4 days in Queenstown, New Zealand.
Wednesday, April 01, 2015
Having been born in Northern India allowed us to spend our summer holidays escaping the heat and indulging in the mountains. The tag of 'seasider' only came along after our move to Sydney. However, all the beach breeze and lively atmosphere aside, a slight longing for the hillside is always there somewhere in my heart. My friends are probably sick to death of hearing me say, "this reminds me of Shimla!" whenever we are out exploring the northern parts of Sydney. Speaking of Shimla, its a beautiful hill station nestled in North India and so you can imagine how Queenstown instantly evoked some of our fondest memories from there. For all us Australians, I'd describe Queenstown as a hilly version of the Gold Coast, with activities bustling all around and a vibrant atmosphere that is infectious. If adventure sports aren't your thing then don't fret as you'll have access to several free and incredibly beautiful hikes.
After being on road, Queenstown was an opportunity to put our feet up and relax as well as indulge in some home cooked meals that are always welcome after having eaten out too much. If you're thinking of heading to Queenstown anytime soon, some recommendations include taking the Skyline Gondola to offer stunning views of Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu and also the Luge track which is heaps of fun. Also on offer is a mountain biking track but we had heard lots about Rotorua's mountain biking and decided to give this one a miss. Have dinner there or just enjoy ice cream like we did. You can also do the Queenstown hill hike which offers breathtaking but different views as opposed to the gondola since you’re much higher up. A mandatory activity to do is the jet boating through the stunning Shotover Canyon rated as the best jet boating experience in the world. The thrill of this I assure you will definitely live up to the expectations and if you want something a little more low key, sit on the boulders nearby and enjoy the breathtaking scenery.
Speaking of Queenstoown itself, the city is jampacked with tourist shops but the vibe is definitely worth taking in, especially over a Fergburger (or two!). A word of caution though, the queues for Fergburger can be 1 hour long even when its raining but both their vegetarian options, one with falafel and one with tofu are absolutely delicious. Even Angira who despises tofu found the tofu tempura burger a worthy exception to the usual 'ew tofu' motto. The remainder of our days were occupied with quiet dinners in the comfort of our apartment (not a sorry picture with lake Wakatipu as a backdrop) and snuggling up to watch Bang Bang (an Indian movie, you can never get Bollywood out of an Indian). Oh and you can't go to New Zealand and not sip on some L&P, a hybrid of sorts between ginger beer and lemonade, atleast that's my take on it, not sure if the kiwis would agree,.
We did trips to Milford Sound and Glenorchy as well but more about that in the separate posts! Watch this space.
2 comments
Beautiful photos.=)
ReplyDeleteWoW amazing pictures girl! ♥
ReplyDeleteIsa M., Tic Tac Living