Queenstown

After a layover in Auckland, we flew down to Queenstown mid-morning, finally reaching our New Zealand starting point. During that flight, we got a taste of the wonders of NZ from above, piquing our excitement in spite of our exhausted state. We caught a bus into Queenstown and made our way over to our hotel, a quaint little place with a patio, wrought iron balconies and beautiful views of the mountains in Queenstown. It’s amazing what a shower (for me) or a run (for Paul) can do to make you feel better. We made our way into town and grabbed some lunch… it was a beautiful, sunny afternoon, so we picked a place with outdoor seating. Queenstown has the feel of a cozy ski town, with the backdrop of gorgeous mountains and a massive lake at the center of it all. And the soft lighting of the early fall made everything even more picturesque. Paul was particularly drawn to the massive piles of firewood lined up everywhere we went, a precursor to their wintertime. After lunch we took a stroll through the Queenstown Gardens, then headed back into the center of town for some cocktails on an outdoor balcony in the sunshine. For dinner we got some pizza at a neat place called The Cow and shared a table with a friendly older couple from Portland.