Queenstown and Wanaka

After Fiordland we headed north-east to Queenstown, the self-proclaimed "adventure sports capital of New Zealand". Now, you might think that the enormous variety of adventure sports on offer would mean that competition between the various operators would result in keen pricing. But strangely there seemed to be a kind of cartel operating - pretty much every activity - be it bungy jumping, jetboating, river surfing, or 1001 other ways to scare yourself silly - started at about $150. The net result of this price pressure was that we decided we could think of much better ways to blow a minimum $300 for the pair of us. Not that we're being tight, but there is just SO MUCH to do and see in NZ that you really have to think carefully about the wisest way to spend your money and get the most bang for your buck (as it were). Besides, it was free to go and watch the bungy jumpers at the famous Kawerau Bridge - the world's first commercial bungy operation.

We camped again in Queenstown, at what was a ludicrously well equipped campsite - we managed to eat very well that night even though we were cooking for ourselves. Although Queenstown is beautifully situated on the shore of Lake Wakatipu with towering mountains all around (one is even called Ben Nevis, in the Remarkables Range), we only stayed a night before taking a short (by NZ standards) drive north to Wanaka. To be honest, given the amazing landscapes found all over NZ, we have found that one of the greatest pleasures is simply driving from place to place and admiring the views. The most direct road to Wanaka was a good example of this, as it rose to over 1100m above sea level shortly after leaving Queenstown via a series of hair pins, descending via a long and otherwise isolated river valley. Shortly before arriving in Wanaka the road offered spectacular views of the peaks and glaciers of Mount Aspiring National Park in the distance.

Wanaka was similar to Queenstown in that it could be used as a base for all sorts of adventure activities (not that we did any!) but was more laid back and smaller than Queenstown. On the shores of Lake Wanaka we ate some good take-away fush & chups and then camped within sight of the lake at a campsite that unfortunately resembled a siberian gulag. But it was comfy enough.

We only really stayed in Wanaka because it was the last decent stopping point between Queenstown and Fox Glacier Village on the west coast, a long drive along the lonely SH6 that we tackled the next day...

Robin