This is another travel day. We travelled inland and south, along the World Heriatge Highway, with our destination Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world. We had a few stops on the way.

First stop was for breakfast at Lake Matheson . It was named after Murdoch Matheson, a cattleman who ran cattle on the Cook River in the 1870's. We had breakfast at a cafe looking out at Aoraki/ Mount Cook (highest peak in NZ at 3,724 m) and Horokaou/ Mount Tasman (at 3,497 m). It was another beautiful, sunny day and everything was dewy and fresh. We took a walk to Lake Matheson (30 minutes) where we saw the peaks mirrored in the calm waters. Again, it was gorgeous. 

The next stop was Knights Point for more breathtaking views of the ocean. We were hoping to see some Dolphins but it wasn't meant to be. 

Our next jaw jaw dropping moment was at Thunder Creek Falls, a 28 meter waterfall that falls into the Haast River. Since the retreat of glacier ice in the area the Haast River has carved a canyon the height of the waterfall which some local people refer to as the "Ninety Foot Falls". Thunder Creek, a tributary of the Haast River, drains a short, narrow valley. Water, like ice, has left its imprint on the land . The Haast River carries huge amounts of rock debris and sediment which is deposited in the valley floor where the river becomes braided and numerous channels are formed. 

At the Lake Hawei lookout we, again, saw mountains mirrored in the calm waters. This lake is considered one of the most beautiful of the southern lakes. It is 410 m (1,345 feet) deep in places. You would think that all this amazing scenery would get passe but it doesn't. Around every turn there's a new thing of beauty to behold that is the same, yet different. 

Last stop before Queenstown was Lake Wanaka, with its willow-lined shores and numerous bays This is a holiday resort for the rich and famous. In fact, Shania Twain has a place here apparently. Vic now says he could retire here. I'm not sure if it's because it's so beautiful or if he just wants to meet Shania. Along the waterfront sidewalk there are tiles that commemorate important dates in history around the world . It was neat! The ONLY crappy thing were the public toilets. ;) We've found a multitude of clean public toilets so the fact that they were awful here was a surprise. 
 
Queenstown is located in an area of spectacular beauty but is quite touristy. It is surrounded by the heights of the Remarkables (a mountain range in the South Island of New Zealand) and framed by the meandering covers of Lake Wakatipu. The Remarkables get their name from the fact that they are the only mountain range in the world that is perfectly north south. Plus they really are remarkable. We didn't arrive in the city until 5:30 so after checking in we arranged to have dinner with our new friends from Sydney, Donna and Richard. We had great conversations and lots of laughs. 

I thought I had a dancing night about to happen but everyone bailed on me because of all the activities they are doing tomorrow. The Irish are paragliding, canyon swinging (bungee jumping but with a twist - it tswings over the canyon after the drop) and zip lining. Beth is sky diving Vic and 7 others are para gliding. Everyone seems to be trying to kill themselves and want to rest up for it!!!  

At one point during the day, Elaine asked Auto "Is there anywhere in NZ that is not beautiful?" in her lovely lilting Irish accent. It summed the scenery in this country up perfectly!