Adventure Royale in Queenstown

​The road turned inland and started following the Haast River up into the clouds. We stopped to stretch our legs at Fantail Falls, a picturesque waterfall that split and converged, forming a diamond shape. A clear river of glacial water kept the tourists from getting too close to the falls, so they turned to other forms of entertainment, namely stacking rocks. Smooth river pebbles were fashioned into cairns anywhere they would stand – on tree stumps, on the beach – rising up like stony weeds.

​The last hour of the drive into Wanaka featured some stunning mountain landscapes. The road hugged the edge of Lake Wanaka, offering views across the water of vast grassy hillsides and the snow-dusted peaks of Mount Aspiring National Park. Pockets of sunshine amplified our first real taste of the Southern Alps. In a surprise twist, the road ducked through a mountain pass and emerged on the shores of a second lake, Lake Hawea, hiding in the back.

​We stayed at a very modern AirBNB in a cluster of new development on the outskirts of Wanaka. The mountains were visible from the living room, an epic backdrop to the mundane tasks of unpacking and packing. In the foreground, the green lawn was inhabited by a gang of rabbits, usually at least a dozen in sight at any given moment. The bunnies occasionally shifted to one side of the yard when the owners’ dogs made their rounds, but otherwise enjoyed a carefree life in predator-free New Zealand.

​Vincent and I went out for a brief stroll along the lake, towards the Instagram-famous tree known as “That Wanaka Tree,” seemingly sprouting from the water itself. It was indeed photogenic, even on a cloudy afternoon, and we joined the stream of tourists getting their fill of photos. A shag landed on one of its branches, unaware of the signboard discouraging any potential climbers.

​Famous tree aside, the beach itself was lovely, with bushes of cheerful yellow lupine and a crate full of beach toys for anyone to borrow. We enjoyed a brief stroll on a lakeside path before heading into the main part of town for a few groceries.

The town felt lively compared to some of the less populated areas of NZ’s West Coast. A couple we met in Abel Tasman recognized us walking down the street and went out of their way to flag us down for a short enthusiastic conversation (we later saw them again at the luge course in Queenstown). The ubiquitous Four Square had most but not all of the ingredients. For the final ingredient – fresh dill – we turned to a specialty Mediterranean grocery down the street. Many dill puns were made on the walk back to the car. (“dill or no dill”, “no dilly dallying”, etc.)
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Rachel and I made a loaded veggie curry for dinner. On the side, I also grilled some lemongrass chicken kebabs on the backyard BBQ. There was some light rain, but I was not deterred, and enjoyed the sizzle of the drops on the hot grill. Between the curry and the kebabs, it was quite a feast! I probably overloaded on the chicken, as my stomach was then slow to digest anything for the next several days.

​We only spent one night in Wanaka, so we packed up the car and drove to our morning activity, a hike at nearby Mount Iron. Trail runners and dog walkers went about their routine exercise. Tiny birds sang elaborate songs from the treetops. The way up was steep, but the views overlooking the lake and mountains were stunning. The very top had 360-degree views, including an immense valley carved by glaciers flowing away from Wanaka. After several long driving days, it was satisfying to get some steps in. As with many of our driving days, we carried our valuables in our backpacks, increasing the intensity of the workout.

​Our next destination? The adventure capital of Queenstown! The uphill drive to the mountain summit passed the historic town of Cardrona and lots of purple lupin, but it was the way down that caught our attention. The high-altitude offered a stunning view into the valley below; the sharp hairpin turns kept us grounded in the road trip. In town we struggled to find parking, ultimately nabbing a steep spot a few blocks from our lodging. Since this was one of the pricier destinations, we stayed at a hostel called the Black Sheep Backpackers in a private triple room. Check-in didn’t open until 3:00, so we ate our sandwiches in the car – a flavorful recipe called chickpea mash, a mashterpiece from chef Rachel.

​It was a short walk down to the main pier for our jetboat tour. The sunny weather invited everyone to enjoy the day in different ways. School kids in matching yellow vests and bucket hats went on organized scavenger hunts, Asian tourists attempted to photograph the seagulls by holding up food, a loud man raved about the amazing seafood he had just eaten, and a parade of ice cream cones waged a subliminal advertising campaign. We dropped off our bags at the company’s kiosk and donned life jackets before hopping into the front row of our vessel.

​Our skipper explained the rules of game, the most important being a hand gesture indicating a fast turn was imminent. The first warmup turn flung us around much more violently than I expected. When we hit choppy waters leaving the main harbor, threatening my lunch yet again, I started to regret the jetboat idea. However, things got gradually better. I felt better after switching my baseball hat for a more aerodynamic beanie. The beautiful scenery was a pleasant distraction as we headed upriver. And knowing the jetboat’s turning capability made it easier to brace for the centrifugal force.

The skipper and jetboat were extremely agile, threading between the pillars of a bridge and small rocky islands with ease. Due to the boat’s design, it could also traverse extremely shallow water, allowing us to journey upstream through riverbeds with mere inches of clearance. After a while, I was able to enjoy the ride (turns included) and get some GoPro footage. I was front and center in the boat, just to the right of the skipper, so I had a good vantage point. The amazing scenery, including riverside trees and colorful lupins, amplified the experience. I’m glad I tried jetboating – but I’m not sure I would need to again.

​Back on land, we joined the 3:00pm rush to check into the hostel. This was the first hostel I’d encountered that required you to download an app to open the doors – including both the room and the shared bathroom. (Heaven forbid your phone runs out of battery during your midnight bathroom run!) During the orientation, the hostel neglected to mention a boil water notice in Queenstown. We probably wouldn’t have known unless Vincent explicitly asked where to fill our water bottles. A little online research found that a protozoan with the ominous name “cryptosporidium” had been found in the Queenstown water supply a few months back and the situation was unresolved. To be safe, we brought our bottles to a clean water station downtown.

We had a delightful evening out in Queenstown, browsing shops while waiting for a Japanese restaurant we were eyeing to open. The meal was delicious but light: miso, veggie tempura, tofu, and gyoza. To supplement, Vincent negotiated a bulk purchase of falafel from the Turkish restaurant next door. Even after dinner, it was still so light outside that it felt like mid-afternoon. We strolled around the edge of the lake, watching the fish meander in the crystal-clear shallows.

 On a whim, we went for a drink at a boat bar called Perky’s, cheerfully bobbing in place in a prominent location in the harbor, hiding in plain sight. We got a table on the second floor and soaked in the sunny views with some drinks. I had a ginger ale, to appease my uncertain stomach; the friendly bartender spruced it up with a lemon wedge.

Afterwards, my stomach agreed to one more tasty treat – a dark chocolate macadamia scoop from Patagonia ice cream, the source of all the tantalizing cones walking around town.

We survived the night at the Black Sheep hostel without any malfunctioning virtual keys or poisoning from contaminated water. Upon checkout, our groceries had to squeeze into the packed communal fridge; our enormous stalk of celery sadly didn’t make the cut. But despite these quirks, the hostel was a decent place to sleep on a budget, with a fantastic location.
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After starting with a tour on the lake level, we ended by experiencing Queenstown from above. The gondola lifted us at a steep angle, soaring above mountain goats frolicking on the cliffside. At the top, we were treated to million-dollar views of the whole region, including the sharp peaks of the Remarkables, the now-miniature city below, and the two prominent peninsulas standing sentry at the entrance to the river. The lake was majestic, a deep blue as far the eye could see. Yet it was so big that the far reaches of its lightning-bolt shape still remained out of sight.

Improbably located at the top of the mountain was a well-maintained luge course. We could see the carts rolling down the concrete track from the gondola, but otherwise didn’t know what to expect. A chairlift brought us to the top of the course, where a brief introduction to the controls was provided. The carts had three wheels and were controlled via the handlebars. Letting the handlebar forward released the brake, allowing gravity to accelerate the cart. The handlebar also rotated to steer, just like a bike. There was a small learning curve, but it only took one or two runs to get the hang of it.

​We all had an absolute blast on the luge course! There were enough straightaways to jockey for position, enough turns to keep you on your toes, and the incredible views the whole way down. The best runs were the ones with fewest people. Most slow traffic could be dodged, but occasionally a traffic jam would grind everyone to a halt, requiring a hand-push start. We completed our six runs, feeling giddy from a good day of racing. It was definitely the highlight from our time in Queenstown. I even stuffed a GoPro down my jacket and got some video footage of the action!

​The adventure capital certainly lived up to its name. But alas, we had promises to keep and kilometers to go before sleep. We hopped into the car and drove south along Lake Wakatipu until the tip of the lightning bolt disappeared from sight.