After a VERY bumpy landing and barely touching down safely we did make it to magical queenstown in one piece. We jumped in our rental car and drove the 15 minutes into town where we sorted out ski gear, tickets and checking into our hotel. Our first night was an early one with dinner then a spa - ready for an early wake up.
Day 2 consisted of skiing, skiing and more skiing. We went to the Remarkables and despite some heavy snowfall managed to get a good 6hrs of skiing in before making our way back to Queenstown and to Soda, a restraunt overlooking the lake. A quick pre-bed jacuzzi soak was required to rest our muscles.
The next day was all about conquering fears - but first.... Frisbee Golf! Given I don't think I've ever thrown a Frisbee I wasn't surprised that Doug absolutely smashed me! Then after a Ferg Burger lunch it was time. I had somehow managed to stay away from videos explaining what I was about to do... first off Doug laughed his way down the terrifying 134m bungee drop (crazy) and then it was my turn. While I wasn't doing bungee, I had opted for the swing... something that I thought would be easier, turns out some people think the swing is worse. The swing consists of a 70m drop then swings you back and forth a few times until you are pulled up to safety... sounds easy right? No. After a few minor tears, shaking, massive anxiety, Doug managed to get me on it and safely strapped in. A massive squeal erupted out of me and down we went. Being pulled back up was almost as bad as being dropped!! Am I glad I did it? Yes. Will I do it again? No. Fatigued by my adrenaline rush nothing too crazy was on the cards that night... a walk through the towns pride festival, dinner and a soak in the jacuzzi when we got home was all I could manage.
On our third day the mountain weather was still bring unkind so we found ourselves dodging the rain and doing activities instead. A few games of bowling, shuffle board and a cheeky quaddie all sufficed as an excellent wet weather timetable. We ended the night with Coconut Margaritas at Margo's and hand made artisianal chocolates.
Our final day and the weather looked PERFECT. We woke up super early, stopped off for a pie at Ferg Bakery and tracked the hour to Cadrona. Despite the mountain being a touch slippery and neither Doug or I being able to fit chains properly we managed to make it safely up the mountain in one piece just in time for the first chairlift to open. The sky was bright blue, and a fresh 20cm of snow had fallen overnight making for the most amazing skiing. Doug and I tackled the Blue and Red runs with ease due to the powder snow and long, not too steep runs. After a full day of skiing (and a few hot chocolates) we were both exhausted but happy. We managed to find the ONLY Chinese place in town and tucked into an early dinner. I managed to find the famous hot cinnamon doughnut van on the way home and it was the perfect end to our little ski trip.
- K x
