Thu 4 Feb 2010
New Zealand Update!
Posted by ml under Do, Eat and Drink, Go, Think
[2] Comments
OK soooooooooo much has happened in the last ummmmm 4 days!!! All thrillingly and chillingly worthwhile!
I’m gonna have to introduce a guest blogger and my travel buddy, Lundy this time around and give him credit because these are his notes of our trip so far…(with just a few tweaks by yours truly) Enjoy!!
Monday, February 1, 2010
- Landed in Christchurch, checked into uber-futuristic So Hotel and dined at Stone Grill restaurant for some ridiculous lamb shank with potatoes and Land Lover’s selects: lamb, pork, beef cooked on a slab of stone!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
- Met up with my former co-worker at my school last year / Kiwi friend / Christchurch native, Charlotte for some brunch at C1 Espresso and city frolic with our local tourguide.
- Picked up our campervan from hospitable and attentive Andrew of Cruzy Campers and drove from Christchurch to Lake Tekapo.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
- Slept in the camper van and awoke with a breakfast picnic spread alongside Lake Tekapo -stunningly blue-turquoise waters, surrounded my snow capped mountains, while feeding duckies…
- Drove from Tekapo to Queenstown, roughly 4 hour drive.
- Checked into a fab-luxurious hotel The Rees
- We have a balcony view of the turquoise color Lake Wakatipu surrounded by several mountains with tiny building and hamlets making up Queenstown.
- Celebrated my birthday w/ an 8 course dinner at the Rees restaurant which was absolutely delicioso!…including but not limited to: Pan Smeared scallops, grilled salmon salad, organic raised beef cutlets, lamb with white wine sauce, strawberry Pavlov dessert…and local brie cheese platter.
- Celebrated the rest of the night popping a bottle of champagne w/dessert on our room balcony overlooking Lake Wakatipu under with a clear night sky filled with beautiful bright stars…with some gift exchanges… let’s just say that “I’m alla dat and a bag o chips!!”
Thursday, February 4, 2010
- Today, we went JetBoating on the Shot Over Jet – a white knuckle, fast paced, adrenaline packed trip, consisted of blazing fast boat ride through turvy mountainous caverns and splashing waters….We felt like a James Bond – Indiana Jones mash up!!
- Then to dry off, we went hang gliding off of Coronet Peak (about 4,000 feet)…flying even higher between soaring, majestic mountains with a pine forest, lush green valley…dotted with several sheep….hahaha.
- Now we’re about to head out to the Queenstown waterfront for some Fish & Chips and possibly a Pub Crawl.
- Planning to finish the night with a bottle of red wine on the balcony and watch the sun set over the mountains and feel the cool pine fresh air.
What’s Next:
- Hitting the road early tomorrow to go bungee jumping.
- Then driving down to Te Anau & Milford sound for some glow worm caving, kayaking and cruise!
- Afterwards will be heading to Franz Glacier for some ice glacier hiking.
- Andddd.. to get a better perspective of the south Island, we’ll hit up Sky Diving at heights of in/around 15,000 feet!!!!!!
Pictures to come… but here’s one for now to keep ya’ll smiling…. I AM FLYING!!!! (errr hang gliding!!!!!)
. . don’t burn the day. .


February 4th, 2010 at 1:33 am
AMAZING! Everything… your birthday meal, the extreme adventures, the hotels, sleeping in a camper van… what an unforgettable experience. Crazy that there is so much more to come! Question, can you park the van anywhere to sleep, or do you have to park at a campsite?
February 5th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
there are spaces for both: free parking and others managed by NZ D.O.C., as well as camper sites.. that allow you to plug your van into powered sockets ..with rather CLEAN bathrooms and showers…. i’ve got nothing bad to say about NZ!!