Quintessential Queenstown

We have had an absolutely FANTASTIC day today!
The beautiful weather returned and the whole day have just been AWESOME!

We started with breakfast at our 'local', (well, we have been there three times..!)', the very cool Joe's Garage. Yummy food and nice people. Then it was time to attack Bob's Peak - you can't say you've been to Queenstown before you've been on the Gondola and the Luge!


Before we ascended, we visited the 'Kiwi Birdlife Park' at the bottom of the mountain. Linnea had never seen a real kiwi bird before, and Lucas was just one and a bit last time he saw one, so we thought it would be part of their Kiwi education!





I really like going to parks and such here, because they are so well maintained and the animals are always looked after in the best way.
This park had a free audio-tour that we listened to all through the park.



Thanks to that and the map, we had a fab visit. All those big trees made me think of Sweden.






Greenstone:








After the park, it was time for the Gondola!












Amazing views from up the top, just as expected of course! We could see some people doing the bungy jumping, some doing paragliding down the lake and we could see the Luge tracks we were heading for too.















We learned that the motors powering the Gondola, are Swedish! :)





The TSS Earnslaw, cruising the Lake Wakatipu.


Since we did the Luge in Singapore a couple of weeks ago, we wanted to try this one too. I must say, this one was a lot better - both a lot longer, it had tunnels and lots of turns, but also the view here is unbeatable!


















We did two rides down the Luge, and we could easily have done ten more, it was just so enjoyable!






After the Luge, and some by then well-needed lunch it was time to go down the mountain again, and return to the 'Kiwi Birdlife Park' for their daily 'Conservation Bird Show'.
We saw a few different birds, a possum and a Tuatara - a very special lizard. It was a really good and informative show, learnt a lot of interesting facts that I'll share with you on a later occasion.



The kids mostly liked that the birds flew really close to us, so close we could feel their wings brush us!











And outside the park, this very cool car was parked: