Queenstown - you can also have fun

Maybe I just need to embrace the city - that was a thought that crossed my mind yesterday during the boat tour. I don't have to start jumping off every bridge and getting drunk on cocktails right away - but...

After all, it's Queenstown, the city has the reputation of sucking people's money out of their pockets, so why not?

So I did it - I bought a discounted entry to one of the two ice bars in Queenstown on bookme as a good start.
And when I say 'ice bar', I mean literally a bar made of ice. The room is cooled down to about -5 to -10 degrees Celsius and everything is made of... ice: the bar, tables, chairs, glasses and even a billiard table.
The bar wasn't huge, more like a storage room, but I think the concept is brilliant.
If you want to go out and party with a group of friends in Queenstown, an ice bar is a must.
The price even included a cocktail and I had the house cocktail made for me - Below Zero. Something with grapefruit and vodka, don't ask me.
Slightly tipsy (I can't handle anything anymore!), I then went to various restaurants and treated myself.
I spent a lot of money, but that was planned.

The next morning it was already too early for my taste. I found out that I can upload the blog post best in the morning using the public WiFi, when there are no other people on the streets. The things you do as a blogger... ;)

After that, I booked an adventure activity that I looked down on. If I'm going to spend money, I'll do it right.
But not bungee jumping or skydiving, but canyoning!
To be honest, I had never heard of it before and didn't really have a plan of what to expect. It just sounded cool and interesting and I wanted to try it.
For a start, the four-hour tour was enough, no need to go overboard.

In the morning, our wonderful guide drove us half an hour from Queenstown to Gibbon Valley. The other 6 passengers had just as much (=no) prior knowledge, which reassured me.
When we arrived at the parking lot, we had to put on the wet suits, which was exhausting enough.

And then the fun began.
As the name suggests and as the description also states, the aim of canyoning is to make your way through a canyon.
And a canyon usually consists of a raging river, rugged cliffs and rocks, and various waterfalls.
And so we had to climb, wade through chest-deep water, swim in currents, and abseil down waterfalls.

It's so much fun!

If you only read about it, it might sound boring, but the 2 hours in the canyon went by too quickly and yet I haven't had this much fun in a long time!
I think I've found my new hobby...
Of course, we were always secured, well, at least most of the time. Our guide helped everyone and secured us additionally while abseiling.
Forget bungee jumping or skydiving - I'm going canyoning!

Simply brilliant.

Actually, I planned to relax and pack in the afternoon, but then I remembered that I hadn't been to Queenstown Hill yet. I somehow forgot...
So I dragged myself up there again and it wasn't really fun. My calves are killing me and the view compared to Ben Lomond View wasn't even particularly impressive...
Well, I made it to the top.

After that, I took it easy and in the end I still had to pack.

My three days in Queenstown went by very quickly and now that I've made peace with the city, I find so many things I could do...
But my path leads me further into the Fjordland, fewer people, more nature, just the way I like it :)