Queenstown, South Island, NZ

At the beginning of February, the four of us flew to Queenstown on the South Island.

Queenstown is on the southern portion of the South Island on Lake Wakatipu which some say is shaped like a giant.  The Maori legend is that a giant was poisoned for kidnapping a young Maori girl.  He lay dying on the ground and when his body disappeared it left an large imprint of his shape. The rain then filled the hole.  West of Queenstown is the Fiordland National Park.  The area reminded us a lot of the Rocky Mountains but not nearly as tall.

We spent the first day getting groceries and planning meals for our upcoming backcountry hike.  We did manage to catch some Queenstown scenery with a short hike up Queenstown hill.

The next day was a morning of relaxation and then a wild, adrenaline ride aboard a jet boat.  Speeds of up to 80km/hr and 360 degree spins through Shotover Canyon made Erin scream (but not as loud as the ladies behind us!).

Next we have Santa to thank as he treated us to an afternoon of horseback riding near Invercargill. This was the most anticipated activity for the kids this year.  Naysa rode Shadow who was a young male who liked to nip at his friends and Erin rode Missy who was the slow poke and frequently stopped to eat.  Rob rode Blackjack who was old and wise and preferred to be in the lead and Jonah rode Roa who had a playful personality and did not always listen to Jonah.

Within seconds of finishing our trek,  Naysa asked if she could go horseback riding on her birthday and then better yet could we buy her a horse.  Safe to say that they enjoyed themselves thoroughly.

From our horse trek, we took a beautiful south coast drive to the sleepy town of Tuatapere.

Tuatapere was like being in Eston, SK and it is the 'Sausage Capital of New Zealand'.  When we got to the front desk of the hotel they said, 'Oh you're here!'  We were a little worried about our accommodations based on this greeting, but it was a lovely place with a nice 'redrum'.  We found a fantastic restaurant called the Last Light Cafe and Lodge complete with french speaking waiters and a large sausage...

Then it was early to bed so we would be well rested for our upcoming three day backpacking hike.