Queenstown Day 162 27/02/2015

The warm, still weather is wonderful however it does have it's downsides and mosquitoes and midges is one of them. Diane spent most of the night being plagued by bites on her feet and we're not even in Fiordland yet! The weather was glorious when we woke and we enjoyed breakfast alfresco before heading off south to Queenstown where we planned to stay and stock up on provisions before continuing south to Te Anau and our two day kayaking trip on Doubtful Sound. We stopped in Twizel for fuel and then continued on through Omarama and over the Lindis Pass to Tarras, which claims to be home of Merino wool, where we stopped for coffee. We resisted the temptation to stop off in Cromwell, renown for some of the best pinot noir wineries, and continued on to Queenstown where we checked in at the campsite. After lunch we went to stock up on provisions at the local supermarket and then had a walk into town and a look around the outdoor shops to see what they have to offer. Queenstown is set in a beautiful place with a backdrop of the Remarkable Mountains and Lake Wakatipu, but it is a magnet to tourists and attracts big crowds. It's known as the adventure capital of New Zealand and you can easily see why. Originally a gold mining town declared 'fit for a queen' it became a popular holiday destination in the 1950's. If you're looking for an adrenaline rush you should come here. You can jump out of planes, off bridges, paraglide, go on a cruise, raft, kayak, jet boat, jet ski, paddle boat, canyon swing, 4WD, mountain bike, cycle, play golf, tramp, climb, via ferrata and ski or snow board in the winter. What more can you want?  When we were in Tasmania a few locals commented on their concerns that Tasmania would turn into what New Zealand has become. Queenstown no doubt epitomises their concerns but it does remain very beautiful and picturesque. Back at the campsite we spent some time roughly planning out the next few weeks before we head back to the North Island before enjoyed another bbq dinner.

Looking back at Aoraki

Setting up camp in Queenstown

Lake Wakatipu 

Queenstown water front