OMG, I have done a ridiculous amount since my last post. I left Hokitika on Wednesday morning and drove to Franz Josef glacier (Say: gla-see-ier). As soon I got into town I went on a scenic flight over the glaciers and Mt. Cook. The plane looked like a sea plane w/ 8 seats including the pilot. So, lucky me, I got to sit in the cockpit w/ the pilot - It was so cool, I had like 5 seatbelts and got to wear the ridiculously large headseat. It was amazing, I must have snapped off 50 pictures of the glaciers and mountains....As if that wasnt enough, I did a quick hike to the glacier, it puts you 150m from the end of it. The path takes you through the dried river bed that was once the glacier, so there was a lot of traversing over rocks and boulders, it was so cool.
Back in town, yet again a 1 street town, I had a beer with views of the glaciers and mountains. It was stunning. Especially b/c at the lower elevation, and we were pretty much at sea level in town, the scenery is dense green forest and then as you look up, there are less trees and more snow, it's all very dramatic.
Today, I drove to Queenstown, and this was probably the best driving day I've had. I went through some of the BIGGEST & tallest mountain ranges. I think they look so big b/c you're driving right at the base of them, they're not in the distance, they're right outside the window! And then just as you think this can't get anymore amazing, a sapphire lake appears around the corner. I must have stopped 12 times in 4 hours - it's complete sensory overload. On my way, I stopped in Waneka, a little town right on the lake, and spent a few hours reading on the beach.
I've finally made it to Queenstown, I'm staying in a Backpackers called Alpine (or Aspen) Lodge and the first thing the reception guy asks is what am I going to do here? Well, get a beer for starters, but then after that I'm not sure. Well he gets into every extreme sport there is, b/c apparently that's what you do in Queenstown. I mean he gave me brochures for skydiving, river boarding (that's going down a river on a boogie board), bungee jumping, you name it, they have it here and really crazy stuff that they've invented just for Queenstown. Like the ZORB - you get into a giant plastic bubble and they roll you down a hill, right after they throw a bucket of water in the bubble just to make it even more thrilling. Oh, and YOU pay THEM.
Anyway, I'll let you know how crazy I get.
Back in town, yet again a 1 street town, I had a beer with views of the glaciers and mountains. It was stunning. Especially b/c at the lower elevation, and we were pretty much at sea level in town, the scenery is dense green forest and then as you look up, there are less trees and more snow, it's all very dramatic.
Today, I drove to Queenstown, and this was probably the best driving day I've had. I went through some of the BIGGEST & tallest mountain ranges. I think they look so big b/c you're driving right at the base of them, they're not in the distance, they're right outside the window! And then just as you think this can't get anymore amazing, a sapphire lake appears around the corner. I must have stopped 12 times in 4 hours - it's complete sensory overload. On my way, I stopped in Waneka, a little town right on the lake, and spent a few hours reading on the beach.
I've finally made it to Queenstown, I'm staying in a Backpackers called Alpine (or Aspen) Lodge and the first thing the reception guy asks is what am I going to do here? Well, get a beer for starters, but then after that I'm not sure. Well he gets into every extreme sport there is, b/c apparently that's what you do in Queenstown. I mean he gave me brochures for skydiving, river boarding (that's going down a river on a boogie board), bungee jumping, you name it, they have it here and really crazy stuff that they've invented just for Queenstown. Like the ZORB - you get into a giant plastic bubble and they roll you down a hill, right after they throw a bucket of water in the bubble just to make it even more thrilling. Oh, and YOU pay THEM.
Anyway, I'll let you know how crazy I get.
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