As always Ryan and Kim (aka the Welshies) had a few ideas of what to do on an Easter Sunday in Queenstown, so we took the Gondala up to the Skyline Complex which gave amazing views and some other fun stuff....
As you know I'm not a great fan of heights but managed bravely to take this ride (not quite as bad as a Bungey but still high!) it's actually the steepest lift in the Southern Hemisphere!
Here we are at the top check out the view!
Then it was time for some fun so we took the chair lifts up even higher to have a go on the 800 metre down hill Luge Kart Track... (you can see our kart's attached to the bottom of our chair lift)
Modelling the various colours of helmet!
Here we are at the top about to ride/drive down...
At the bottom - safe to say Dan always made it down first apparently the key to his success was not to brake!
Just had to have another go, heading up again - check out that view!!
So much fun!
This is as close as I came to doing a Bungey!
We did watch a few other people take the jump while we were up there!
Just stunning...
Then it was back down to earth and time for some drinks...little did we know the drinking laws out here Easter weekend are CRAZY, you can only drink if you are eating and then you have to leave, safe to say we eat as much as we could!
Joey and Chandler eat your heart out!
Dan totally hussled Ryan!
Gave up trying to get a drink and headed back to the campsite kitchen for a few drinks, that hot water bottle saved my life - it was a the coldest night yet in the van!
So it was up early (no hangover this time) and after another farewell to the lovely Welshies it was time to hit the road and head to my home town...
How cool :)
Dan misunderstood the sign 'dump station'!
Now we were on the hunt for seals and penguins, a group of people were looking over here for ages but we couldn't see any but I took a picture just in case!
Got to see some (more) amazing scenery....
These signs were reassuring!
More scenery...
At last!
I'm just a little excited!
Now I thought these were penguins (much to Dan's relief) but on closer inspection when we got back they weren't!!
Arrrr so cute!
This guy was brave or stupid, look how big they are!
There were loads - I was very happy, Dan was getting bored!
On the road again heading to see some boulders the Welshies had told us about...Dan doing some art work...
Nice boulders....
This one's for Kim and Ryan ;)
Dan trying a new form of transport...
At another campsite...making damns in the stream
Bit of arcitecture and a big bike!
Not much else you can do but wait when 100's of cows take over the road
Now were're on our way inland again this time heading to Mount Cook, I just loved the colour of the water...
There it is in the background....
On the road, Mount Cook still a long way off in the background...
We finally got there and went to the tourist information where we read about the history of all the climbers over the years who had achieved so much but also how so many had lost their lives climbing these mountains, on the advice on the tourist information lady we took a treck up Mount Scealy which had fantastic views of Mount Cook, it took 1 hours 30 to get to the view point and then another 1.30 to get to the hostel where you camp over night and then conintue on up (we decided to head up as far as we could and then come back down the same day) Here we are about to set off....
Already getting hot jumpers off!
Dan taking the slightly harder route!
Wow it was just stunning!
It really was the hardest hike we've ever done, physically you were conastanly climbing up rocks higher and higher, it was a bloody good work out!
This is at the view point and there is still so much more to climb...
We happened to bump into a really nice couple having a breather who were from NewCastle, everyone was so friendly and I think enjoyed the chance to have a breather to stop and chat!
Fantastic views...
We decided to climb a bit further...
Coming down I actually found harder
We made it to the bottom very pleased with ourselves but absolutely exhausted! Time to head off and find somewhere to camp for my Birthday Eve :)
Mount Cook...
We woke to a frosty birthday morning but thankfully the sun was shining, here I am with my only birthday card's (the rest were waiting for me back in Wellington) one from Dan's folks and one Dan hand made me our of lined paper - new!
Mount Cook again...
Birthday girl...
We headed on to try and find somewhere we could spend my birthday and stopped off in Geraldine, they didn't really have what we were looking for but they did have a giant jersey, which is in the Guiness Book of Records, what a birthday treat!
Yay finally found a pub to have some birthday drinks, after that we did a bit of a pub crawl and then headed to the movies to watch 'Date Night' hilarious film.
For my birthday we got tickets to see Newton Faulkner in Christchurch so the next morning we headed there.
This was in the main square... thought we might trade Jonah in!
Bit of tree climbing at the DOC campsite..
Then we checked into a motel for a couple of nights of comfort and went to see Newtwon Faulkner...
He was amazing, for those that haven't seen him we would highly recommend it, fantastic performer and so funny....
It was a seated venue and I assumed everyone would get up and sing and dance (as I would) but not in Christchurch everyone sat and watched (very restrained!) it was a very different experience but amazing as we were 2 rows from the front :) Also the bar was closed as soon as the performance began, bad times.
Few shots out and about around Christchurch...
Then it was time to head back to Wellington as we'd pretty much run out of money! This is our last campsite...
As we were q'ing to get onto the ferry a steam train went past, haven't seen one of those for a while!!
So homeward bound we were happy to have made it all the way around the South Island safely and with Jonah in one piece (just!) time to start job hunting....
