New Zealand - Part 3

    Sydney has had a cool, cloudy, wet summer but New Zealand took it to a new level.   We went to bed after seeing this

Remarkables range

and woke up to this!

Snow is not unheard of in the summer, but judging from the locals' reactions, this was surprising to them too!

   

     Queenstown is known for its wealth of adventure activities, especially ones catering to thrill seekers.  Since we have a couple of those in our family, we decided to try out jet boating (invented in New Zealand) down the Shotover River.  It was a bit nervewracking at first, at least to me, but basically a lot of fun.

Shotover River

The boat gets within inches of these canyon walls!

Back row

Post jet boating do's.  A hair-raising experience

      Since the sun was out, we ventured up to Glenorchy, a tiny town nearby known for its spectacular scenery.  Numerous parts of the Lord of the Rings trilogy were filmed in the area.

    

Yep, she's walking her dog - and her goat.

Wild Foxgloves

      Our afternoon was spent on Bob's Peak, overlooking Queenstown.  We rode the Skyline Gondola up and then the kids and Chris couldn't wait for their chance to bungy jump off the 47 meter platform.  Sam barely made the weight minimum but was thrilled not to be left out!  I, on the other hand, was thrilled to be left out.  My intent was to videotape the jumps but in my angst over watching my family fling themselves off a platform in the sky, I never actually turned on the video.  Doh!  I did get a few photos as they were being pulled back up to the platform.  They all loved it and would have done it over and over. 

Above Queenstown on Bob's Peak

View of Queenstown, the Remarkables and Lake Wakatipu

Giddy trio before the jumps

The platform.  Yikes.

Gorgeous country!  We'd love to go back someday.  Flying back in to Sydney now feels mostly like coming home.  It only took a year!

A parting shot -