I'm Dreaming of a White...Memorial Day?

It's snowing! And it's May. This is some crazy shiznat. My pool back home will be opening in a week, and I'm trudging through white powder with icicles formerly known as toes. I have Christmas carols stuck in my head and half expect to see tubby men dressed like Santa walking down the street. "April showers bring May flowers" definitely isn't applicable in this hemisphere. At least someone made a snowman with bunny ears...that distracted me from my lack of ability to feel my feet for a second or two.

So for the rest of the day I'll be drinking tea in my fuzzy socks, sitting next to the radiator and craving s'mores. No May flowers, no Memorial Day beach trip, and no "school's out" smell in the air. My internal weather clock is terribly confused. Maybe I'll try to get these toilets to flush in the right direction...then the seasons may realize how backwards they're being.

Queenstown and Captain Cook

Queenstown is great. It's contagiously energetic and full of random stuff to do. Our first morning while Fabian slept in, Ben and I took a cruise that toured the entire Queenstown area.

We frisbee golfed, which was hilarious because we had to give me a handicap of halving my score just to be competitive. It shattered all my hopes and dreams of playing frisbee in college. The course is beautiful, though, right on the water in the Queenstown Botanical Gardens.

We took a gondola up to a luging course, which was surprisingly enjoyable despite the ridiculous pricing.

We mini golfed twice and had a day of wine, cheese, and chocolate tastings. All this was topped off by awesome nights out with fabulous fellow backpackers, dancing and drinking and making new friends. I even ran into two people from Waiheke (what?!?).

After a few days we packed up and headed out to Mt. Cook National Park, or Captain Cook, as Ben named it. Mount Cook Village is basically a ghost town, with a few expensive hostels, lots of Asian tourists, and a complete lack of grocery stores. The one restaurant in town opens for approximately two hours each day, so we had to leave after one night because we literally ran out of food. Our one day there we hiked (more like strolled) the Hooker Valley track, most of it heading straight for the beautiful, snowy Mt. Cook.

We escaped the creepy village, taking refuge in the much more inhabited Wanaka. This town is beautiful and even has a supermarket. Life is good.

Bungy!

We went bungy jumping! We chose the world's first commercial bungy jump, 43 meters off the Kawarau bridge surrounded by the remarkably remarkable Remarkable Mountains. I almost chickened out, not gonna lie, but the guy pretty much pushed me off the edge. It feels like you're jumping off a cliff, because that's what you're doing, but after you get yourself off the platform it's just awesome. I screamed lots, like an embarrassing amount, which is why none of you will be seeing the video of this. 

Cruisin' Down the Highway

Two too many nights in Wellington left only three days for Fabes and me to travel down the south island to pick Ben up at the airport in Dunedin. The marathon began in Picton. It's considered the gateway to the south, the first town travelers see after arriving on the ferry from Wellington. It's not much of a town, really, just a road and some hostels. We stayed at The Villa, definitely the nicest hostel we've stayed in, and got free apple crumble with ice cream after dinner.

The following day we took a tour of the Marlborough wine region, famous for Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Kevin the Wine Tour Man drove us and an awesome Aussie couple to three different wineries in drop-dead gorgeous weather. We all laughed and drank and made friends with the wineries' staff.

After the tour and some sobering Indian food, we sped towards the Lazy Shag Hostel in Kaikoura (a shag is a bird, get your mind out of the gutter). We only had one roommate, David the German, with whom we definitely bonded. He even came on a hike with us the next day around the Kaikoura peninsula, complete with lots of seals and stunning views.

Snoozing under the sidewalk

Our beloved German

Just discovered the panorama feature on my phone :)

From Kaikoura to Christchurch we charged, only spending enough time in Christchurch to sleep before the 6 hour drive to Dunedin. Dunedin proved to be fairly lame after we got over the free wifi in the city center, though. The coolest part was Hogwartz, the Harry Potter-themed hostel in which we stayed in room 9 3/4. Most importantly, we successfully collected Ben from the airport bright and early the next morning and got to spend the day catching up with our dear friend.

All's Well in Wellington

Four nights in Wellington took the cake for longest we've stayed in one place all trip. It's a real city, with people and tall buildings and restaurants and traffic. I almost didn't believe places like that existed after all the tiny towns. Arriving in the dark during rush hour was rather stressful, but after ditching the car, we settled into the cozy little (if slightly grimy) hostel. We had 2 proper nights out with fellow hostellers, beginning with genius giant Jenga games over a pitcher of beer and finishing with belting Bohemian Rhapsody at the best club in town.

Our days in Wellington consisted of lots of sightseeing. We explored Te Papa, the best museum in New Zealand, climbed Mt. Victoria up to the awesome swing, saw a movie at The Embassy (where all Lord of the Rings premiers happen), and strolled through the Sunday market.

I even saw my first rugby game, Warriors versus Bulldogs. I found the whole thing fairly boring, honestly, and it was too chilly for me.

We set off on the car ferry Tuesday afternoon, ready to begin our South Island adventures.

I Did It!

So some of you might recall that this whole "I'm gonna mess around in New Zealand for a while" idea was inspired by one intensely crucial experience. And, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I, Amanda Sara Keller, finally, at long last, did the deed. I Zorbed.

Basically, they put you in a giant ball with hot water, creating a sort of self-contained spa, at the top of a hill. The gate opens, and your big steamy ball rolls down the hill while you go all rumbly tumbly down the somewhat well-defined route. It's a rush. Zorbgasmic, even. The Zorb man meets you at the bottom for a photo shoot and big ball puns.

Not only that, but Fabes and I got a free ride, a free towel, and all the people in the parking lot got to see Fabes in his undies (for free).

Was it all I ever wanted and more? Call me easy to please, but...absolutely.

Part 2: Criss Cross Apple Sauce

Fabian and Amanda continued the journey south, travelling to National Park. Following the advice of Mr. Weatherman, they planned an epic hike through uncharted land (actually called the Tongariro Crossing, the most famous hike in New Zealand) on a day predicted to be sunny and warm . Alas, as is often the case, Mr. Weatherman lied, and the sky leaked heavy droplets of rain before their walk even began. Fearless trekkers as they are, the two gingers set off nonetheless. Misty, rainy, freezing cold weather haunted the entire trip. They missed out on the allegedly breathtaking views of National Park, and experienced frozen fingers and wet heads instead. They found solace only in the thought of the inn's jacuzzi waiting for them once they completed the trip. And that jacuzzi was, unsurprisingly, the highlight of their day.