A Quiet Day Out

Queenstown this morning very much looked like a town with a hangover. Shop keepers slowly and methodically set out their advertising hoardings and quietly unlocked their doors. There was a subdued silence to the town which, judging by the amount of alcohol consumed last night by its inhabitants, is not surprising. Or perhaps it was the arrival of overcast skies and drizzle that dampened the streets and the mood of those brave enough to venture out. 

We were fortunate to spend the New Years Eve night in a cosy beer cafe slightly away from the gathered masses only to emerge at about 11:45pm in order to see the firework display. It was spectacular with the trails of light mirrored on the surface of the lake. Yes, Queenstown is a place that certainly knows how to throw a party.

And we were a little subdued ourselves this morning. Nothing to do with the alcohol we consumed but purely down to lack of sleep. Honest! So a quiet day was on the cards.... and much needed.

We did nothing more than do a little shopping and wander up a steep hill to take a view back across Queenstown. It was steeper than we thought and left us wondering why we didn't take the gondola from the town up the hill. But the view from the top was certainly worth it - New Zealand certainly knows how to do views, with each stunning view it manages to raise the bar. I presume at some point it's going to let itself down. Just not yet......