While you all had visions of sugarplums dancing in your heads, we were just settling down for a long...14 hour flight from Houston to Auckland and an additional 5 hour transfer to make our way to Queenstown! Luckily our Air NZ flight was great thanks to our upgrade for two of us to Skycouch (for an additional $600 each way). This gave us the middle seat between our 2 seats, plus a foot rest for all 3 seats, which created a platform slightly wider than a single bed to spread out on. Not really great for laying side by side unless you really like to cuddle in one position for hours on end, unable to move, but nice for curling up and getting a decent rest in economy. And we got a comforter and a real pillow! We traded off with Rachele who was across the aisle, but she was lucky to have an empty seat next to her so she got some sleep too. When we landed about an hour late in Auckland, after collecting our bags and going through customs, in order to make our connection to Queenstown, we had to take our bags and make a mad dash to the domestic terminal. There we dropped our bags along with thousands of other holiday travelers in the queue, and successfully made our connection...but barely! And we had 3 hours scheduled in the itinerary!
The window view over the West Coast of both islands was fantastic! Volcanos, rocky coast, the Alps and glaciers, Fiordland and the endless mountains and peaks forming the bulk of the southwest coast of the South Island, and all the turquoise lakes from mountain run off as we descended into Queenstown! Amazing! Get a window seat for the entire family if you do this...on the east side of the plane.
Driving on the left has been an easy task for Chad, despite the occasional shrieks from me as we drive the hairpin turns along the waterfront, navigate crazy turning circles, and dodge pedestrians in the small, but busy town of Queenstown. This place reminds me of Aspen, but with a youthful, casual vibe and a beach town feel. Located on an enormous glacier-fed lake, with ski mountains surrounding it, the small town is filled with young people, shopping, bistros and more extreme activities than you can imagine... jetboating, bungy jumping, paragliding and parasailing, zip lining and canyon swings, canyoning, mountain biking, fishing, and the list goes on. We chose high speed jet boating on the lake and the connecting Kawarau River as our afternoon activity. (We did not go to Shotover Canyon to do the death defying boating through the narrow canyon because after nearly 30 hours of travel, we were simply exhausted.) However, these jet boats which seat about 20 people go 60 mph, turn on a dime with a huge spray of water and seem to be careening into the willow trees lining the river or other jetboats or the pilings of bridges the jetboat passes under and it was a wild, exhilarating experience! We had great views of the entire waterfront town as we flew by, and hopping waves and weaving in and out of the other boats was super fun and a must do when you come here. (If you're brave enough, maybe you should try Shotover Canyon or Skippers Canyon which would be thrilling! Look at UTube videos of that.) FYI...sign up for activities when you first arrive because openings were filling up fast since it is summer and holiday!
The Kiwis are super nice...so friendly, polite, happy to be alive. Everyone is carefree, thin, don't ask for tips because they are paid enough and it's a joy to be in such a happy place. And the accent!!!
I think we were in bed and asleep by 8! Completely wiped out! The sun was still brightly shining when we went to sleep, and we heard the sun sets after 10 pm. Sorry no pictures, but it was a wet afternoon! And somehow, with the long flight and the 18 hour time difference, we totally missed December 26. Hope your Christmas holiday was as amazing as ours! Keep in contact...it keeps getting better and better!
