"The Land of the Long White Cloud": Part VII

Following our time in Doubtful Sound, we made the drive back to Queenstown. Nestled beneath the Remarkable Range (appropriately named) and on the edge of Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown is a beautiful alpine city known for its high adventure activities. From sky diving to "canyoning," Queenstown is an adrenaline paradise, and with Callie's reluctant permission, we decided to literally dive right in.

Roughly 150 feet above the Kawarau River is the home of the first commercial bungee location in the world (pictured above). Opened in 1988 by A.J. Hackett, the Kawarau Bridge has become a national icon as the home of bungee jumping in New Zealand. Granted, Callie was not nearly as excited about this opportunity as I was, but once she was convinced of the operation's impeccable safety, we decided that this would be a once in a lifetime experience. So, we got into our harnesses, they attached us to the bungee cord, and with a little extra encouragement for Callie, we jumped off together. It was an absolute rush, and I would certainly recommend it. Moreover, it inspired Callie to the point that, the next morning, we decided to run off the edge of a three thousand foot cliff above Queenstown to go paragliding. Now . . . for the reader out there who might be wondering as to our mental sensibilities, each of these activities is very safe and we never felt endangered in any way. In fact, we have videos that document our enjoyment.

Beyond the bungee jumping and the paragliding, Queenstown is full of other amazing things to do. We took the gondola up the mountain to do the luge, a paved track that you ride down on a cart (think MarioCart in real life). We also took a jetboat up the Dart River (pictured above) into the Mt. Aspiring National Forest and had a chance to see several of the filming locations for the Lord of the Rings series. We went hiking with a Maori guide, we had great food, and all in all, Queenstown may have been our favorite New Zealand city.

That being said, the trip as a whole was absolutely magnificent. Everywhere we drove, everywhere we looked there was something new and different and beautiful to see. From glaciers to fjords, from the coast to the plains, New Zealand had just about everything you might want to see in a natural landscape. The people were gracious, the wildlife was spectacular, and given the size of the country, everything felt accessible. Over just 10 days, Callie and I drove across the majority of the South Island and had an opportunity to really experience the country in a way that you certainly couldn't in a country the size of Australia. In the end, I told Callie that, of the places that I have been fortunate enough to travel to, New Zealand may have been my favorite. We loved every minute that we were there, and we are already thinking about when we can make it back.