Day 12 – January 5:
After yesterday’s fun on the river (we have decided it was more like water boarding then river boarding), today we had a gondola ride and hike to look forward too. Just a 10min walk from out hotel (sooo happy we don’t have to drive here), there is the loading area for the gondola for a quick, steep, ride up “Bob Peak” I think it’s called. This new gondola is all of 6 months old so everything was shiny and fancy still. The views, wow, just look at the pictures. Up top, we had a guided walk/trek/hike/tramp (various words for the same). Our guide was excellent and the walk was beautiful on the Ben Lomond Trail (apparently, Ben Lomond is the name of a peak on multiple countries starting in Scotland). We learned so much on this hike from the actual environment around us to what like is like living in Queenstown. First, I have never hated trees so much. The Douglas Fir grows like a weed here and (like everything else in NZ) was introduced to the area for all the wrong reasons. The trees are so prevalent here that they wiped out the native flora and cause all manner of environmental issues. They now spray the trees to kill them (huge patches of dead trees waiting to decompose), and promote groups to own a plot to keep it weeded of tree saplings. We also learned that the 3 NZ Ski Resorts on our Ikon pass are all here. They are all pretty small, but would certainly be fun to try. The walk was also very steep having climbed 500m+ in just over 3km (you convert it). But we had lunch at the top (in the clouds for a bit), and enjoyed a brisk walk down much to the chagrin of the parent’s knees, hips, and feet.
Once that was done, what was next to do then a luge of course! There is a cool 1.6km track up top that was, again, one of the first in the world. This is like our Alpine Coasters/slides in Colorado, but more open of a track. Tons of fun, especially after the long walk.
Back down the gondola (did I mention the views!) and to the hotel for a change out (and drink for Katy and I), before going to dinner at the Sushi Train! This place was pretty good…conveyor belt sushi that we all know and love with the added bonus of a train that moved around the restaurant with specific orders for the customer. Fun. Back to Patagonia for ice cream (Caden opted for a churro from a street vendor that was loaded with filling and had a toasted marshmallow on top). Me and the kids opted for one more quick outing to the arcade while Katy went to the hotel. That was fun…just like Dave & Busters except everything actually worked.
New Zealand Day 13
After yesterday’s fun on the river (we have decided it was more like water boarding then river boarding), today we had a gondola ride and hike to look forward too. Just a 10min walk from out hotel (sooo happy we don’t have to drive here), there is the loading area for the gondola for a quick, steep, ride up “Bob Peak” I think it’s called. This new gondola is all of 6 months old so everything was shiny and fancy still. The views, wow, just look at the pictures. Up top, we had a guided walk/trek/hike/tramp (various words for the same). Our guide was excellent and the walk was beautiful on the Ben Lomond Trail (apparently, Ben Lomond is the name of a peak on multiple countries starting in Scotland). We learned so much on this hike from the actual environment around us to what like is like living in Queenstown. First, I have never hated trees so much. The Douglas Fir grows like a weed here and (like everything else in NZ) was introduced to the area for all the wrong reasons. The trees are so prevalent here that they wiped out the native flora and cause all manner of environmental issues. They now spray the trees to kill them (huge patches of dead trees waiting to decompose), and promote groups to own a plot to keep it weeded of tree saplings. We also learned that the 3 NZ Ski Resorts on our Ikon pass are all here. They are all pretty small, but would certainly be fun to try. The walk was also very steep having climbed 500m+ in just over 3km (you convert it). But we had lunch at the top (in the clouds for a bit), and enjoyed a brisk walk down much to the chagrin of the parent’s knees, hips, and feet.
Once that was done, what was next to do then a luge of course! There is a cool 1.6km track up top that was, again, one of the first in the world. This is like our Alpine Coasters/slides in Colorado, but more open of a track. Tons of fun, especially after the long walk.
Back down the gondola (did I mention the views!) and to the hotel for a change out (and drink for Katy and I), before going to dinner at the Sushi Train! This place was pretty good…conveyor belt sushi that we all know and love with the added bonus of a train that moved around the restaurant with specific orders for the customer. Fun. Back to Patagonia for ice cream (Caden opted for a churro from a street vendor that was loaded with filling and had a toasted marshmallow on top). Me and the kids opted for one more quick outing to the arcade while Katy went to the hotel. That was fun…just like Dave & Busters except everything actually worked.
New Zealand Day 13
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Sushi Train! |