A Proper Winter

As the UK basks in the heatwave, Sarah and I have been suffering for a very different reason. The winter in Auckland isn't cold enough - how miserable is that?! I've introduced several blog entries with a dubious reason for a trip away, and this one's no different. To cure winter homesickness we needed some proper cold, days of skiing, mulled wine and lots of good food. Five days in Queenstown were prescribed.

It worked. Here are the highlights!

Jumping on the early morning flight from Auckland, we were out the door of Queenstown Airport in less than two hours and soon exploring the lake shores. Last time we were here was the middle of Summer and roasting. A wee bit different this time round...

Lake Wakatipu with The Remarkables behind

Before we came across sporting gold, and a good replacement for our favourite summer campsite game (frisbee beer hoopla) it's frisbee golf! With 18 holes and some of the drives over 150m it kept us occupied for a while. Especially Sarah.

Teeing off

For par!

All with the most amazing view in the background...

The Remarkables (skiing on Day 2!)

After getting pretty cold and tired, it was time to head to our accommodation. Not the best place we've ever stayed, but not that bad - Pinewood Lodge had a bit of a party reputation and our bedroom backed onto the biggest communal kitchen on site. So we woke up to kitchen carnage every morning... warmly reminiscent of Goodricke C Block!

It's what radiators are for, right?

Day 2 starts, I excitedly jump out of bed for our first day of skiing! Fitted for our boots, skis and the like the previous day, we hobble on down to the bus stop and catch the mother of all bus/trucks to the top of the mountains, snaking our way up through the snow. I've not been skiing since I was 14 (just a bit of snowboarding since then) and it was Sarah's first ever time. So we hit the beginners slopes and magic carpets to begin with.  Check out the view!

Sarah learning on Coronet Peak

The views were stunning, and the weather perfect, but bloody cold!

The view from Coronet towards the Remarkables

After a morning together going through the basics, I soon had my snow feet back so upgraded my pass at lunch to a Big Boys ski lift pass. No more magic carpets for me, heading up the peaks looking for more amazing views into the Southern Alps. I decided to stay on piste for now though... The runs were incredible, with fresh powder all the way down. Happy times!

Maybe tomorrow...

Meanwhile Sarah had a lesson with a pro, who taught the key skill of how to stop and slow down. This one's a speed demon.

4 intact limbs? Check.

And what do you do after skiing? Apres ski. Funny that, isn't it? TO THE PUB!

The beer wench

And cheese fondue of course...

Who loves cheese?

After a beer, cheese and ski exhaustion coma - we were up and off to the Remarkables on an even crazier bus-truck to the top of the mountains. Equally stunning weather, wide and empty slopes and views that beat the previous day:

Now she's getting the hang of it!

And here are those views:

Love it.

But the days go too quickly and the sun soon sets on the slopes...

Colours on the Alps

But hey - back on the apres ski again. Sarah had a craving for mulled wine, didn't take us long to sniff some out...

Cheers ears

Day 4. Wake up. More skiing. Loving the routine. But where's the sun gone? And how come on the chairlift I can't even see the chair in front of me? Minor details to the kiwis and the slopes stay open. Whilst Sarah snowploughed the easier slopes into flatness, I popped on to the top of the mountain to find out what -14degC looks like.

This is what -14 looks like.

After nearly going off the side of the piste several times, and managing to come to a stop whilst going straight down a slope due to the gusts of headwind - it was time to call it a day and head out for our final night (after finishing our drinks cabinet we stocked on the first night, of course!)

happy days

And we'd saved the Queenstown legend of FergBurger until last, man it didn't disappoint. Huge, meaty and juicy. Yum. I plumped for the Big Al, of course!

A big burger for a little lady

And that was the end of our trip! Such a different adventure to the last time we were in Queenstown, but so much fun. I'm sure we'll see you again soon QT!

Heading back to warmer climes