NZ - Queenstown & Paradise

Queenstown is the thrill seekers destination, a cute town that is made up of 80% tourists, with a constant hum of jet boats doing 360 turns on the Shotover and Kawarau rivers. The Skyline gondola offers amazing view of the surrounding mountains - a range called The Remarkables - the backdrop of the Queenstown sky line.

We had a lot of fun on a jet boat and rafting trip. Sadly we didn't get any photos as we couldn't take cameras, even the GroPro was banned, so have plopped in some stock photos to give a taste of the fun. The tour included jumping in the water to bob down a rapid freestyle, sitting at the bow of the boat, and a canyon jump.

Walks included the Shotover Delta and a circuit of the stunning Lake Hayes. I should have called up Wakatipu Rowing Club for a cheeky outing as it was the perfect day for a row on the lake.

We took the scenic route along Lake Wakatipu to Paradise, north of Glenorchy, home of the 'Paradise Trust'. A former 128-hectare farm estate built in 1883, Paradise Trust has stunning views of the Dart River and Mount Earnshaw glacier. It offers basic accommodation and a beautiful outdoor wedding venue (and a friendly wee dog called Rosie). We found out about the Paradise Trust from my rowing friend, Kerri, who was married there a few years ago. Our accommodation was Dart Hut (no electricity, long drop toilet and outside kitchen) and had the best views of all.