Queenstown

Lake Tekapo

Skiing at Coronet Peak!

Sunset over The Remarkables and Lake Wakatipu

Paragliding into the sunset

The (awesome) luge track!

I think I might have found it---one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand. Queenstown is touristy, which is a good reason why most Kiwis don't care for Queenstown...but you have to agree that it's still beautiful. Kathryn and I spent four days there with her sister (who lives and works in Queenstown) over our semester break. On Thursday we went up the Skyline Gondola to the lookout over the city and The Remarkables mountain range. That's where we went down the luge track (picture above) which was awesome! You sit in a little cart and race down a concrete track...while overlooking the incredible mountains. Pretty cool! We were there around sunset which made it even more spectacular. Note the paragliders in the pictures above!

On Friday we skiied at Coronet Peak which was also amazing. I really think that skiing above the tree-line is much better than having the chance of getting stuck in trees. We had great weather and the snow was pretty good- a little icy near the top though!

Saturday was a day of recovery for our poor muscles- we slept in and then took a walk around the other side of the lake from the actual town of Queenstown, in an area called Kelvin Heights. This is the rich area, not only because it's right on the water, but also because they get the most sun. Claire, Kathryn's sister lives in a condo that doesn't see the sun for 3 months out of the year! Needless to say their heating bill in the winter is pretty steep.

On Sunday we drove back to Christchurch through Lake Tekapo which was beautiful. The lakes in this region are an incredible turquoise colour. According to my trusty Lonely Planet guide, this colour is due to the "rock flour" sediment in the water. This is from when the lake's basin was dug out by the glacier. The sediment gives the water a milky appearance and refracts the sunlight! Another great day weather-wise with some stunning views. Then on Monday it was back to school!

Cheers-

s.