Day 26 – This morning we did our Starbucks thing- Christmas blend coffee (the first
day over here for all their holiday offerings) and Danish. We then caught the shuttle bus for our Shotover Jet Boat trip. The jet boat ride was a thrill and a half. There is no way to describe it. You race up and down the river toward each side and getting within inches
of the canyon walls and every so often the driver waves his arm in a
circle and you do a 360 degree turn at full speed. The boat only sits in 4” of water at speed (jet skis sit 7” deep). You wear a light rain jacket and life preserver. Not that the preserver would do any good if you hit a wall. This was better than anything Disney created. After the ride, it felt good to stick our heads under the hand dryer in the restrooms to dry off. Ate lunch at a small sandwich shop. Shared our table with a couple from South Australia who were in NZ on a tour. It was an enjoyable meal hearing their take on America and discussing our trips. Took the Gondola up Bob’s Peak where the view of Queenstown is awesome. The
gondola is at an average incline of 37 degrees-pretty steep angle. Jim rode the luge on the beginners track. Saw a map in the gift shop that was really unusual. It showed Australia/NewZealand on the top section and the US, etc. on the bottom. Sure gives a different perspective of the world. Watched the Melbourne Cup horse race since it is a real big deal here. It is actually a holiday in Australia. Off to dinner soon.