We had contemplated going up the nearby gondola for a star watching tour last night. Unfortunately, star gazing didn't start until around 11:00 and our hardy crew (De Ann) is usually snoozing by that time. Oh well, we'll just have to look up at the sky on our own.
The kids slept in late again this morning, so Meg, De Ann and I walked up the road to a nice cafe for coffee and scones. [Meg's Note: The scones here in NZ are spectacular. Great mixes of savory and sweet options. I can't wait to give them another go once we get back.] Since our Skippers Canyon jet boat tour wasn't scheduled until after noon, the rest of the day was free. Dex and Kylie were determined to stick around the campground, so after our late breakfast, the adults left for a climb up the hill behind town while Dex and Kylie stayed at camp promising to first do homework before running over to the playground at the nearby elementary school. The hike was longer and steeper than expected, so we spent lots of time "not resting," but taking pictures of flowers.
The kids slept in late again this morning, so Meg, De Ann and I walked up the road to a nice cafe for coffee and scones. [Meg's Note: The scones here in NZ are spectacular. Great mixes of savory and sweet options. I can't wait to give them another go once we get back.] Since our Skippers Canyon jet boat tour wasn't scheduled until after noon, the rest of the day was free. Dex and Kylie were determined to stick around the campground, so after our late breakfast, the adults left for a climb up the hill behind town while Dex and Kylie stayed at camp promising to first do homework before running over to the playground at the nearby elementary school. The hike was longer and steeper than expected, so we spent lots of time "not resting," but taking pictures of flowers.
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| Top of the hill with Queenstown down below |
At 3:30, we were picked up outside the camp for our jet boat tour. Since we would be visiting the upper section of the Shotover River in the Skipper’s Canyon, two thirds of the trip involved just getting there and back. The good news was that the driving along the narrow, gravel road was half the fun. The gold rush that started in New Zealand in the 1880’s, lasted all the way to the 1960’s, and the dirt road was constructed specifically for the gold miners.
Once we got down to the river, we were piled into two blue jet boats, which looked like oversized ski boats with tiered seating for twelve. The boats are powered by 420 hp Chevy V8 engines and pump out 60 liters of water per second while sucking down a liter of gas per minute. Incredibly, once moving, only six inches of the hull sits below water. The boat zipped along the shallow river at almost 50 mph. Most sections looked barely deep enough for a rubber raft, let alone a 12 passenger speed boat. Besides plenty of bobbing and weaving and zooming between canyon walls, every minute or two the driver would crank the wheel for a full 360 spin (see Kylie, Meg and De Ann below). It was a total blast.
After another adrenaline packed day, we settled into the campground again. Our salmon dinner was so good last night, De Ann cooked it up again. Hmmm, I think we'll keep her around.
Seriously, you have a cook now? Yahoo
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