Queenstown Trip: Flight

The town of Queenstown is located in the south west of New Zealand's South Island, next to Lake Wakatipu, and home to 10,416 people. The area is surrounded by tall majestic mountains as high as 7,600 feet! This area is also known for being the locations of major motion pictures, most notably The Lord of The Rings Trilogy by Peter Jackson. Tourists flock to Queenstown every year to enjoy the many activities (thrill-seeking & leisure) it offers.

I had decided to visit Queenstown because . . . I had yet to visit & explore the region. Plus, I wanted to get one last trip in before I flew back to Canada for the summer. My 4-day trip began on the early morning of June 2nd, rolling out of bed at 0730, getting dressed, and making sure that I had my plane ticket and everything was packed. My roommate Ben gave me a lift to the airport, thus saving me $26 on a taxi ride. Checking in & going through security wasn't a problem and I passed the time reading the newspaper in the departure lounge.

The 0915 Air New Zealand flight from Christchurch was only 50 minutes long and uneventful. Because I was still sleepy, the flight had gone far quicker than I expected. The only highlight was the landing because the plane had to navigate between the tall mountains. The sun was shining & there wasn't a cloud in the sky when I stepped off the plane. The surrounding mountains and minus 4 degree (Celsius) weather made me feel like I was in Vancouver, Canada. Due to the mountainous landscape, the Queenstown Airport is actually located 6 kilometres away from the city centre, near the small town of Frankton. Rather than wait for a bus, I paid for a $36 taxi ride into town.

Bumbles Backpackers, located near the city centre, would be the roof over my head for my 4 day trip. Since I was alone this time, I would be sleeping in a 6 person dorm room, but I wouldn't get it until after 1400. Having arrived at the hostel in the morning, I was allowed to put my backpack into storage. Before I did that, I changed into long underwear and undershirt to combat the cold weather. Even though it was only minus 4, I didn't want the cold to become an annoyance. With several hours to kill, I went to explore the city centre.

In short, Queenstown & the surrounding landscape are like several Canadian towns wrapped into one. Specifically, Vancouver, Banff, Lake Louise, Mont Tremblant, and Whistler. (Whistler I won't know for sure until I visit but I'm guessing because of the many ski & snoboard areas around Queenstown). The city centre is basically a large spending district, containing restaurants, bars, pubs, clothing outlets, ski & snoboard shops, cafes, and fast food outlets. Nearby are banks, and thrill-seeker outlets advertising paragliding, parasailing, bungy jumping, helicopter tours, power boating, and tandem skydiving. There's something for everyone!

After snapping plenty of pictures, having lunch, and breathing in the air that smelled a lot like a Canadian November, I backtracked to Bumbles Backpackers to check in. Dorm 3 contained 6 beds, washroom, lockers, and a heater. The heater would come in handy because the temperature would not go higher than 0 for the remainder of the week.

To finish off the first day, I travelled up the Skyline Gondola to photograph the breathtaking views of Queenstown and the surrounding landscape from a height of 790 metres. The terminal at the top also includes a cafe, restaurant, and a small theatre where Maori Hakas are performed for those people wanting to experience Maori culture. But there's more to do outside the terminal. There are walking trails to explore, luge tracks to ride down on a cart, paragliding from the hilltop, and even bungy jump 400 metres above Queenstown.

AJ Hackett operates the bungy jump & sky swing operation that sits next to the rising & descending gondolas. The sky swing is less daring compared to the bungy jump because you move from side to side whereas you dive down in a bungy jump. Nevertheless, when I was photographing the scenic landscape, a woman who was getting ready to do the swing, froze and couldn't bring herself to pull the cord that would release her. Even her friends couldn't convince her to do it. She had to be pulled back into the hut by trained staff. It takes a lot of guts to let go I guess. If I had enough money I would have done the sky swing; there's always a next time.

I descended back to Queenstown and walked back to the hostel to watch some evening television. The hostel's TV room and kitchen are side by side, and there're two computers offering Internet, costing $2 for twenty minutes. Despite the heater being set to high, it was still chilly in the dorm room. To stay warm, I wore socks and a toque to prevent my body heat from escaping.

To Be Continued . . .