January 20 - Day 12

We packed so much activity into this day. Wow. I’m so tired writing this.

Last night, we had a very amusing thing happen. It was about midnight and Matt and I were both asleep. We woke up to someone in our room. The person was profusely apologizing saying she had accidentally gone into the wrong room. We just lay there quiet. I recognized the woman’s voice and realized she was part of our group. She struggled with the door and couldn’t figure out how to let herself out the sliding door into the courtyard which was the way she entered. She finally apologized again and let herself out the front door. After she left, Matt and I both started laughing hysterically. Pretty funny. The good thing was that Matt was now awake and got a chance to go out and see the stars in a dark sky environment. 

We started the day with breakfast at a local cafe. Coffee was great. The granola and yogurt could not compare to Hamner Springs but it was ok. After breakfast, we boarded the bus and headed to Bannockburn Sluicings. It is cold, windy and cloudy for the start of the day. We are hiking about 2.5 miles at Bannockburn. This is the spot where entire hillsides have been washed away in the gold rush here. It was so cold that I am having a hard time with my attitude. So tired of the cold and rain. But as we hiked, the clouds gave way to sun and the wind calmed. My attitude improved as well.

The hike was very interesting and had some beautiful views of the valley. After our hike, we boarded the bus and headed to Mrs. Jones garden and fruit stand. This place was filled with wonderful fruits, nuts and sweets. So many things looked fabulous but knowing I would have to haul things home prevented me from buying anything but a cup of coffee out of the espresso machine. It was pretty lousy but it was coffee. And I like my coffee. A lot. 

Out next stop was the Kawarau Gorge. The bridge here, which was built in 1880, has became a famous place for bungee jumping and other thrill seeking activities. It was made famous by AJ Hackett, a New Zealander who bungy jumped off the Eiffel Tower. The gorge was absolutely beautiful and we watched a few crazy people bungy jump. Not for me.

Back on the bus, we headed to Queenstown. Queenstown is the #1 tourist destination in New Zealand and it is spectacular. The city sits around Lake Wakatipu with towering mountains all around. Our first stop there was the Kiwi Park. Inside the park, we sat at the picnic tables and ate our boxed lunch - sandwiches, fruit and candy bars, again! I’m tired of these boxed lunches but it is what we’ve had most days for lunch. After lunch, we watched a Conservation Show at the Park, followed by a Kiwi encounter. The Kiwi birds are nocturnal so we entered a building that was kept dark. After our eyes adjusted, we were able to see the Kiwi birds there. This park is dedicated to assisting the Kiwi birds to thrive and have a stable population, as they were becoming extinct at one time. New Zealand originally had no predators. But rats, cats, possums, dogs, etc. have all been introduced here and have decimated the endemic bird population. It was an interesting experience. Kiwi birds are fascinating flightless birds and they look like they are from another era. 

After the Kiwi Park, we had the rest of the afternoon to explore on our own. Matt and I bought gondola tickets and went to the top of the city. What a spectacular view. Just wow. We walked around at the top and watched the luge riders. We really didn’t have time to do the ride and neither of us felt compelled anyway. 

We headed down and walked the city for a couple of hours, including the Queens Gardens. The Gardens are set along the lake, filled with flowers, huge trees including magnificent Sequoias, lily pads in streams, and other beautiful greenery. It is absolutely gorgeous.

We had purchased tickets to go on the TSS Earnslaw, the only ship left with a coal burning steam engine in the south hemisphere. Matt was very interested in this ship and was excited to go on the 90 minute ride. He loved the boat and spent time exploring the engine room. I enjoyed sitting and watching the mountains and the water. It was a lovely time.

We got back just in time to meet our group and get on the bus to come back to Cromwell. We were on our own for dinner tonight and we ended up eating the leftovers from lunch. We shared a sandwich, apple, orange and candy bar. Hopefully we were in the deficit on calories today. 

Just a wonderful and beautiful day. I told Matt to remind me that I said it was worth it coming here for today. I’ve had many moments on this trip where I felt otherwise. But that can happen for me, especially with lousy and cold weather. 

Tomorrow, it is cooling down again and looks like our last three days will be cloudy with some rain. I’m going to try and stay positive.