Queenstown

The snow from the night before already had us excited, but as we drove through Queenstown we were practically shaking, as we realised that choosing to spend 4 days here would not be a mistake. Queenstown is home to all the young people, and it has the most beautiful surroundings, but a great social life and buzz. As it was clearly snowy season, the town transformed to a winter sports haven, but unfortunately for us we were a couple of weeks early for ski season, although it is a place we would love to come back and discover, as we both enjoy snow sports.

We would be staying at a Nomads hostel, just a stones throw away from the beautiful lake.






That night, Mangee said that as Queentown was a party place, that there would be a bar crawl for our bus to take part in. As Mindy was throwing her party the day after, we decided to take it slow and just go for a few drinks. It started at a pub that offered an exceptional pulled pork burger, and Mangee told us that Queenstown should be the place we gorge ourselves, as it is a bit of a food capital, of course being home to the infamous Fergburger which we were dying to try.

After a very tame bar crawl, we all managed to get a good nights rest, and catch up on some well needed sleep. The next day we all slept in till fairly late, and caught up on things like washing clothes, talking to our family and friends, and taking advantage of the Sauna our hostel had on offer! Archie who was someone particularly in love with the Nomads Spa, managed to get Tom in for an hour and a half long session that morning, and they both came out very pink!

As we were going to Mindy's that night, we spent the day leisurely exploring Queenstown which is only a fairly small place realistically, so it didn't take us too long. As the snow was still very much there, we wrapped up and took a walk around the town, and we also came across the biggest duck we had ever seen!

As the evening approached, we all got ready for Mindy's party, and got some alcohol from the local shops. Mindy's house was up in the mountainous part of Queentown, so we took a very windy taxi journey up to her house.

As it was dark we had a bit of trouble finding her house, but after a calling out Mindy a few times, one of her housemates came to our rescue and let us in through her giant front door! Her house was amazing, and had a lovely view of the lake. Mindy's house was as cool as her, with snowboard after snowboard lined up against the front door, along with skateboards and other equipment that made us jealous of her laid back outdoorsy lifestyle. Other clues to Mindy and her friends fun lives, was the giant pool table and kitchen which was boasting loads of red cups in order for us to play beer pong.
We got to know her lovely housemates, and started on the beer pong.



Needless to say, the night is a huge blur to all of us, so we only have pictures to help us piece together what actually happened that night.

this sets the tone for the evening really

We know we had fun, and we know we ended up heading out in to Queenstown, but coming home shortly after (with a McDonalds in hand of course, probably not what Mangee meant when he suggest we try out the local food!) realising just how much of a state we were all in.

The next day we all felt pretty bad, and Steph had managed to get a large bruise on her back, with no one having any recollection of how she got it! We knew the only thing that cure these hangovers would be a trip to the almighty Fergburger, so we did just that, and prayed that the burgers would live up to the hype.

We got in the que which was actually quite short for Fergburger, and ordered our food. Steph went for the standard Fergburger, but treated herself to blue cheese inside, whilst Tom opted for the 'Mr Big Stuff Burger' which was 2 burgers in one, complete with Bacon, cheese and BBQ sauce.



They were absolutely enormous, but also really really tasty! We would go back to Queenstown for the Fergburger alone, and in the small space of time we spent in Queenstown, Wise John went a bit of the rails from being wise, and ate about 6 Fergburgers in total!

Charlotte's amazing burger

With food in our bellies, we felt slightly more alive and decided to have a go at the lugeing at the top of Queenstown. The sun was shining so we knew it would be a great view from the top, so we ascended the cable car to have a go!

At the top, we really weren't disappointed, and it allowed us to see just how beautiful the area was, and how lucky the Queenstown residents were to have all this on their doorsteps.

After taking in the views, it was racing time, and we got geared up to have a go on the luge. The inner child came out in us all once again, and it was honestly so much fun! We were racing one another and went down about three times, catching the chair lift back up to the top making us remember to take in the breathtaking backdrop surrounding us.

After a few goes of lugeing, we started a small snowball fight that was destined to end in disaster. Tom threw a snowball at Mark, which he decided to bat away with his water bottle. However his hand were so slippy from the snow, he accidentally launched the full water bottle over the edge of the mountain, towards crowds of people, including the elderly and children below. His face was one we had never seen before, and he spent the whole journey down wandering if he had killed someone.

After the previous night and a day of lugeing, we were quite tired which was just as well, as the following day we were having a very early start at 7am, for our extra add on day trip to Milford Sound, which was a huge day so is in a whole new post of it's own! So find that

here

The evening after Milford Sound would be our last as the tight knit group we had formed over the last few weeks. John and Iqra, were staying on to do the Deep South add on of the kiwi experience, and Dan would be staying permanently in Queenstown to find a job.

To cheer us all up, we decided to go to Fat Badgers which was a pizza place Mangee had recommend to us, on his spiel about gourmet Queenstown. Although we were sad, we enjoyed the GIGANTIC pizzas, and had some laughs.

The next morning we were leaving at 9am to Lake Tekapo, and this would be the start to our group becoming smaller smaller each day. John and Iqra waved us off, and the bus felt very quiet without them, (especially Iqra!) Although we had lost a few people along the way like David and Mindy, this really felt like the beginning of the end. 

We really did make some life long friends on the bus, and have every intention of staying in contact in the future, and since we are still away, there have been a few Kiwi meetups back at home, we just can't wait to join them!

Our kiwi bus family!

Next stop Tekapo!

Milford Sound

We boarded the Kiwi bus from Queenstown at 7am, to start our huge journey to Milford sound which would take all day. We were very lucky as Mangee our driver had done the Milford Sound tour hundreds of times, so he knew everything there was to see.

The first stop was at a tiny cafe where we could grab some breakfast and a coffee, and just outside there were some Alpacas that we bought some food to feed them with. At this point Archie told us that he randomly had 3 pet Alpacas at home, all with exotic sexy Spanish mens names which made us laugh. He was always a surprise a minute!

After our breakfast stop, we made way on our journey. Milford Sound isn't actually too far from Queenstown, however due to the mountainous terrain, you have to drive round Te Anu, which is why the drive takes so long. Simply going over the mountain is not a possibility.

Mangee was the perfect guide though. He had a whole playlist lined up that would suit each bit of scenery we saw. For example, when we passed these stunning mirror lakes, we had the very apt "Man in the Mirror' by Michael Jackson blaring from the bus. It made the drive a little less tedious, and made all the sights that much more special.

You may be able to see the backwards sign, that reads Mirror lake, but can only be seen in the reflection of the lake.

Once again, we were blessed with good weather, and it made our trip that much more special. We stopped off for every small walk and photo opportunity, and there were plenty of them!

Along the drive like the rest of New Zealand, there were small walks that led to cute picturesque waterfalls, and mossy rocks, which meant we got a good look at some of the wild life too. Here we saw a little Kea showing off on the side of the road, so Mangee pulled over and let us take pictures of him.

We also drove past this sheer cliff edge, which Mangee informed us AJ Hackett, the king of bungy jumping is trying to get planning permission to make a huge bungy jump available off here!

The whole journey was beautiful, and the pictures will speak louder than words. We passed rivers and waterfalls to the point that we became used to such beautiful surroundings.

Finally after about three hours, we arrived at the entry to Milford sound. The huge dramatic mountain loomed over us, and we boarded the boat to take the 1 hour and 45 minute journey.

The journey was really really windy! So we were glad to hear that there were free hot drinks available on board! We set of on our journey around the eagerly anticipated Milford Sound.

Andy, Mark, Amy, Tom, Steph, Charlotte and Archie

The water was clear blue, and the mountains around us made a huge pathway through the sound. Apart from a few smaller boats, it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere.

There were beautiful waterfalls coming from every direction, and we even got so close to one of the big ones we got a bit of cold spray.

As we turned around to go back to the boat port, we noticed a huge albatross riding the back of the boat from the wind, and he was flying in somersaults right in front of our eyes.

The occurrence of said Albatross meant this song was sung for a lot of the boat trip. 

CAUTION FOR PARENTS: contains bad language.

We took one last look back on Milford Sound as we made our way back to the port. Although the trip was beautiful, we wanted to get more involved with it! In the summer you are able to kayak up and down the channel, and therefore have more opportunity to see more wildlife, but at the time of year we went, it was just far too cold. There is also the option to do the 3 day hike to get to Milford Sound which sounds like something we would enjoy after doing the Inca Trail, so maybe it is something we will come back and explore one day.

On our journey back, we had time to wind down, and Mangee put on Ted 2 for us to watch to make the journey go faster, as it was dark outside now, we wouldn't have any beautiful scenery to look at and keep us entertained. Milford Sound really is a beautiful place, and is certainly a modern day wonder of the world that must be seen when in New Zealand.

We embarked on the 3 hour journey back to Queenstown.

Lake Wanaka

The day we left Franz Josef was a very early start, leaving on the bus at about 7am. We were headed to Lake Wanaka for our next overnight stay, but we had plenty of stops to make en route, so it was going to be a busy day for all the right reasons.

The first stop was a very foggy and ABSOLUTELY freezing walk to see Lake Matheson. It was still very early so we all had to wrap up warm in our finest winter garments, and well worth leaving the warmth of the bus to see. Archie even put on some socks with his flip flops. Strong look.

The walk was very quiet and peaceful, and when we got to the lake itself, we saw the definition of a perfect mirror lake, with Mount Cook sat domineeringly in the middle as a backdrop.

Mt Cook in all its glory.

We stayed for a while taking pictures and soaking in the sights, before heading back to have some breakfast in a lovely little cafe, that looked out onto the serene mountains.

As we carried on driving we stopped at another natural wonder, Thunder Creek, a strikingly tall waterfall that cast a lovely rainbow just for us! It was just off a main road hidden down a path just 2 minutes away from the walk. If you didn't know it was there you would have no inclination to stop, but luckily Mangee knew all the top sights. What a lovely hidden gem. 

We were so lucky with the weather, it was clear, crisp and sunny but still extremely fresh. Mangee explained that as we came into Wanaka, we would see some of the most beautiful and impressive lakes.

We stopped for every photo opportunity imaginable to take in the breath taking scenery.

Once we reached the town near Lake Wanaka, we stayed at another Base hostel and went to the local shop to buy food supplies. There was an old fashioned cinema near by that served delicious cookies in the interval, so a few people spent the afternoon there. 

Our group of buddies decided to walk down to the lake and see it just as the sun was going down. A thick cloud was moving in over Wanaka, so it was hard to see the sun set through it.

Nevertheless we were happy that we had been able to see the large lake before we went to bed, as we would be leaving the following day.

The next morning, there was a flurry of excitement, as the large thick cloud over Wanaka had dumped loads of snow over night! We all reverted back to children and were having snowball fights whilst Mangee tried to keep his calm for the drive to Queenstown ahead.

Whilst Mangee made various phone calls to find out about closed roads, we ran back down to the lake to see a completely different scene to what we had seen the day before. Everything was completely white, and it made the surrounding mountains look even more spectacular.

Before we left for Queenstown, there was one last stop to make in Wanaka, and that was the kiwi experience trip to puzzling world, a centre dedicated to optical illusions and all things confusing.

There is usually another option to climb Mount Iron (a small mountain next to the town and lake) where, apparently you can get some great views of  Wanaka. We had decided the day before that we were keen to do the walk as not only was the natural beauty of New Zealand the reason we came but also it was free and active. Whats better than that? Despite this, we obviously hadn't anticipated  the snow, so this meant the walking trail was closed and too treacherous so wasn't an option for us today!

So... it was all aboard the bus to puzzling world to hold tight until Mangee got word of a safe route out of Wanaka.

Puzzling World is an optional activity on the Kiwi Experience for just $10 entry fee, Although we would have loved to have gone in for such a cheap price, we really were watching our money at this point, and trying to budget for a Milford Sound add on, so we decided we would give it a miss.

Instead, they had a lovely little cafe area that was filled with mind bending games and challenges, so we sat down had a hot chocolate, kept warm and got absolutely bamboozled by the array of games on show.

Deep thought

Glory

Whilst we sat getting increasingly confused, some of the others had a go at the outdoor maze, and also took some great pictures of the optical illusions they encountered.

Although we didn't go inside, the toilet for puzzling world was something not to be missed, as you enter you get the shock of your life seeing the illusion of a medieval toilet house.

Iqra having a poo

After puzzling world, Mangee had been given the all clear that the usual route to Queenstown was okay, so we got on the bus and left snowy Wanaka behind. Mangee was in good spirits and played christmassy themed songs for the whole journey (despite it being May), including Frozen's 'Let It Go' which Steph and the other girls were overwhelmed with. Tom and Mark pretended they weren't enjoying it but there was a clear glint in their eyes.

En route we stopped at a little independent farm shop where we had the opportunity to buy some fresh fruit and veggies, wholesome snacks and an assortment of ice cream and frozen yoghurts (not ideal weather for frozen foods but it was Mangee's recommendation, and we never questioned him). We stocked up, gave ourselves a brain freeze and carried on our way to Queenstown.