Shadow and I are sitting in the evening sun eating gelato downtown Queenstown. Mine fig and pistachio and his marscapone with black forest fruit. A group of 30 or so cyclists run down to the lake's pier and start to sing. The winner, I'm assuming takes all his clothes off and jumps in. A few more do the same. The winner then comes out of the water wearing a red bikini. They follow him to where he stops, jumps on top of the stone fencing and they all begin to sing again. As the song ends, they all run away. I wonder of this has anything to do with it being Australian day.
We've been here 24 hours and have yet to see a police officer or security guard which is definitely odd.
January 27th-
Today Shadow checked off another item on his bucket list...Bungi Jumping. From 400ft he swan dove off a plank suspended above a valley with a river below. The photos he took and the video was awesome. He had a great time and what a perfect place too.
January 28th-
We retrieved our highly anticipated package from the states with our personal locator beacon (SPOT). It was perfect timing because our next section of hiking will be alpine. Shadow and I received a Facebook message from a Southbound hiker in Queenstown. He and another hiker were meeting up for dinner. Kyle (England), Edward (Bellingham, WA), Shadow, I sat in the park for 4 hours gabbing about all things hiking. For a moment it felt like an AT town.
January 29th- Day 21
After 3 days off we were anxious to get back on the trail. A bike trail wrapped us around the lake by the Queenstown Gardens, the airport, Frankton, and ended in Arrowtown. It took me most of the afternoon to describe this town and outlining areas of the Otago section. The mountains are jagged like Jackson Hole, Wy. The landscape is no longer rainforest, but has more of a Tuscany feel. Arrowtown was once famous for gold mining so it has a California Wild West look but with art galleries instead of t-shirt shops. A Chinese village from the mining days set the stage for some great hiking trails. One of which we take tomorrow.
The walked today passed through an upscale rural area. Tall hedges obscured the contemporary British style homes. In the late 1800's a gentleman began planting Giant Sequoia trees and were laced throughout our walk.
Before
And After
The view
Hikers in the park.
The hostel
Beulah's cottage! We wish you were here.
Tuscany?
Country Mouse and Shadow
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