Queenstown seemed to be the adventure sport hub of our New Zealand trip. It is very similar in feeling to Banff or Jasper. Lots of little shops to check out, but also lots of gorgeous scenery and outdoor activity. Fazh was most excited about going paragliding. He saw them, and instantly wanted to go. Literally, we hadn’t even checked-in or put our bags away. I guess when you know, you know!
We also managed to check “see a Kiwi bird” off his list by visiting the Kiwi Birdlife Park. Queenstown is also home to Fergburger, a burger place with a cult like following. Seriously, the line-up was out the door, constantly. I must say it was delicious. Here are some photos of our time in Queenstown.
Kiwi Birdlife Park, Queenstown NZ
Skyline Gondola, Queenstown NZ
Fergburger–One tasty stop for lunch!
Fazh’s Ferg coffee with a little meringue treat
Fazh and his paraglide partner Dean
Fazh Paragliding
Fergburger, Queenstown NZ
Fazh Paragliding
Devonport is an historical village a short (approx. 15 minutes) ferry ride just across the harbour from Auckland. Fazh and I spend the better part of the day wandering around the Island. We climbed to the top of Mount Victoria and checked out Fort Victoria. The cemetery we stumbled upon was fascinating. Some of the dead had almost reached 100 years old, 100 years ago. I don’t imagine making it to 100 in NZ that long ago would have been an easy feat! We wandered around, sight-seeing, as we made our way back to the wharf and shoreline.
There were loads of tourists out and about as Devonport is a popular destination for cruise ship passengers making a stop in Auckland. We were able to chat with one elderly couple who had rented a fancy
moto-trike tour for the afternoon. There were also scooters, Segways, mini-busses, and even horse and carriage options. We opted for none of the above, and stuck to walking.
Lunch in Devonport was our first experience with the New Zealand coffee options. As previously mentioned, Fazh is a coffee addict. No, he’s not addicted to high quality or even freshly brewed coffee, he just likes coffee. He quite frequently will brew a pot of drip/filter coffee, and then microwave the old coffee for the rest of the day. (GROSS!) In New Zealand, trying to find drip/filter coffee is like trying to find a family of unicorns. Let’s just say there is a “dedicated coffee culture” in NZ, and Fazh was initiated rather quickly.
The coffee menu was confusing. Here’s a typical offering. (Thanks www.newzealand.com for the info. And, you know it’s intense when the COFFEE options are posted on a tourism site!)
Even though I’m not a regular coffee drinker, I do know the basics–Americano, espresso, cappuccino, latte, mochaccino etc. But these three? Short Black, Long Black and Flat White?!?
Short Black: basically espresso in a regular demi-tasse
Long Black: espresso with the same amount of hot water served on the side – usually in a squat mug
Flat White: one part espresso, to parts steamed milk, with or without froth
Fazh decided to order Long Black. And, that became his drink of choice–several of them a day! I’ve never heard an Americano called a Long Black. Now I know.
Happy Travels,
~j
Adventures of a couple seeing the world 2 weeks at a time.
Queenstown seemed to be the adventure sport hub of our New Zealand trip. It is very similar in feeling to Banff or Jasper. Lots of little shops to check out, but also lots of gorgeous scenery and outdoor activity. Fazh was most excited about going paragliding. He saw them, and instantly wanted to go. Literally, we hadn’t even checked-in or put our bags away. I guess when you know, you know!
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