Queenstown & Milford Sound

I must admit I have been absolutely blown away by the beauty around the east coast of the south land of New Zealand. Especially around this area, and I can see why this part of the world was chosen to film 'Lord of the Rings'. It is 'awesome' in the real sense of the word! I am blown away by the height and majesty of the mountains and the beauty of the rivers, it is just beautiful.

I am not going to say much right now as I am tired and up early tomorrow to go to Franz Josef. I just feel it is important to say what is happening as it is happening as time is going so quickly now, especially as I am only a day or two in each place. I really like Queenstown as it is so beautiful, I know most people come here as it is the 'extreme sports capital of the world' there is bunjee jumping, para gliding, surfing, body surfing, swinging from a tree you name it its here!!! ha ha. However, my money is short and even though I would love to do a sky dive I think I will have to leave it for another time. I am too skint! I still have Africa to go afterall! And so here I have spent 2 full days, one of those I got up early and got the sun rise outside of my hostel as I waited for the 'bbq bus' to pick us up and take us to 'Milford Sounds', which has been one of my most fav places on my trip. It is so beautiful. It was especially dramatic and overwhelmingly gorgeous as it was raining and water was trickling, streaming and gushing down rocks all around the Sounds. It is so beautiful I totally recommend it. I loved it! Although it has the name of one of the Sounds as there are a few round here, I hear that sounds are more flat scenery, rivers with some nice scenery around whereas this is more like a fjord/fiord as there is mountains all around it and it is so dramatic. Yup I would like to come back here some time!

Today I wanted a rest so I went for a walk up Queenstown Hill, which is a bit of a walk up and a bit steep at times but beautiful scenery once again, especially of Queenstown itself and all the mountains around it. Gorgeous. So enjoy the pics.

I must also mention as it is quite strange, when I was up the mountain and I was walking down I saw a guy sitting at one spot looking at the view, I waved to him as I walked past (you know how it is fellow hiker and all that! ha ha) and he waved back. When I was walking down I saw this cat with a collar so I thought someone must have lost it and this guy came walking past me so I mentioned it to him and as he lived in the area if he hears anything about a lost cat he knows where they can find it! We chatted a bit and then he went on as his legs were longer than mine! And then today I met this really nice girl in the hostel and we chatted for a while so when I was coming out to use the internet (happy hour - half price!) she came out with me to go to the pub. So I showed her around the streets and tried to find a pub for her that would play the Liverpool game which will be on at 4am here! And when we were walking round she met a friend she met in NZ 3 years ago so she is laughing and hugging him and I am just laughing with his friends like they are my long lost friends. And then the guy turns round and says...you were up on the hill today weren't you...you mentioned the cat!!!! How strange is that. One of the guys says he met an ex girlfriend he hadn't seen for years on that same street, that is so strange! And so they invited me out to the pub but I had to leave them to it as I have to serve my public and get my stories on here and my pics...too gorgeous for words! So there you are, said more than I thought I would. Time for me to go, I have a bus to catch tomorrow at 8am. Before I go, gotta tell you...I am travelling on a pass that gives you so many hours travel time, so I bought 35 hours and each time I take a trip they tell me how many hours I have left. Well...I found out I could get picked up at my youth hostel so I phoned and asked if they could do that and the guy said yes and then told me I had 11 and a half hours left on my pass. Whereas the other day I had 12 hours left and so I had to ask...why is that? He says the journey time on his computer says it is 30 minutes of the journey going from my youth hostel to the centre....well! To help you to have a picture of where my youth hostel is, tonight it took me 10 minutes to walk from my hostel to the centre! It seems because the driver has to stop especially for me and then has to wait in Queenstown I will have to give my precious time on my bus ticket for the privilege!!! Well...! And so I said incredulously 'you are kidding!' He said in a very professional tone if you would like me to change it back...and I said, 'I am not blaming you, you don't need to put your business voice on for me I am just amazed that that is the case!' He laughed and then I said, just put me back is being picked up in town...I will walk...with my heavy bag!!! Man I should be skinny all this exercise!

Anyway, I am tired, gotta run.

Hugs.
Sylv x