Queenstown – NZ’s playground

If Kaikoura is the eco / nature/ Maori experience, Queenstown is the adrenalin experience. Visitors have plenty to choose, from water-based activities to aerial adventures – or both, falling through the air to the water on the end of a rubber band or under a parachute. We’d scheduled three nights here -  Mother Nature planned to give us some spectacular experiences as well as thwarting others.

Blue skies set the background to the early start of our first day. Picked up by mini-coach outside our hotel, we headed off along the shores of Lake Wakatipu for Glenorchy. En route we stopped to take in the breath-taking – dare I say, awesome - views of the snow-capped mountains. As the guests of Dart River JetSafaris we transferred to a four wheel drive vehicle and headed off for Paradise – literally – a hamlet on the edge of the Mt Aspiring national park and the location for the Hobitt film set, Hobittland as Mr Stephen Fry describes it. Pausing to take in the film set from a distance, our guide described the numerous films and adverts made in the area which was had also been a popular location for the Lord of the Ring film.

The helicopters clattering around filming for the Hobbit were in sharp contrast to the rainforest we subsequently wandered through where everything was so peaceful. However, the peace was soon shattered when we donned waterproofs and lifejackets before heading off up river for the thrills, spills, and inevitable soaking from riding in a jet boat. In-between soakings, we stopped to take in the peace, quiet and wonder of the mountains. I’ve no idea what a Hobbit might look like but I can understand why they like living around here. Fantastic.

Dinner was taken at the Skyline restaurant, reached by cable-car and overlooking the Remarkables mountain range.

Overnight and next morning the wind had risen dramatically against the backdrop of another sunny day. We were due to fly to Milford Sound for a cruise along the Fjordland coast. The alternative to flying is a seven-hour drive or coach trip; while the views are “the usual” stunning vistas, the prospect of such a long drive, and other people’s advice, prompted us to opt for the plane. Unfortunately, while we watched jets coming and going from Queenstown airport, the winds were too high for the nine-seater plane we were due to fly in.

We ended up taking a drive around the area and seeing some of the alternative sights. Driving east, we started by watching mad folk throw themselves from a perfectly satisfactory bridge across the Kawarau River at AJ Hackett’s, the original bungy jump site. While in NZ filming Hobbits, Mr Fry visited and partook. Sadly for us, the queues were too long and we didn’t have time to participate – well, that’s our story. From here we drove to Arrowtown, a local settlers town where the main road looked more like a street in Disneyland. After lunch we drove up to the Coronet Peak ski resort. While the resort building was closed (bearing in mind this was early summer), there were still splatterings of snow and splendid views all around. A week before we headed out to NZ, Queenstown had endured a massive snowstorm