Queenstown
Onto Queenstown, the self-proclaimed adventure capital of the world. As the birthplace of bungy jumping, Queenstown has no shortage of adrenaline-inducing activities to fill up all the GoPro camera SD cards milling about town. Each morning the energy of this ski-town is palpable as backpackers and tourists busy themselves making preparations for each day's activities. White-water rafting, mountain-biking, zip-lining, sky-diving, river-surfing and bungy jumping are available and can be doctored up to the "Extreme" level if so desired. We chose the "Family" adjective instead
Our first stop was the AJ Hackett Bungy Center over the Kawarau River. In the process of getting prepared to jump, Lilly discovered that although old enough to jump, her donut training regimen had not paid off as she fell a bit shy of the 35kg minimum limit. As Lilly was vowing to double down on her donut efforts and return at some point in the future to cross this off her bucket list, mom was quietly tip-toeing towards the car park. The children quickly corraled her in the gift shop and before long had her properly leashed to the bridge. We were then able to watch safely from an overlook as mom made them proud.
A video of children cheering their mother to jump off a bridge.
Queenstown also offers a number of great places to refuel between adventures. Ball and Bangles was a kid pleaser with their themed donuts and great shakes. Get to work Lilly!
A near vertical gondola delivered us to the center for Skyline Luge Queenstown. It was now time to see if the luge tracks on the South Island could match up to those on the North Island. The verdict..... what they lacked in speed and danger was quickly made up with the scenic views.
Meredith and Carrie tearing up the track!
Jack not aware of the live mic during his trip down the track.
Once you have made your track down the course, you simply get in line and hop on the lift, along with your luge cart, to go back to the top.
The "I'm not waiting in line for a hamburger", quickly turned into "make mine a double" when we saw the plates of those already enjoying the famous NZ Fergburger.
Now that we had conquered air and land it was time to hit the water. We signed up for a half-day rafting trip that promised family-friendly class 1 & 2 rapids. They failed to mention the 45-minute class 5 bus ride that would deliver us to the put-in point on the Shotover River. With names like Devil's Drop and Purgatory Point, the trip through Skipper's Canyon had a few of us donning helmets and lifejackets inside the bus.
This would pretty much be the last time we saw Meredith smile that morning. She talked a great game and even grabbed a paddle, but after the first few splashes she was not having it. At about the midpoint of the trip, to the delight of our guide, in between sobs, she simply yelled, "WHYYYYYYYYYYY??!".
Meanwhile, in the happy section of the raft, Jack and Lilly were having a great time learning the different paddle strokes, enjoying guide jokes and jumping in the river. Once the guide had earned their trust, he beautifully set them up for some jet boat shenanigans. Tip of the hat!
We are all smiles now that the Nazgul are no longer flying about. “If you want him, come and claim him.” Yes, Arwen washed away the pursuing ring wraiths right here in Skippers Canyon.
