher altitudes, trying to get us out of the chop. But before he could get there we hit one of those downdrafts, and the plane plummeted. Screams could be heard from passengers all around us, and poor Jo, who’d brought two of her daughters on the trip, but left her eldest, Amy, behind in Auckland due to work constraints, was utterly convinced we were all going to die. Jo touchingly and tragically later shared that her one thought in the panic of the drop was that she was heartbroken to leave Amy alone in the world.
As you will have deduced by the existence of this blog, the pilots recovered, and we made it to Auckland just fine. I do think they distributed a wee bit more alcohol on that flight than is usual, however.
Auckland, where I lived as a child, is probably my favorite city on earth. Not because it’s beautiful in the way Paris or Venice are beautiful, and not because it’s exciting in the way Queensland was. (It is beautiful, this city of sails, and of course has its own brand of excitement. But that’s not what you take away from Auckland. It’s the feel of the city, the very Kiwiness, that makes it my favorite.)
When we first lived here 30 years ago my father used to rail at the impossibility of finding decent Chinese food anywhere in Auckland. Now, half the restaurants in town are Asian, and they’re scrumptiously authentic.
The city has changed, but it’s still Auckland. There’s still a family-owned fish & chippery on every corner, still a quaint dairy for every neighborhood. (A dairy in NZ is part convenience store and part old rural country store from our parents‘ early years. And they always have fresh, delicious ice-cream.)
On a typical Sunday afternoon in Auckland, the shopping malls are empty, the harbor full of sails. The landscape is dotted with extinct volcanoes, everywhere you look people are smiling and laughing, and it just feels like… home.
It occurs to me that so much of who I am today was shaped by New Zealand. For the past three decades, most of which I spent living in America, I’ve been busily being Kiwi, though I’m not sure I ever realized it.
And that’s made my life ever so much more fun. I’m so grateful for that part of me that never stopped being Kiwi.

All photos I took today were on film for my Rollei 35 – loaded with my first self develop film in some time. I finished the film, but realised I was missing my thermometer for developing, so will have to get another this week (and post my hopeful results).

Based on yesterdays popularity of ‘Paradise’, I thought I would add one more from the Lake Wakatipu region. Taken from the summit at Queenstown, the view is quite amazing. Todays image is a sew together of two images from my Ricoh. Due to the settings I had on it, I was getting some vignetting at the edges and had a hard time getting the color/shade match right when stitching them together…so its not perfect, but its ok considering.

For those interested, lake Wakatipu is New Zealand’s longest (80km) and third biggest lake. If you base yourself in Queenstown, you can do anything from skiing, para gliding, tramping… the list goes on. – you can also visit Paradise (yesterdays image).

Taken on the Ricoh GRD IV, 2X images, stitched in Gimp.

Queenstown (what a beautiful name) is the biggest town along the lake shore. Above the town, a gondola takes tourists up to the Bob’s Peak where the panoramic views of Lake Wakatipu and the surroundings are just breathtaking.

We didn’t go quite that far on Wednesday, our water taxi from Queenstown stopped at Mount Nicholas Station on the southern side of the lake.

This family owned and operated station runs sheep and cattle and supplies merino wool to Icebreaker.

It also offers accommodation at the homestead where we lunched on vegetable soup, made from produce from the station’s garden, and venison pie.

Our afternoon visit enabled just a quick look around the lower country near the lake but provided plenty of vistas to prove that we were in deed close to paradise if down the lake a little from Paradise.

After a 6 long hours drive via SH1 from Christchurch the next morning, it seems like the tires of our car have worn-out having traveled about 424 kilometers. If the tires did not complain, I would. Not in a bad way, of course, because the anticipation I was feeling just knows no bound. I wanted to jump down from the car, huff and puff and scream to announce our arrival at The Pines Resort in Dungarvon Street, Wanaka. The skies already showed signs that it was past evening and after checking-in at the reception, we took the keys and headed up the terracotta stairs to Unit 8. To cut the night short, we drove out to the town center within 3 minutes to grab 2 portions of lamb kebab with chips and a 12 inches Subway sandwich. Found New World Supermarket, so we bought plenty of groceries to stock up the kitchen as well.

Feeling well-rested sleeping on a electric-heated bed, we woke up to the stunning mountain vistas of Roy’s Peak, our eyes greedily taking in the view and it was a moment where you just go, “Wow!”.

I guess it is this huge pine tree, hence The Pines Resort…

Wanaka is almost unfeasibly pleasant and has to rank as one of the most desirable places in New Zealand. With the lake of the same name lapping rhythmically as its heels and its picture-postcard mountain backdrops – bordering as it does the Mount Aspiring National Park – it is easy to understand why Wanaka is such a superb place to visit, or indeed live. In recent years Wanaka has seen a boom in both real estate sales and tourism, but it is reassuring that its manic neighbor, Queenstown, will always keep growth in check. As it is, Wanaka is just perfect: not too busy, not too quiet; developed not spoilt, and a place for all to enjoy. Although you would never guess it, Wanaka’s history goes back to the 1860s when it played an important role as a service center for the region’s itinerant gold miners. Today, its principal resources are activities and its miners are tourists. Year-round, there is a multitude of things to do from watersports and tramping in summer to skiing in winter. But for us it has been the perfect place to relax and recharge our batteries beside the lake. Wanaka is that kind of town.

Wanaka town center borders the very pretty Roy’s Bay that opens out beyond Ruby Island into the southern and indented bays of Lake Wanaka. The lake, which is 274 meters above sea level and over 45 kilometers long, occupies an ancient glacier bed. The aesthetics speaks for themselves, but the glistening waters are also a prime attraction for boaties, water-skiers, kayakers and windsurfers. However, even before you consider these activities, I am damn sure that you will find yourself simply admiring its beauty more than anything from Wanaka’s attractive lakefront.

North of Wanaka on SH6 towards the west coast is Lake Hawea and the small holiday settlement of Hawea. Lake Hawea, like its neighbor Lake Wanaka, occupies an ancient glacier valley, and only a narrow strip of moraine known as ‘The Neck’ separates the two. Lake Hawea is noted for its remote upper reaches, 35 kilometers north of Hawea settlement. The lake level was raised by 18 meters in 1958 as part of the Clutha River hydropower system. Hawea itself nestles on its southern shore and, although a fairly new settlement, was formerly the site of an important and strategic Maori pa (a forfeited residential area).

From Lake Hawea and the narrow Neck we revisited Lake Wanaka and head north through some beautiful Scottish scenery to its northern edge and a small settlement of Makarora. At about 67 kilometers from Wanaka, and almost on the border of the Otago and west coast regions, Makarora acts as the portal to the northern tramps and activities within Mount Aspiring National Park. The village itself offers little except a small conglomerate of tourist services reflecting the desires of most visitors who either pass through quickly like us or head for the hills. Therefore, it was the typical stopover-for-quickshots way of traveling in New Zealand.

Instagram pictures below:

Next post we will move a step closer to the heart of Otago – Queenstown. But before that you shall first take in the former goldrush settlement of the humble Arrowtown. So stay tuned for more.

Wilson Bay on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, Central Otago – located approximately 10km west of Queenstown.

Lake Wakatipu is renowned for its scenic beauty, being completely surrounded by mountains. ‘The Remarkables’ mountain range lies along its southeastern edge, and is a popular venue for adventure tourism – with skifields, paragliding, bungy jumping and walking tracks all within easy reach. The lake is also home to a vintage steamboat… the TSS Earnslaw, which regularly plies its waters.

With a length of 80 kilometres, Lake Wakatipu is New Zealand’s longest lake. The Dart River flows into the northern end, where the lake then runs south for 30 kilometres before turning abruptly to the east. Twenty kilometres further along, it turns sharply to the south, reaching its southern end 30 kilometres further south, near Kingston.

The lake is drained by the Kawarau River – which flows out from the Frankton Arm part of the lake, 8km east of Queenstown. Queenstown is on the northern shore of the lake, close to the eastern end of its middle section.

To read more about Lake Wakatipu, please click here!

Camera Model: Nikon D700; Lens: Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G; Focal length: 16mm; Aperture: f/11; Exposure time: 1.0s; ISO: 200

Filter: Formatt Hitech; Neutral Density Graduated (ND 0.9 Soft Edge)

New Zealand is such a beautiful country, and especially the South Island.  I love the outdoors and I love cycling, so cycling the 150km  Central Otago Rail Trail is my ideal holiday.  I’ve been wanting to do it for years, but life kept getting in the way, until one day I said to Graham “let’s just do it!”.   By the end of the day we had  booked our flights and had our names on a 5-day guided cycle tour.

Although I love the outdoors, I’m not a “roughing it” type (I blame this on my dad, ‘cos he used to drag me out deer stalking in the Urewera National Park when I was a kid – he had no sons, so I was it!)    Not for me, I prefer a comfortable bed, flushing toilet and a plug for my hair drier!  Anyway, we digress!  We chose to do the ride over five days, using hired bikes, staying overnight in historic gold towns with quality accommodation, food and a smiling hostess to meet us every 12kms or so along the trail, with food, drink and comfort.  There are other options, some people do the whole trail in one day, by themselves, but we wanted to have a leisurely ride and take the time to “smell the roses” and explore.

View out to Lake Wakitipu from top of Skyline, Queenstown, NZ

We decided to spend a day in Queenstown before doing the cycle trip, and a day at Dunedin at the other end.  So early one Monday in March, we boarded an early flight to Queenstown.    It was a beautiful summer day when we arrived, despite the chill in the air.  We spent the morning wandering along the beautiful marina which runs alongside Lake Wakatipu, through the centre of the township where we stopped at one of  the many cafes.  We then made our way to the Skyline and caught a gondola up to the top.  We noticed walk ways and a cycling track meandering up the side of the mountain, but decided to save our cycle legs for the ride the next day.    Absolutely stunning views on the way up, overlooking the Queenstown township and Lake Wakatipu!  At the top, there were kids enjoying the lunge rides, forest trails to walk, and bungy jumping and paragliding for the more adventurous.We were tempted with the idea of going paragliding, but couldn’t pluck up the courage!

Queenstown cafes

TSS Earnslaw on Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown

View of Queensland and Lake Wakatipu, from the Skyline

We had booked ourselves on a 4WD guided tour to Arrowtown in the afternoon.   Arrowtown is an old gold mining town, built on the banks of the Arrow River, about 20 mins out of Queenstown and is steeped in history.   Arrowtown is also very popular for its cycling and walking tracks, and the township itself is beautiful and quaint, and houses a very impressive museum.

Arrowtown main street

Arrow River, site of Lord Of The Rings filming, Arrowtown

The 4WD drive through the Arrow River was awesome.  We panned for gold and surveyed the location of the Lord of the Rings filming.  Arrowtown is one of my favourite places!

The following morning we were picked up by our tour guide, Heidi, and met the other members of our tour, two couples from Taranaki.  We made our way to Cromwell, stopping along the way to view some bungy jumping and stop at a lovely vineyard for lunch.  We enjoyed sampling their wines and scrumptious food.   On our arrival at Cromwell we checked out our hire  bikes and took them for a ride around Lake Dunstan.  Another beautiful setting!

The day finally arrived – Heidi dropped us off at  Clyde and we began our 150km adventure!  Throughout the ride we were treated to stunning scenery!  Graham (who quickly became our group photographer) was in his element, and he got some excellent photos, some of which are going on our wall at home.

At each station we stamped our Otago Central Rail Trail passports at the replica NZ Railways Dept emergency phone box houses along the way.  Interpretation panels told much of the history of bridges, viaducts and tunnels and Heidi was a wealth of information, and we were in awe at the thought of men hauling vast quantities of large stones, steel and wood, by hand, to construct some of the amazing viaducts we rode across.  At the Ranfurly Station was a display dedicated to the 21 lives that were lost in the train crash in 1943, and the virtual train ride gave an interesting insight into the history of the Otago Rail Track.  We stayed at beautiful towns along the way, and the accommodation, food and wine were second to none!  In fact, despite the fact that we were cycling for four days, we had both put on weight by the end of the trip!

The Vulcan Hotel, St Bathans

St Bathans

Omakau Station (me). Notice the NZ Rail Station replica phone box. We stopped at these boxes at each station to stamp our Central Otago Rail Station passports.

On our last day of the cycling trip, the sky started to cloud over and just before we departed on the Taieri Gorge train to Dunedin, rain started falling in bucketfuls.  We had had gorgeous weather until then, although we heard on the news that back in Auckland they had had thunderstorms in our absence!  You’d think that after four days on a bike seat, you’d be relieved it was over, but I was actually disappointed, I just wanted to keep on riding – didn’t want it to end.

We arrived in Dunedin in the evening and were amused when our taxi driver informed us that  we had arrived in the middle of the students’ annual keg party.  (Dunedin is the home of Otago University which has 25,000 students who have a reputation for their partying ways!)    On arrival at our motel, the motelier apologetically offered us earplugs!  We did venture out to get some takeaways but quickly returned to the sanctuary of our motel room!  Surprisingly, by 10pm the place was quiet, but perhaps not so surprising when you consider that they had been partying since 5am.

Dunedin train station

The next day we set off on foot to explore Dunedin.  Dunedin’s train station is a sight to see, and apparently one of the most photographed buildings in New Zealand.  We visited the Dunedin Botanical Gardens and then took a look at Baldwin Street, the steepest residential street in the world. We were going to walk to the top, but ran out of time as we had a plane to catch back to Auckland.  It’s true!!!

Baldwin Street, Dunedin – the world’s steepest residential street.

Anyway, we definitely have good memories of our trip, and I want to see more of New Zealand’s beautiful South Island!  The next trip might be a motorcycle road trip!

What was your favourite holiday?  I’d love to hear from you!

The view from our window @ Rydges Hotel overlooking Lake Wakatipu – Planning a camera obscura shoot

Rydges Hotel Camera Obscura: Queenstown + Lake Wakatipu

We checked into the Rydges on the Lake hotel at Queenstown in the late afternoon and the lake-view room demanded that a camera obscura image be made. Hotel and motel rooms are all pretty much the same—the beds, the bathroom, the table with one chair maybe two, the big mirror, the tiny bar fridge full of junk food and drink and the TV. In the room one could be anywhere and nowhere.

That evening a visit to the local 4 Square store meant that we were equipped with enough black plastic bin liners and some black electrical tape to cover the 2.5 X 3 metre window.

What we needed to complement the image potential for the picture was a beautiful clear sunny day—and that’s exactly what happened the next day. There were two sessions, one around mid-day and the other late afternoon. Blue sky, the golden leaves of poplar trees in autumn and the colours of lake and mountain filled the room.

Camera Obscura image looking towards Walter Peak

In between shoots we left the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door just in case room-cleaning staff should intervene—We often wonder about what unsuspecting visitors would think when first entering the blacked-out space of the room.

Three main images were made—one of the un-made bed, a deep shot into the room, one each of the both of us—Vicky timing the one-minute exposure, the other, a simulation of Doug checking the review screen of the Olympus camera that had been used for image-making that day.

Image left: Vicky times the exposure Image right: Doug reviews images made on his camera

The ‘pinhole’ was fashioned from a postcard of Lake Wakatipu with the steamship the Earnslaw crossing the lake. The aperture was around 10mm and the exposure time around 2.5 minutes.

Victoria Cooper holding the postcard with the ‘hole’ in it

A small town with a big city vibe, Queenstown is jam-packed full of action, and whether you are looking for a thrill seeking, water rafting, bungee jumping adventure holiday, or a more relaxed sightseeing, wine tasting, gourmet dining type of journey, Queenstown has got it all.

Nestling around the turquoise blue Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown is a beautiful resort town complete with soaring mountains aptly named The Remarkables, spectacular scenery, atmospheric bars and restaurants, and the friendly locals that give New Zealand its great charm.

With weather patterns similar to those found in the Northern Hemisphere, Queenstown enjoys warm summers (December to March), where one can hike, sunbathe on the banks of the Lake, and dine alfresco, and snow-covered winters (June – August), where skiers and snowboarders from across the globe flock to enjoy the pristine slopes.

Queenstown is a great base for those heading to Milford Sounds, and if you dream of sailing some of the most beautiful Fjords in the world, you will certainly not be disappointed at what Te Anau has to offer.

Wine aficionados will appreciate the fine wines and dining available at Gibbston Valley, a mere 10 minute drive from Queenstown, and if you enjoy a Pinot Noir – you are in for a treat as Gibbston have gold medals all over the place!

Come rain or shine, Queenstown has something to offer everyone, so why not head on over and enjoy Kiwi hospitality at its best!