Queenstown in the blazing sun

Amazing! Not a cloud in the sky today! Our plan was to go to Queenstown and take a ride up the gondola to view the city from on high. This is something I have done before but Colin has never been to Queenstown before and I knew that he would love it.
Queenstown is only just over an hour’s drive from where we are staying at Wanaka so this was going to be an easy day for me as the driver. Once again we drove over the road through the mountains. This road is often closed to traffic during the winter as it gets a fair amount of snow over it but at the moment it is a fun route with lots of wonderful mountains and valleys to wind our way around.

Lots of sheep in the South Island! I just had to take at least one picture with some in it!

Since our last trip over, when we visited Arrowtown, the few trees along the way have coloured even more. These mountains must be above the tree line for native trees because the only trees along the way are poplars and birch trees which are introduced trees. These have become a beautiful yellow and when the sun catches them they look fantastic!
When we arrived in Queenstown I found a place to park and we walked down to the edge of the lake where the steam ship Earnslaw was berthed and ready to receive a load of passengers.

Passengers boarding for their 90 minute cruise

Colin was not keen to go for a ride on the Earnslaw so instead we took lots of photographs of it and we were even able to take shots of it from the top of the Gondola ride – I did manage to get my reluctant spender to come with me on that!
From up here the Earnslaw is tiny - its the dot above the gondola!

Today I share more pictures than words! You are lucky there are not more though, today was a busy camera day and I filled yet another 4g card and started on my last card. What am I going to do when that one is filled? Ooops!!!!
Queenstown as seen from the viewing platform at the top of the gondola ride

Queenstown is a delightful little city and both of us enjoyed our day there. I am sure there are many more things to see and do there but by the time we finally agreed it was time to head back to Wanaka we had started to “flag”. We ended the day by watching some dare devils bungy jumping into the Shot-over River! They were getting soaked in the cold and fast flowing river below! I wasn’t inspired to try!
AJ