Queenstown, New Zealand

Hey there friends! I have made it to my study abroad destination of New Zealand, but with a slight detour from my host city of Wellington. My program held an orientation in Queentown for 4 days so we can meet some people going to different universities in NZ and have some fun! I arrived at 4 p.m. to a hostel, went to dinner and then pretty much fell asleep, but my first full day was beautiful. We got up at 6 am and took a bus to Milford Sound, a long 5 hour trip. Completely worth it though! We stopped a few times along the way for photos in Fiorlands National Park and a little cafe for a coffee. The mountains were beautiful and the boat ride was peaceful ( and included some seals and dolphins!).

Also, the water is so fresh you can drink it, so we all filled up our bottles from this stream

The next day was a day of information, including a Maori performance class where we learned a song ( apparently that is used by the All Blacks Rugby Team) and a game. I also went luging up the Queenstown mountains! We took a gondola up to a ski lift, and sat in these odd little black plastic boxes with bike handle bars. It was really cold yet really entertaining ( although I crashed on a turn at one point, oops). Here are so pictures from the top of the mountain, where we also ate dinner on our last night there.

The next day was a free day, so I chose to go bungy jumping. Queenstown is actually the place it originated, and we passed the first one on our way up the mountain. The ride from the town center to the place we were jumping was about 40 minutes which really heightened our nerves. A group of girls from my program and I went together and we were all newbies. To get to the jumping platform , you have to take a gondola across to a box suspended over a canyon. The gondola ride itself was terrifying and made us want to turn back. We waited for about 45 minutes in the hanging box, all suited up, nerves high, but due to the winds being too strong, we couldn't jump. We were sent back to the main base to wait some more as it was cold at the jumping station. I was pretty bummed out that I might miss the opportunity to bungy as it was our last full day. However, the staff ( who were the coolest, chillest people ever) informed us shortly after that the wind had died down and we could go leap. ....And I did it. The first 2 seconds were pure horror on the free fall, but after that it was the most amazing thing ever. You feel so alive even though your dangling by a cord strapped to your ankles. Oh also this was 143 meters of a jump, called the Nevis, which is the highest in NZ. Go big or go home, right? 

Later that night I met up with my roommates whom decided to go luging instead of jumping and we went to one of the ice bars of Queenstown. It was $36 for two cocktails, entrance and the ability to wear their parkas. However, you had 30 minutes to chuck down these frozen themed drinks served in ice cups, so that was interesting. It was a tiny room with some ice sculptures, a bar and some seats ( covered in fur so your butt doesn't get cold). It was one of those things where we could say been there done that sorta thing. It was okay- a lot of syrupy drinks and cold noses in my opinion.

That was our last night before heading out to Wellington, so we visited some local bars as well, but failed to get Fergburger like a true tourist would! I want to go back for a weekend hopefully and do some more of the extreme sports! Well, I know this is super long, so sorry, but hey! I finally posted something! 

End of Lake George (Day 3 and 4)

Of course with my luck, it rained the third day we were there. So we basically didn't  do anything exciting or too entertaining. My mom and I went shopping, while my brothers played mini golf with Mart (my dad). I bought a nice sweatshirt, a hanging seashell ornament, and sailor bracelets for two of my friends back home. 

On day four,  we got up early on in the chilly morning and rented kayaks at the boat house. We were wearing sweatshirts at first, but the day warmed up as we went on. I was in a kayak with my dad, my mom and my younger brother were together and my older brother was by himself. Of course my brothers managed to pick a fight out on the water, and caused my dad to get very angry. He splashed the water with his paddle, and sprayed water all over me. You know, it had to still be the colder morning. We continued on anyway, and traveled around the island. After a few hours we returned the kayaks and headed back to our resort. 

The day before, we tried going up a mountain in foggy rain. Which was a BAD  idea. We couldn't see more than 10feet in front of us. We tried going up the same mountain again. We could see an indescribable view. These pictures don't do any justice, but I hope they give you an idea.

 My dad had this "great" idea to hike down a trail through the forrest on the way down. We were not expecting to almost fall flat on our faces with every step we took. It was a steep downhill rough path that was a mixture of rock, stone, dried up pine needles and dirt. We all struggled on the way down. Everyone coming up was huffing and puffing like the wolf from "Little Red Riding Hood." Honestly, I would have given up 1/4 the way up. We eventually met my mom at one of the trail's ends with all of us ready to hop into the car. 

We stopped in the cute, tourist town for awhile. My brothers decided they wanted to go mini-golfing again! As a result, we grabbed ice cream and headed to the creative mini-golf course. I highly suggest you see this fun course if you're in the area. We played for fun, and my dad messed with the scored along the way. Here's a look at some of the "Around the World" holes! 

We grabbed dinner at the Boathouse Restaurant in Bolton. They brought us down from the parking lot on a golf cart! I thought this was so cool! The food was only ok, but the view from the eating platform was lovely. We we're almost in the water! We soon returned to the cabin to pack because we were leaving early the next day (we may have also made some s'mores;)). 

We left early the next morning, and the journey home felt long. I loved the 4 days  we spent in Lake George, and I wish we were there longer! I hope My family goes back there next year for a trip because it really is a beautiful place. 

I know this was a long post, so thanks for reading thus far. Feel free to leave your thoughts below! See you next post!