Queenstown

Trip to Queenstown

We sleep in and get a late start from Te Anau. It is about a two hour drive to Queenstown. It is cool and overcast.

We make a scenic lookout stop at the Devil’s Staircase. It is a pretty view but I can’t figure out why they call it the Devil’s Staircase for the life of me.

Queenstown is a really lovely small town in the mountains, perched at the side of a lake. Many scenes from Lord of the Rings were filmed in the area.

Queenstown Gardens

Our first stop is Queenstown Gardens. A pretty park at the side of the lake with a nice cafe, rose gardens, duck pond and walkways.

Cool Washrooms

Next to the park on the waterfront is a very cool electronic public washroom. You wait for the light to turn green, the doors open and you walk into your stall. When you get in, the speaker tells you to press the button to lock the door and you are advised that you have a maximum of 10 minutes to do your business and then relaxing classical music comes on. When you are done they tell you that the toilet will automatically flush when you put your hands under the faucet to wash. Very civilized.

After lunch, John and I want to do different things so John takes the gondola up the mountain and I go to the Kiwi Bird Park.

John’s Skyline Gondola Trip

The Skyline Gondola starts right in Queenstown, conveniently located by the Kiwi Bird Park. Each gondola takes 10 people and quickly whisks you to the top. From the summit it’s a great view of Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu.

Kimberly’s Kiwi Bird Park Visit

This park is themed around endangered New Zealand species and they are very cognizant about not stressing the animals.

I learn alot at the kiwi encounter.

Kiwis are nocturnal so the kiwi house is dark inside with only a dim light. Some interesting facts are that kiwis are the only birds that have their nostrils at the end of their beaks. They also are territorial so all the kiwis have separate enclosures.

One horrifying fact is that the kiwi mother birds lay eggs that are equivalent to 20% of their body size. For us, that would be like giving birth to a four year old. After the mother lays the egg, her job is over and the father sits on it. A mother lays on average of about 100 eggs in her lifetime. Yikes.

Kiwis are endangered because of non-native rats, stouts and possums which were introduced to New Zealand. These invasive species have put many native birds and animal species into danger and New Zealand is trying to get rid of them.

I see a lot of native species at the park but I am most excited to get close to the Kea. The world’s only mountain parrot. This was the bird that I was hoping to see yesterday.

Evening In Queenstown

John and I meet up in town after we finish our activities and head to our Airbnb. We are staying with a lovely couple. Their home is on a hill (mountainside) and we have a walkout to a garden with a gorgeous view of the lake.

We head to supper at a restaurant/pub called 1876 which is in the old town courthouse.