Queenstown

On our way to Queenstown we stopped in at the Lowther Downs sheep station. A young family run operation, they were preparing for a sheep auction later that day – and shearing every “sheepbutt” of the over 6000 lambs for sale. Holy wooly there were a lot of sheep!

New Zealand has about 25 million sheep and 5 million people - that's 5 sheep to every person - the lowest ratio of sheep to people in over 150 years. Tho dairy farms have replaced some sheep farms, dairy cow numbers have also declined from 5.9 million in 2021 to 4.6 million currently. But NZ wine exports (mostly Sauvignon Blanc) increased 23% from June 2022 to 2023. The Marlborough area grows 68% of all the grapes in NZ.

Nestled on the shores of Lake Whakatipu, with a smorgasbord of outdoor activities, Queenstown is known as “The Adventure Capital of the World”. (There are so many “XXX of the World” claims in NZ!) There are loads of adventure and sightseeing activities, including wine tours, jet boats, walk/hike/bike tracks, skydiving, paragliding off the mountain top and my favorite “The HydroAttack” experience – the ultimate blend of shark and machine. (No – we just watched them go under water and jump straight up out!) Bungy jumping was born here in 1988 at the Shotover River's Kawarau Bridge. (Nope - didn't do that, either!)

It’s a very impressive bustling urban city with towering mountains and an active lakeside promenade, great shopping, art galleries and restaurants (Botswana Butchery was an A++; lines were ridiculously long for a FergBurger and for some Patagonia Ice Cream!) Though Queenstown reminds me most of Key West, it’s easy to envision how it transforms to a winter wonderland with snowy slopes and the skiing & snowboarding vibe.

One of the best ways to see Queenstown’s surrounding landscape is by boat – so we took a leisurely 90 minute cruise across Lake Whakatipu aboard the iconic century-old coal-fired steamship, the TSS Earnslaw (also known as “The Lady of the Lake”). Lovingly maintained since 1912, Gpa enjoyed exploring the engine room – with the giant steam engines at work - and studying the historic displays of the steamship’s former life. The TSS Earnslaw was launched the same year as the Titanic; is 166' long, 24' wide; in its day, could hold 1035 passengers or 1500 sheep or 200 bales of wool or 70 cattle.

A steam engine has to “let off steam” or, if overheated, may explode under pressure – same as people.

XOXOXOXO
Gma & Gpa