Queenstown, Part II

Can you get any more New Zealand than this?

After Mount Aspiring we swung back through Queenstown to grab some lunch and say hi to SIL, then out the other direction to head up Coronet Peak. We were tempted to take a detour on Skipper's Road while we were up there'd, but decided that the little Toyota probably wasn't up to it.  Luckily we were able to give our legs a rest and drive all the way to the top of Coronet Peak.  Well, most of the way.  Along with having great views, Coronet Peak is a ski hill, and the only way to get to the very top is on the ski lift.  The chairs were running, but given that it wasn't actually open, we didn't have any lift tickets, and it looked like they were making snow to go along with the real stuff that should be falling shortly, we decided to make do with what we had.

Looking down from Coronet Peak

We had time for one more stop before heading back (coming at this time of years means you miss out on the summer & winter tourists, but also means you have less daylight to work with), so we decided to swing by a beach along the Shotover River.  Shotover used to be known as the richest river in the world, but it's been pretty thoroughly de-golded (I know that's not a word... deal with it) at this point. It is, however, one of the few rivers I've seen down here that merits the name--most are more like streams or creeks.  From there it was back into town for drinks and dinner.  The bro went for another Fergburger, but I didn't want to have too much of a good thing, so I grabbed a pie from the Ferg Bakery next door.  Pies are a traditional dish down here, and are basically a better tasting and higher quality (i.e., they won't give you the runs) version of a Hot Pocket.  Mine had pork belly, apples, onions, and some sort of gravy contained by a nice flaky crust, and was quite tasty. After that it was back to the hotel to finish up my postcards and watch some NZ television before hitting the sack.

Hole in... a lot.

Day three turned out sunny for us again, which is apparently quite lucky this time of year.  We started off the morning tracking down a Frisbee so we could hit up the local disc golf course.  I almost gave up on it after the first shop wanted $29.95 for one... even after the exchange rate is taken into account, that's just ridiculous.  Luckily we were able to find another shop that was open, and selling them for only $12.95.  The course itself made a fun start to the morning as well.  Neither of us did particularly well, but the course took us around the outside of the small peninsula that the Queenstown Gardens are located on, so we got some great views while we were playing.

Arrowtown.  This actually should have gone with the previous post, but oh well.

By the time we finished it was light enough for us to hit up the gondola.  It was a bit pricey, like pretty much everything else down here, but we got a discount on the luge course at the top, and the views were incredible.  They also had a luge course up top that we added on as part of a package with the trip up the gondola.  The wind kept it cold enough that it wasn't as enjoyable as it could've been, but zipping down the course high above Queenstown is hard to beat.

View from the top of the gondola.

The day finished with a couple more short hikes in the Mt. Chrichton/12 Mile Delta area (there were fish!), and then, of course, more beer and another Fergburger.  I swear, those things have pretty much ruined every other hamburger for me.  For the rest of you, you're damned if you do (in which case every other hamburger will be ruined for you as well), damned if you don't (in which case you'll be missing out on the best hamburger in the world).  Final verdict: go to Queenstown.  You'll thank me, and then you'll thank yourself.

12 Mile Delta.  Man, what I wouldn't have given for my fishing pole.