Over the Cardrona Range to Arrowtown and Queenstown

I was excited about heading to Queenstown to see where David lived and worked. It always makes it easier to visualise things when you have seen it first hand. Despite bad weather forecasts, we were in luck and had superb weather once again. In fact, the whole trip with Dennis was so amazing considering that just before Dennis arrived Cyclone Debbie had hit NZ, with generally atrocious weather everywhere, causing floods and rock slides . I had even got a contingency plan for what we would do if the weather were bad, and had fore-warned Dennis! What a pleasant surprise for him when he arrived!

The road from Wanaka over Cardrona is very scenic and extremely good now. I remember the days when it was a narrow dirt road and I used to hate going up to the ski fields there or over to Queenstown that way. Now, it is gorgeous, particularly with the vibrant autumnal colour. Cardrona hotel is always a great place to stop off, even if it is just to admire the cute little hotel and its splendid garden.

It was a pity that we couldn't stay for a meal or drink, but we simply knew we would run out of time. The few minutes in the garden were lovely though.

Heading over the Crown Range, the views towards Queenstown are absolutely sensational.

It's no wonder that pilots require a special licence to land at the airstrip there, it's a pretty tight turning area!

First stop, Arrowtown, the quaint little gold mining village where the Chinese came as some of New Zealand's first settlers. It was hard to imagine how life must have been in their little huts in the winter.

This tiny village/town was unbelievably crowded with both tourists (hoards of Chinese groups) and locals (it is school holidays here). David and I have never seen it so busy. I guess the autumn colours are the major attraction at this time of year, and they certainly were brilliant.

Don't be fooled into thinking that it must be cheap to live here! It isn't! It is incredibly expensive, in fact, one of the most expensive areas in the country even for a tiny little cottage. It does have some remarkable golf courses with breathtaking scenery, though.

Queenstown is another place where you cannot consider buying a 'cheap' home. Prices have soared and are now generally as high, if not higher, than in Auckland. Things have become very difficult for workers looking for accommodation, because there is a real shortage. David is really lucky to have his flat just a few minutes walking distance from the school and 10 minutes walk from the shore of Lake Wakatipu. Perfect. And it seems he has great neighbours too, also mainly teachers.

I hadn't been to Queenstown for ages and have to say that I really enjoyed the short time we spent there. I guess I might be there a little more often in future. The views over the lake and the Remarkables (in the background of the photo below, with the golf course where David plays just in front - what a place!) are spectacular.

And the walk around the gardens gives you really panoramic views of the area. We stopped for a drink at a really fabulous bar on the shoreline

It was fantastic sitting up the top of it with such awesome scenery all around. Believe it or not, you can even take your own food on board, as long as you have a drink. Incredible!!

Where in the world would one find a cafe in such a perfect location, in such a touristy town, probably with massive rental costs, being so very benevolent? Remarkable.

We had hoped to visit a winery or two on the way home, but sadly they close at 5 p.m.. I must leave time for this next time round because they really are in the loveliest locations with absolutely amazing grounds. I am sure the food and wine is pretty fantastic too!

We couldn't convince Dennis to try a bungy jump, nor could they convince me!!! Even just watching these guys jumping (being pushed) off the 43-metre high bridge makes me feel terrified. It was fascinating , though, to watch how some just walk forward and jump, others stand there for ages before one of the guys behind them gives them a gentle shove, and some scream and some yell with joy as they fall.

The photo is the best I could do considering I was feeling so anxious about the jump(somebody else was doing)!

Queenstown, the adventure capital of New Zealand. What a beautiful place it is with its breathtaking scenery, lively pub and cafe culture, and its huge choice of activities. It would be very easy to spend $1000 in a few days here I am sure, but we enjoyed our day there for very little too, so there is something for everyone! Lucky David, he is there permanently, and as I was with Pfaeffikon, he makes the most of his life there every day and truly appreciates how lucky he is to be in such a spectacular environment.