Queenstown is the party town. The place is packed with bars and great eats. By day I tried to be as active as possible. This week I skied and did two canyon swings but by night, I mellowed out. Instead of partying, I skyped my parents and friends. I really enjoyed catching up with them.
Now that I’m getting down to my final destinations, my budget has grown tighter. It’s put things into perspective for me. Spending money on alcohol and partying with people that I don’t really care about (and vice versa!) isn’t a worthy investment. I’d rather put it towards more adventures and even a fantastic meal. You’d be surprised how much a great meal can lift your spirits after living off of baked potatoes, pasta and basic noodle dishes for weeks on end!
Perhaps I haven’t done everything there is possibly to do in Queenstown but I’ll be back in a few days. There are a couple of bars I’d like to visit and I still haven’t been to the view point. Everything else there is to do costs a lot of money and aren’t much of an interest to me right now. I’ve already been rafting and done a skydive. Nothing else stands out as something that I MUST do.
Next on the list was Milford Sound and Stewart Island. Today was a big day which is why the bus departed at 6:45am. I already warned my dorm roommates that I’d be leaving incredibly early and apologised in advance if I woke them up! I had everything packed up and ready to go so all I needed to do was drag everything out. What I didn’t anticipate was the obstacle course that was set out for me in the morning. A mountain of clothes and a stealthily hidden bag were my main tripping hazards. I managed to get out safely.
To ensure that I wasn’t rushing, I got up super early and had some time to spare. I sat at reception and had a chat with the guy behind the desk. I always end up quizzing people about the job situation in New Zealand and how they managed to find work. So far, it just seems like you have to be in the right place at the right time with a bag load of luck.
Later, some girls checked out and I recognised two of them from the previous bus. Everyone else was new to me. We picked up Neil and Simone, a Canadian couple who I’d met on the North Island. There was ten of us in total which wasn’t too bad. All girls apart from Neil.
Despite our small numbers, there was no trailer (because of the icy roads) so all our stuff had to be shoved in the back. Our driver was friendly and helped us all place our heavy bags in the right place.
With a new driver, came a new weird nickname. E.T. which was a bit odd as he looked nothing like an alien. Far from it, he was the best looking driver we’ve had! This is more of a compliment to him than a dig at the other drivers I hasten to add.
As it was a long drive, we stopped quite often to take photos and go on brief walks.
Can't get any fresher than that.
At Te Anau we stopped for a bite to eat and booked our Milford Cruise. I also paid for the boat ride across to Stewart Island. I didn’t realise how expensive it was and that we’d only be there for less than 24 hours. If I’d known earlier I would have arranged to hop off and spend an extra day there to make the journey more worthwhile.
We moved on towards Milford and boarded the cruise. We were surrounded by Asian tourists and rude men who had no qualms about shoving us. Helen (from our bus) had one guy grab her arm and pushed her out of the way. I’m not quite sure how I would have reacted to that. Helen was too shocked to retaliate.
As the boat took off, we made our way to the top deck. I took plenty of photos, as did everyone else, but I didn’t really get it. This was meant to be a top contender for one of the wonders of the world. Not to go all Karl Pilkington on you guys but it wasn’t anything special.
They say that it all depends on the weather. It rains two out of every three days and we caught the day with no rain so there weren't as many waterfalls. I wasn’t the only one who was underwhelmed but it made a nice day out all the same.
Someone I know was told that the best way to see and experience Milford and Doubtful Sound is to go on a kayaking trip. I was originally going to hop off in Te Anau and visit Doubtful Sound but the only trip that was running was a cruise like the one I was on but it would set me back $200. I’d rather wait and come back another time.
On the way out of the boat, I experienced my own rude-man-incident. This guy held my arm slightly and pushed me out of the way. What puzzled me more was that he had a tonne of room to get by so pushing me out of the way was fruitless. I aired my grievance - "Err EXCUSE ME!!" He looked at me in shock and mumbled a weak apology. I told him that there was no need to push me out of the way. I felt like I made my point. Cheeky git!
We stayed in a place called Gunns Camp which was a series of secluded lodgings. The amenities were basic and the only heating came from wood/coal fires. It was our responsibility to set it up and keep it going throughout the night. I could already foresee that our fire would go out and I’d freeze. It’s exactly what happened on the Castaway trip in Australia!
Warming up was my first priority so I pitched up a chair right next to the fire, as did a few others. We sat back as our bodies sighed in relief. I was just getting settled when E.T. came over and said that there is a waterfall not too far from here if anyone would like to go. I’d managed to find the perfect seat next to the fire and a plug socket for my laptop. I needed to re-charge my camera and, without anything else to do around the place, I intended to watch a movie later.
For some mad reason, I decided to go and see this three tier waterfall.
When I came back, my chair was empty. I went and got my laptop and cables but when I returned my chair was taken. I should have marked my territory. Instead I found an even comfier seat and placed it within a good distance from the fire so I was still able to warm up.
E.T. suggested we all pitch in for a communal meal. Bryony cooked us spaghetti bolognaise and there was plenty for everyone to have seconds. I was thankful to her as I’d have had no idea what I’d eat that night. The meal was really tasty and it meant that we all ate together too which was nice.
Most people opted for an early night. I was tired but I knew I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep until later so I waited until the electricity was turned off. At 9:45pm I made my way across to our cabin and found that my roommate was fast asleep. I couldn’t see a thing. I threw on the first things I could find and curled up in bed. At that point the room was nice and toasty.
As predicted I woke up in the middle of the night absolutely freezing. The fire had gone out and there were no more matches to start it back up again. I wasn’t as cold as I was that night in Australia but it still wasn’t pleasant. I was told that Stewart Island is even colder so I lay in bed picturing the layers I’d wear for that day.
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