On to Queenstown

I am pretty glad that I am off bus travel for a while. I know I am a pansy, but I don't really like car trips anyway, and buses are even less comfortable, plus they stop when THEY want, not when you want. So we were on a bus for hours today and it was long and I was so glad to be finally off of it, but fortunately the trip from Franz down to Queenstown is gorgeous. It goes by Fox Glacier, through the Mt Aspiring National Park, by Lake Wanaka, and past about a zillion sheep. You will have tot ake my word for how pretty it was, though, because I couldn't get many good shots from the coach window. But the low-lying fluffy clouds on the huge mountains were quite stunning.

And now we are in Queenstown, home of the most adrenaline-packed, outdoor-loving, extreme-loving population on the planet. This place is so hardcore, they even have a giant X carved into the side of a mountain (I don't actually know if that's why it is there, but there is, in fact, a giant X in the side of the mountain overlooking town). It is a little overwhelming, how aggressive this town is in pushing the availability of jetboating, skydiving, parasailing, quad biking, bungy jumping, mountain biking, and various other creative ways they have of dropping you from great heights or forcing you to achieve great speed. I feel vaguely guilty for being in the adrenaline capital of the country and...not really caring about the adrenaline sports. But I have no desire to book some bungy-boating package deal. Which is ALSO too bad, because oddly, everything in Queenstown is also a booking agent. There are information stations and tour bookings at just about every restaurant, store, and counter in town. You essentially cannot take a pee without simultaneously being able to schedule a trip to Milford Sound.

But besides all of the in-your-face guest services, Queenstown is GORGEOUS. It is a living, breathing, postcard, this charming little town on the shores of a huge glacier lake. We could not for the life of us find any affordable accomodations (even though now, in town, there seem to be tons), so we ended up in a hotel about a 15 minute walk from town. The good news, though, is that our hotel is on the lake with million dollar views, and it has everything under the sun. Totally worth it. We got here late enough (stupid bus) that the pictures will have to wait until tomorrow, but they will be there, never fear.

Oh! I almost forgot the wine experience to end all. It's no wine-by-bike tour in Marlborough, but Queenstown has a wine store where you put money or open a tab on a rechargeable card, and can taste virtually anything in the store. After dinner tonight, Susan and I went and plowed our way through the store. This place is incredible, and we unsurprisingly found sauvignon blancs, rose, pinots and rieslings to die for, all bought by the taste. I would go to that store all the time if I lived here. So it's a good thing that I don't, or I would probably end up accidentally signed up to bungy or something.