The queen

The drive to Wanaka to Queenstown was breathtaking. I wanted to film my view from the bus as we drove along the lakes and through the gorges. Alas, I only got this one blurry photo.

A bit about Queenstown:

• The population of the town itself is only about 10,000. This number swells, however, when you add all the tourists that flock here all year.
• It's New Zealand's biggest tourist destination on the south island, popular with adventure sports and extreme activities like sky diving, bungy jumping, jet boating, and canyoning (I think we call it canyoneering in the US). In the winter it's a big ski destination.
• A popular anecdote about the town's name is that a local gold digger loved the place so much he exclaimed it was "fit for Queen Victoria."
• It is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has spectacular views of nearby mountains.

I stayed at an excellent hostel called Adventure Queenstown, which had the most comfortable bed and best bathroom of any backpackers I've experienced in New Zealand. (Sounds silly, but this stuff makes so much of a difference when you're traveling! Sometimes I've even changed my plans and stayed in a town longer just because the accommodation was so enjoyable!)

After enjoying a community dinner at the hostel Saturday night, my new friends and I plotted our plans for the following day. Luckily the weather cooperated with us. We started the day heading up the Skyline Gondola for breathtaking views of the city.

View on the way up:

The view from the top... amazing...

I forgot to mention that by this time on the trip, it is pretty chilly. I'm at the southern part of the south island, away from the equator. Luckily I inherited some second-hand jackets and bought a couple beanies to keep warm!

With new friends at the top of the Skyline: Anna, from Finland, and Katy, from Auckland.

There's a bungy jump and swing at the Skyline. We enjoyed a good view of one guy taking his turn. He was screaming obscenities.

We enjoyed a leisurely walk down the mountain through the pine forest. Along the way we crossed the mountain bike track, where adventure enthusiasts were racing down at top speed.

Towards the bottom of the mountain, there's a lovely cemetary.

That afternoon, the three of us hired bicycles and went cycling around the lake.

After a full day, we were tired...

But not too tired for a go on the swing!! :-)

The town runs right up against the lake. A little cruise boat came in while we were relaxing.

That evening it was time to try the famous Fergburger. There was a line out the door, so I figured it had to be pretty good. Not to mention that everyone I know who has visited Queenstown has mentioned that I must try one of these burgers.

So how was the burger? Well, for New Zealand standards, it was pretty good. It had some kind of tomato relish on it though (the Kiwis love chutney and relishes). Unfortunately, there's no way it lives up to the American burgers. As I write this, I'm craving a yummy burger from Sunset in Boston... yummmmm....