I now write to you from the comfort of home: Austin, TX. Currently, I am quarantining with a couple friends that have graciously taken me into their apartment since they have a guest room and have already been exposed to COVID-19 back in March. I am forever grateful to them for their sacrifices.
2 Weeks in the Adventure Capital of the World: Queenstown
June 20th to July 5th
Upon arrival, we stayed in Adventure Q2 hostel - one of the nicest hostels I have ever stayed in. The bunk beds were constructed out of wood and attached to the studs in the wall, which meant no bed creaking. Each bed also had a little shelf as the head board to place belongings on, as well as a power outlet right next to it. You'd be surprised how scarce power outlets are in some hostels. There were also privacy curtains for each bed, for you know.... privacy. The hostel also provided TWO pillows and a towel!! If you have ever stayed in a hostel, you know how incredibly uncommon those last two amenities are.... Needless to say, it was nice to have all those perks after a week of some not-so-great hostels.
That night we partied for the first time since Christchurch. This was the second time we were able to go to a bar/club since before lockdown. The entire experience was surreal.
Lines with no social distancing. Shoulder-to-shoulder crowds in the bars. One of the dance floors at a second floor venue was actually shaking from the amount of people dancing. It had only been 2 weeks since NZ went back to Level 1 (only contract tracing, no community transmission) and the school holidays had just started. Everyone was elated.
The following day, Emilie and I were enticed by a local hostel's promotion: $10 NZD a night!! We switched over to Nomads hostel and paid $70 NZD for the entire week (around $46 USD). It was a great way to save money because we had been paying around $25 NZD per night on accommodation since leaving the Mount. Although Nomads wasn't exactly the most luxurious hostel, it had a great social atmosphere and a lot of cool people stayed there. That is where we met Matt. Originally from St. Louis, he had been in Houston the last couple of years before coming to New Zealand. We got along swimmingly and began going on hikes together, as well as playing disc golf - a surprisingly popular sport in New Zealand. I also met a guy from the UK, Adam, and we spent a day searching for jobs together around Queenstown. Later on, we met up with Robin and Emilie to play tennis.
Robin, who had moved to a different hostel, met another girl from the states - Amanda. She had also lived in Houston prior to her travels. Although, I believe she had been in Peru traveling before making her way over to New Zealand. It was nice to have some familiar accents again with Matt and Amanda being around.
The first week kind of blurred together. It pretty much consisted of searching for jobs in the morning, playing disc golf in the afternoon, and partying at night. We definitely blew through our kiwi picking money in that week....
After a week of this, I began to get a head cold. I decided to move over to Adventure Q1 Hostel - a slightly more expensive hostel, but much more privacy and comfort (owned by the same owner of Adventure Q2). Q1 was THE best hostel I stayed in during my time in NZ. All the amenities of Q2, but also add a super nice kitchen with gas stoves and 3 ovens (ovens are surprisingly uncommon in hostels), along with huge balconies with outdoor seating that have incredible views of the Remarkable Mountain range. Throw in a plush lounge/game room for good measure.
I spent the following week searching for jobs, binge watching Dark on Netflix, and resting in my cozy hostel bed with the curtain shut. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I thought of my time spent in Queenstown, but I desperately needed the rest.
Below: our group's first visit to Fergburger. One of the best burger joints in NZ, hands down. Cheap, too. They had many different meats to choose from: angus beef, lamb, fiordland deer, pork, chicken, you name it (veggie burgers, too). Each burger had different toppings that complimented the meat flavor, offering a unique taste each time. It was definitely a cornerstone of our diet in Queenstown.
Ben Lomond
After I felt a bit better, Robin, Emilie, and Leo came over to Adventure Hostel and made dinner with me. I was soon privy to their scheme of hiking Ben Lomond the following morning with Matt and one of his friends. Having not fully recovered from my head cold, I was apprehensive to take on a day-long summit hike in the middle of winter. Granted, winter in NZ is fairly mild. Still...
I don't really remember how, but Robin and Emilie successfully convinced me to join in on their quest to summit Ben Lomond. The next morning, we met at Balls and Bagels to scarf down breakfast. There I met Matt's friend's Sabrina, who hails from San Diego. After finishing our bagels and coffees, we began our long ascent from the base of the gondola - only a 5 minute walk from the town center.
We Norwegians seldom go into the mountains without chocolate. My hiking companions were pleasantly surprised when I pulled out the Whittaker's chocolate bar of my pack to share.
The view from the summit was absolutely breathtaking. One of the tallest peaks in the Wakatipu Basin, Ben Lomond did not disappointment. From the summit, we saw the Remarkables mountain range, Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu, and many surrounding peaks. However, at the peak, the wind was ruthless. After scarfing down the chocolate and taking commemorative pictures, we started our slow descent - sometimes sliding on our butts through the iciest sections.
Reaching the bottom was as rewarding as it was relieving. I don't care who you are - coming down is way worse than going up. My knees were not too happy with me. In total, it took us 7 hours to complete the ~8 mile hike with just over 4,000 feet of elevation gain.
After cooking dinner back at our respective hostels, we met up for some beers at our favorite bar - 1876. At said bar, I was somehow convinced by Matt and Sabrina to hit the slopes the next day. Although, I am not sure I took much convincing. The idea of skiing in New Zealand for the first time was exciting to me.
I stayed up late sorting all of my rentals and my lift ticket so I could make the ambitious 7:30am wake-up call without having to worry about all of that in the morning. Getting 6 hours of sleep - after a difficult hike, and coming off a cold - the night before skiing was not a great idea. But hey, I can sleep when I am dead.
Coronet Peak
Surprise, surprise. I felt like absolute crap when I woke up in the morning to ski. Lethargic, runny nose, and potentially feverish.
But I'd be damned if I was going to miss an opportunity to ski. You see, the ski fields in New Zealand aren't quite as big as they are in the States or Europe. There aren't any hotels or condos right next to the lifts - or even within a 5 minute drive. To get to most of the ski fields, you have to drive from the nearest town (rarely at the base of the mountain) - at least on the South Island. So for Coronet Peak, the nearest town is Queenstown and it's a 30 minute drive from town to the peak. Matt and Sabrina had generously offered to give me a lift up the mountain, so I couldn't refuse.
Matt and Sabrina were both on snowboards. Matt was still learning, so Sabrina and I went on ahead and got in some blue and red runs. The first hour of skiing was pretty rough. My muscles were not having it. Although, don't get me wrong; I was having a BLAST! Once I got warm and moving, I honestly felt great. Even though the snow was not the best, it was still skiing - which I LOVE!
We met up with Matt for a couple of runs before Sabrina left. She had work the following day in Methven - a solid 5 hour drive away - so she had to hit the road. Matt and I took a late lunch, did a couple more runs, then called it a day. Exhaustion is an understatement. We were absolutely wiped.
When we got back into town, we grabbed some good ole Fergburger and devoured it in the Nomads lounge in front of the fire place. A satisfying end to a long day. After finishing my meal and basking in the warmth of the fire place, I went back to Adventure hostel to begin my hibernation for the rest of the winter. Or at least that's what it felt like. I slept for 12 hours that night. A much needed rest that I had been depriving myself of the past few days.
Over the next few days I continued my job search in Queenstown with no success. I finally had a break through with a job for Kinloch Lodge, just over an hour drive from Queenstown. Which brings me to the next chapter: diggin' holes and listening to the blues.
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