Hustle and BUS-tle

On Thursday, we were on the move. Literally. We said farewell to Christchurch and boarded buses early in the morning bound for Queenstown. It was a 12-hour bus ride, but rich with stops along the way and scenery exclusive to New Zealand. Lake Tekapo was one of my favorite scenes—it’s a lake of pristine glacial waters that are so blue, they’re almost white. It gives the term “white water” a whole new meaning! We learned that the glaciers crush sediment and rock so finely that when the glacier melts, the particles are suspended in the water giving it a nearly milky white appearance. It was beautiful!

Then onward to Mount Cook, for lunch at the famous Hermitage. It was a great chance to stretch our legs, fill our stomachs, and pass out the day’s gift: darling kiwi bird charms.

That afternoon, we descended from the mountain peaks into lush valleys where orchards and vineyards abounded. We stopped in Cromwell, a virtual garden of Eden—we visited a fruit stand stocked with local varieties of EVERYTHING! Cherries, apples, nuts, green beans, tomatoes, nectarines, plums, grapes… it was all fresh and it was all so delicious.

By 7 p.m. we arrived in Queenstown, often thought of as the birthplace of extreme sports (bungy jumping was invented here)! Although we didn’t bungy jump, we took advantage of the very late sunsets to walk the town and visit the lakeside. Queenstown is a gorgeous mountain hideaway thick with pine trees and yet another beautiful lake. Stay tuned to tomorrow’s post for more fun in Queenstown!