Queenstown, New Zealand

Update: The coolest destination I have ever visited is no longer Tunnel Beach. On January, 18 2019 we arrived in Queenstown, New Zealand. We had been immersed, rather introduced, to two vastly different cities of New Zealand as we traveled through Auckland and Dunedin. Queenstown did not deviate from this fact. Every single native of the country had told us we would love Queenstown in the numerous small talk conversations held in elevators over the past two weeks. They were far from wrong. Arriving in the action sports capital of the world and reaching our accommodation at the Pinewood Lodge delivered to myself and peers nothing but awe. Surrounded by mountains, it suddenly felt as if we were in another country. Moreover, walking into town made it feel like we were strolling the streets of our country in a Colorado ski town. Outdoor clothing stores were dispersed along sidewalks, but more obviously prominent were the adventure stores offering nearly any action sport experience you could conjure up. They seemed to be on every corner with a chalk board listing the activity and price sitting right outside their door. It was hard to avoid the opportunities and even harder to decided which activities to take part in. Finally, I was convinced to bungy jump and again influenced to upgrade to the “big boy” jump….

I nearly puked on the bus ride there and was a bit shaky as I stepped up to the platform. The jump was 134 meters (roughly 440 feet or 40 stories) above a river lying at the bottom of a valley. We trolleyed out to a “pod” suspended by three wires where we were then set up to finally bungy. Standing there waiting while watching others was both comforting and terrifying. The wind caused us to sway slightly which was definitely not fun. However, when it came time to put my toes over that edge my mind went blank, all I heard was a “5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Bungy!”, and there I went. I tried to scream something I will not put into words on paper and recall a whisper only I could hear. It was the most adrenaline I have ever felt pump through my veins and by far the most invigorating experience of my entire life. I understood why people left their lives elsewhere and moved to Queenstown.

The next day I went canyoning with another group of friends that unfortunately paled in comparison to bungy jumping but stepping back and ignoring that perspective it was still surreal. Zip lining, jumping off cliffs, and slipping down rock slides into freezing cold water was one way to wake up after a fun night downtown. The views were incredible and our guides were crazy men jumping off cliffs I would estimate to be 20 feet up into water around 2 feet deep. Shortly after, I was walking through a park with some friends to have paragliders land just feet in front of us with absolutely no one in the park acknowledging how absurd this was except for us. It truly spoke to the nature of that city and the lifestyles the residents embrace. Going back is definitely on the bucket list.

Blog Entry 10: Queenstown