Queenstown

We have been in Queenstown for a week and have loved every minute of it. I don't really even know how to begin to describe our time in Queenstown. I know that is a standard thing to say but it is true. QT has been our favorite place in NZ...and not only because of the great nightlife and adrenaline rushes.This is a very young town/city with something to do every day and every night...especially if you have the money for it. Yikes it is expensive here. Our first full day here we decided to go Canyoning. I had never heard of Canyoning before NZ but it turned out to be the best thing I've done in a very long time and the best use of my money in all of NZ....Ben as well! Basically we did a 45 minute hike up a canyon/gorge and then we began the Canyoning part of it. We began by sliding backwards on our backs down a rock chute (all natural) into a small area of water. Brrrr the water was absolutely freezing but due to great wetsuits and boots it was only our hands that were completely frozen. Then we climbed up a 15 foot boulder and slid off of it into again a small pool of water. It almost looks like you won't actually make the pool of water below without going into the cliff nearby. Crazy stuff! I've never experienced anything quite like it. Videos will come later and then you will fully understand what it was like because words just don't do it. Also involved in Canyoning is abseiling (repelling) down cliffs, cliff jumping, sliding down chutes/boulders/waterfall/drop offs, hiking, swimming and ziplining. Great time and great, fun, young guides. We were completely beat after 8 hours of this sort of activity.
The next day we took it easy because we felt a bit of a cold coming on for both of us. We took a gondola ride and then did 5 luge rides of two different courses on top of a mountain. The view of QT was absolutely stunning. I've never seen such gorgeous blue oceans, lakes and seas in my life. We found a cute little park afterwards and read in the sun the rest of the day. We have each read at least 10 books here. Very nice to have time for pleasure reading.
The  next day (Wednesday) we took a 10 hour return trip (600km) drive to Milford Sounds. As we boarded to cruise in Milford Sounds, Mitre Peak presented itself with an amazing view. Mitre Peak is 6,000 feet high and a great sight we knew we couldn't miss. We took a 2 hour ferry ride in which most of it we were speechless from the awe inspiring views before us. There were more waterfalls in 2 hours than I've ever seen in one place or in total in my life. Milford Sounds (actually a fjord) looked as though God stuck his hand down in the ocean and pulled out the most beautiful, perfect mountains. We saw many seals but no whales or dolphins :(
Thursday we took it pretty easy and just read and played disc golf. In Queenstown Gardens there is an 18 hole course that wraps around many trees and around much of the front part of the lake (Lake Wakatipu)! Amazing. I wish we had one in Chelan. Ben of course won but only by 3.
Today (Friday) we both bungy jumped. Ben did the Nevis Bungy Jump and Nevis Swing and I just did the Swing because I've bungy jumped before. It all happened so fast. Ben was geared up and ready to go and before he knew it he was heading straight down. The look on his face when it hit him that he would have to jump was priceless. I sort of captured it on my camera but it will forever be engraved in my mind. Wonderful. To get to the bungy jump we had to take a small cable car out to the middle of the canyon and get onto basically a hanging launch pad in the middle of the canyon at 140m up. Crazy stuff. Immediately after Ben jumped we both went over to the swing to jump tandem. We buckled right up and then strapped in. We were sitting about 120m off the ground in a harness just posing for photos when all the sudden we were released. I can't even begin to describe the feeling. We basically lost our stomachs and as I began rotating forwards Ben rotated backwards. After a 90m drop and then 300m arc we were finally done. Being pulled back to the launch pad was very scary as well. Overall great time but the bungy as well as our money went way too fast.
We have one more day in Queenstown, which will consist of disc golf and relaxing before we head 4.5 hours east to Dunedin. We have 2 weeks left in NZ and only have one more real place left to visit. We will have to find small little places to spend our time. New Zealand has been great. We both agree that we could go home after Queenstown and would be fine with it but we will enjoy our last two weeks. Hopefully we will be able to see a Rugby game in Dunedin.
Pictures and videos of our crazy adventurous times in Queenstown will come later. Unfortunately the computer at our hostel doesn't allow us to upload our photos. Stay tuned!
~ The Traveling Duo