Jan 19-21
Milford this morning. The road heading to the Sound after Homer Tunnel is QUITE the experience first thing in the morning when your head is a little fuzzy. ‘Switchback central’ wouldn’t even come close to describing it.
On the 9:15 cruise after we took some time to defrost. Initially jealous of the girl who thought to bring her sleeping bag onboard. Turns out that it wasn’t necessary, though. Sun and waterfalls all came out to play, no wind, calm waters in the Sound. Brilliant morning on the water (bonus: two of us onboard for $75!).
Queenstown = excellent way to part with your funds and expand your waistline – as well as being the adrenaline capital of the world, of course.
Shared a lamb Fergburger for starters, Morrocan lamb/Mexican pizza for mains, and too many half-priced drinks at Winnie’s/World Bar/Buffalo Club/Winnie’s (yep, again) for dessert, afters, midnight snack, and everything in between. Then we topped it off with ice cream at Patagonia for breakfast the next morning. Sometimes, being an adult is way more fun than being a kid. :)
World Bar has a rather interesting gimmick: they sell their somewhat-stronger-than-normal cocktails in small teapots. Use the tiny shot cups provided or sip straight from the spout of the pot. The bar full of twenty-somethings had it down to a science.
Almost got turned away from Winnie’s on our second visit because I didn’t have my driver’s license with me. Conversation went as follows…
Guy: ID please
Rich (to me): have you got yours?
Me (to Rich): Crap! No!
Me (to Guy): Crap! No!
Rich: I have mine. We’re married. I’m thirty…
Me:…two.
Guy: (big pause, leans closer to look at us) OK. Just tonight, though.
There was a compliment somewhere in that pause. I think.
Fell in love with Wanaka during what was a far-too-short stop at the Lake. The sun was shining, huge crowds had amassed to support the questionably-sane athletes completing the triathlon (7.5 hrs?! No thank YOU!), the mountains were all around us, kids were climbing in the willows along the shore.. The whole thing just smacked of ‘lovely’.
We stopped to watch a bit of the triathlon and I was unexpectedly touched to see a father was for the finish line with his two young daughters running along side him for the last 50 metres. Little things like this could be seen at home, I’m sure, but sometimes it takes stepping out of routine to take notice.
Grateful for: good brakes, mint jelly (completed the lamb burger!), the recommendation to eat at Winnie’s, a bed not enclosed in a van – even if the bed was broken, unexpected moments
