Queenstown

Queenstown may be the most beautifully situated city in NZ. On the shores of Lake Wakatipu, surrounded by tall mountains, this gem attracts tourists both in summer and winter. The population of 30,000 apparently swells to 100,000 during peak season. The city center is described as "compact", and that is very accurate. According to our coach driver, this is the fastest growing city in the country and the city is sprawling. In winter, it is a very popular ski resort, 

Yesterday, I let the child inside come out and play: I went on the "world's most exciting jetboat ride", Shotover Jet. It speeds through the Shotover Canyon just outside of town at 85 km/hour! It's fast, it's bumpy, it's wet. At $135 it's not a cheap thrill, but sometimes you have to dig deep and splurge just so you can say "been there, done that". The jet runs year round, and in winter the temperature, including the windchill, can go down to -15 C.

Queenstown is expensive. This is the most expensive accommodation ever on this trip, but I must also say it is the nicest! I'm staying at the Four Seasons (no, not THAT Four Seasons!) Motel, which despite its name is very centrally located, only 5 minutes from the city centre (although it's uphill on the way home). Fully equipped kitchen, huge bathroom with hair dryer and toiletries, free wi-fi (1 Gb per day) and cable TV. The kind hoteliers have also agreed to let me leave my heavy suitcase here for six days while I travel further south, which is a great relief. I really have to look around for anything to critisize, and the only thing I can come up with is that I miss bedside tables.

Public transport: Connectabus is the local bus company, which also runs out to Arrowtown, an old gold mining town with a very picturesque high street. Prices? Are you sitting down? A day ticket is NZ$33! Yes, you read it right. £16! That's the most expensive price and the smallest route network I've come across so far. However, a return ticket to Arrowtown is already $30, so it's actually not that bad in that perspective - and you get the plastic card for free. You really get a bargain on a full week, as a seven-day pass is "only" $47 but then you have to pay $5 for the card. In addition to Arrowtown, it's worth taking a trip to Kelvin Heights on route 6, and walk around the golf course on the peninsula.

Food: There are plenty of lunch and early-bird deals for $15. There is also a food court inside the O'Connell Mall for the budget-concious. "Macca", Burger King, and KFC are present. Apart from a kebab attack on day 1, I've done my own cooking again and saved some precious cash. There is a FourSquare supermarket in the city centre, but check this out: 2 litres of milk cost $3.89! That's double the price in the UK. A loaf of sliced white bread $4.99! There is a much bigger Countdown supermarket in Remarkables Park near the airport, apparently that's where the locals shop so I'm assuming they are cheaper. Bus 11 goes there from the city centre.

Activities: TONS! Queenstown is the adventure capital of NZ, so plenty of adrenaline-inducing things to do. Again, everything comes at a price, so most people will need to make a selection. Wine tours, Lord of the Ring tours, two ice bars and a haunted house for those inclined.

There are loads of Chinese tourists here. The ones you really notice are the groups. It is clear that they have no idea how to behave abroad. They descend on shops in swarms and take over the place. No respect for other people, shouting in Chinese all over the place. The bad behaviour of some Chinese tourists abroad is nothing new, even the Chinese government is running an educational campaign to tell their citizens how to behave when they go abroad, and even punish them when they get back home!

I have one day left in Queenstown, and I will take a lake cruise with farm tour (including a sheep-shearing demonstration - that's SHEARING, not shagging!) and a huge buffet lunch. I wouldn't normally have paid for a lunch, but I got the whole package for $99, which isn't too bad. Just the cruise on the steamship TSS Earnslaw (the only steamer in the Southern Hemisphere, and over 100 years old) normally costs $57. I may also take the gondola up to Bob's Peak for great panoramic views, but that's another $33...

UPDATE Oh what an amazing lunch! It really was all you can eat - and I ate all I could! I am genuinely stuffed as a Christmas turkey now. I somehow managed to get on table 1 so I was first in line to the buffet! There was plenty of cold salads, roast potatoes and pumpkin, and meat! Lots of meat. Barbequed lamb, pork, chicken, and beef, all cooked to perfection and melted in my mouth, and with a wide variety of sauces. After that several dessert options (I tried them all) and coffee. After lunch we were treated to a sheepdog round-up and sheep shearing demonstration, then had some time to wander around and look at the sheep, alpacas, cows, and deer on the farm. When the boat returned to town, I went straight to my room for a siesta. It's also my last night here and I want to enjoy my comfortable and expensive room as much as I can.