We started our trip in Brisbane where we got to see Muscles do a live show. We are huge fans and knew there would be an opportunity to see some of our favorite Aussie artists in small clubs during during out time here. We slept a couple hours with an early flight and they club was a drunken mess of pushing and stale air, but it was worth it. Muscles didn't sound that great live but it was so good to see him live and do what he does. Fun stuff.
The first thing about NZ is the flight into Queenstown. It was like the early flight simulators on my DOS-running 486 spending hours carving mountain range levels. We were carving valleys like Goose and Maverick and at each point the plane leveled out the scene changed. Pilots must love getting this itinerary.
We stepped up our rental for AWD and landed a 2012 Toyota Highlander for the week, nice. It was a beast but that fucker was unstoppable with blanket-wrapping comfort. We drove the winding hill climb and decent to Wanaka where we made base camp one of Wyndham resorts. Wanaka is a cruisy town situated around a huge lake with close proximity to ski fields and hiking, super cozy. The weather was working well for us so we spent the first couple days being outside as much as possible. The first day we drove into Queenstown which is know as the birthplace for Bungie Jumping, and cruised the town. It has a very Whistler-like design to it but much more dense with walking alleys of retail and cafes. It is a busy place, but I don't mind tourism in the mountains, the crowds are different than beach towns. This place has it all and does it very well. The food was amazing and cafes were very well designed. Modern is dominant, must be the Euro influence which is a good thing. We rode a gondola to a vantage point to see the town and the enormous lake. Really amazing 360 view up here and you can even bungie if you dare too. The best part of this observation deck was the luge track they had setup. They were like fancy Radio Flyer wagons with a gorgeous banked track. Super fun but damn, it was cold and we didn't have gloves. We quickly found out how good NZ Pinot Noir is-believe the hype, they know how to cook properly, and they can make a NW-worthy craft beer. They next day the sun was out and went for a hike (all climb, no switchbacks) at Mt. iron for postcard views of Lake Wanaka. It was a funny hike because while we were puffing we were getting overtaken by stay-at-home Kiwi moms with babies strapped to their chests. What a bunch of jocks.
That night it snowed which makes Eric a very happy person. We were planning on snowboarding on this trip and season opening for the closest hill was just a few days before we landed. We got up and checked the report with 25 cm of fresh and jumped in the truck. The entrance to Cadrona and the other hills are one lane white-knucklers with zero guard rails and switchbacks that could belong in any WRC Rally stage. You were not even allowed to be on the road unless you had chains on your rig. We chained up and the Highlander delivered superb grip, wonder what chains would be like on my Audi? We never planned on cold weather while we packed for Australia so we had family bring base layers and fleece when they visited. We also had to rent gear which I opted for the performance package and got new Burton boots, Mission binders, and a reverse camber Never Summer. (sluggish, but familiar) S went with the norm and got shit boots and pinched muscles. The hill was like Blackcomb, no trees and wide runs. The snow was great but visibility was shit and the winds were strong. The sun did manage to come out for 20 minutes which is when I took photos but the day was cut short because of visibility. BUT, I still got to make some turns and that was worth every penny! Snowboarding man, that is my spot.
The next day we took advice from our resort staff and went to find a glacier hike. Did we see some ice, no we didn't do the 4 hour hike but we did see some incredible scenes. Fucking Peter Jackson. I wish I could count how many time I said that. The drive was a movie of mountain ranges, farming valleys, waterfalls, roaming hills, MILLIONS of sheep, and sculpted driving roads built for proper spring compression. We made many stops for photos but I struggled with shooting into the afternoon sun all day. (deep contrast, erg) Eventually the road we were on ended and turned into a dirt farming track which made the experience even better. We forded at least 10 rivers, this is where the Highlander was a good decision. We hiked for about an hour viewing the turquoise rivers, hills and mountain, Sarah found enjoyment chasing sheep, and we even crossed a suspension bridge. The way home we had another sheep encounter at a river crossing (Oregon Trail much?) and waited for a herder and her dogs to get the road cleared of mutton and wool.
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