Queenstown, New Zealand

We left Lake Tekapo and drove west, heading to Queenstown. It was a 3 hour drive, but a lot of the road was between mountains so it was very winding. We were able to stop off for a nice viewing area, called "Roaring Meg" just before getting into the Queenstown area. 

As we were driving between Lake Tekapo and Queenstown, we got behind a truck that kicked up a rock and it hit our windshield. Unfortunately, it made a crack that got progressively worse as we continued driving. I'm very thankful it didn't crack all the way through, we were okay and able to drive the rest of the way to drop the car off. Brennan is always hesitant to rent cars; this incident definitely didn't help him become more excited about renting cars in the future!!

After spending the afternoon driving and returning the car, we checked into the hotel and went to get dinner. Once we finished dinner, it was still light out and we were able to walk around the city. The area surrounding the water is beautiful and the evening light made it even more peaceful. 

We walked until the sun went down and then headed back to the hotel for the evening. 

This next part of the story isn't so fun...

On our way to Christchurch from Wellington, we noticed that Brennan had a rash on his arm. We thought it might be poison ivy and he put some anti-itch cream on it. Each day it got progressively worse, but it wasn't spreading on his body and I didn't have a rash. Fast forward to our first morning in Queenstown and I was talking to Rachel (my sister) and realized I had some bumps on my arm. As I continue talking to her, Brennan starts searching more online and we realize we think they're bedbug bites. Let me tell you, this was not a fun discovery!

We immediately jumped into problem solving mode. We figured out that we needed to wash all of our clothes in hot water and dry them on hot.  We also had to go through our bags to make sure we didn't have bugs on anything we could see. We started the laundry, went through all of our bags outside (where I found a live bug crawling on my leg as I was sorting things), and switched rooms at the hotel. We think what happened is that Brennan got the bites originally in Wellington, because we slept in separate twin beds at that hotel. Then, they came with us and got in all our stuff as we continued traveling. The worst part about all of this (other than the itching) is that you cannot be sure you got rid of them. But, it took most of the day for us to go through everything and take care of all of this and we didn't get any new bites. We've never seen another bug in our things (and trust me, I've looked!). I know this is a risk you take when you stay at so many places, but it was not a fun experience. I'm just thankful we didn't infect a whole apartment and were able to address it quickly and thoroughly.

Thankfully in spite of a difficult day, we still fit in a walk with the beautiful scenery. 

Fergburger is a local restaurant that is well known for constantly having a line out the door and their made to order burgers. Some people even say it is the best burger in the world! We had to check out what all the hype was about. We were impressed! If you ever find yourself in Queenstown, it's worth getting in line to get a delicious burger!

After our picnic with Fergburger, we took a ride on the skyline up to the top of the mountain. This gondola system works exactly like the Skyliner at Disney World, but it is much, much steeper! I had to ride looking up, because it freaked me out to look down while we were in the gondola. 

The view from the top made the ride worth it! It was so clear and you could see so far out. The first inlet where you can see all the trees is where we walked the first night, but there is a lot more water front in this beautiful city!

I love when you can see cloud shadows on the land. This area is called "The Remarkables" and they are very appropriately named!

Brennan and I split up for a bit. He wanted to go for a hike and I wanted to hang out and read. So, I stuck at the lodge while he set off on the marked trail. I was able to see some people paraglide, as well as the finish of the mountain coaster. Brennan hiked for a few miles, got to see great views, and made it back just before a downpour! We had to wait out the rain for a bit, but then headed back down the mountain in the gondola for our last evening in Queenstown. 

We loved this city with its beautiful views and friendly people! We will definitely go back again in the future!