Having checked in for two nights there was no need to stick
to check-out times this morning.
Eventually though, we pulled ourselves together to take the camper to A1
Auto Electricals where, when the guy heard about all the issues with the
stereo, he didn’t even test it before agreeing to replace the unit and even
upgrade us to one with USB and Bluetooth connectivity – result! The only issue was time – he requested that
we returned at 330pm when he’d have an hour free to fit it. We can work around that, no problem, if it
means our musical problems are solved!
I have been feeling very lethargic over the last week or so,
which I put down to lack of good exercise, so I was keen to correct this by
taking a walk. The receptionist at the
campground and Trip Advisor agreed that the best hike to do here is the
Queenstown Hill summit.
 |
| View down to Queenstown with someone parasailing overhead - and this was only the parking area for the walk! |
A clear
sky day was too good to waste and we’d found an activity that seemed rare in
Queenstown – something you could do for free!
There
was on street parking around the base of the walk which they estimated to take
2 to 2.5 hours.
It was incredibly steep in
parts, but we persevered.
 |
| It felt a lot steeper than it looks... |
Simon tried to
persuade me that the ‘Basket of Dreams’ was the top of the hill but there
was clearly another section up to the summit....
 |
| The view was getting there... but there was still further to climb |
The view was worth the effort thankfully, though I couldn’t help but
think that it could be even better with the addition of some snow on the peaks.
We came down the longer route but it was still a lot quicker than the route
up.
And yes it did take us the whole two
and a half hours…
 |
| The panoramic version.... |
 |
| The 'proof I made it' version... |
Back at the van we just had enough time to head to
Queenstown Gardens to have lunch in the shade before we returned to A1 electricals
and left the Black Sheep in their capable hands.
We kept ourselves occupied for an hour or so
wandering the local streets and failing to find a coffee shop whilst we
discussed other adrenalin-filled options.
This is the adrenalin rush capital of the World.
You can do pretty much anything here.
When it’s snowy you can ski or snow board and
the rest of the year there’s water sports of every description, aerial exploits
such as paragliding and helicopter tours. It’s a wonderful playground if you’ve
got the money. When you’re on a budget like us it’s a matter of choosing the
‘not-to-be missed’ attractions that we can afford and maybe a couple of things
on special offer.
I won’t spoil the
surprise, but we’re up to quite a lot in the next week or so.
Back at the garage, our new car radio is great, so we can now plug in our
iPhones AND it even changes colour!
We had spotted a couple of happy hour beer deals on our way
through town earlier and wanted to get a feel for the place.
 |
| People relaxing on the beach by Lake Wakatipu |
We had a couple of $5 beers in the sunshine
and then joined the masses queuing at Fergburger, one of the culinary hotspots
in NZ.
The queue went out of the door
and 50 metres further down the street, but we had been told not to be put off
by this. This is normal.
 |
| Queuing in the sunshine for our Fergburgers |
 |
| Yes, that's with bacon, beetroot AND pineapple! |
We just managed
to get our hands on our massive burgers and onion rings before our parking
ticket was due to run out, so took our dinner for a drive back to the
picturesque gardens.
 |
| Simon was delighted with his purchase! |
The burgers were
delicious!
And filling…
All the good work we had done climbing a peak
this morning was definitely ruined!
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