Finally in the gym doing some proper exercise! Oh my, this is the first time back since I left for Queenstown. Seriously people, that's not a healthy example, so please do not follow. Always try to schedule some time out of ur schedule to get physical- eh hm- I mean the gym! Hm, n I just noticed they've painted the walls green in here. Not a bad color to be surrounded in during my daily keepfits- actually has a calming effect.
So anyways, it's about time to recap my trip to Queenstown before the paradise slips deep into my memories. Trust me, after work begins, all that feels like a far away dream. I do have to say though, prior to going, I didn't really have any expectations for New Zealand in general. People tell tales of their beautiful scenery n relaxing atmosphere- all of which I stubbornly insisted Vancouver would prove to top. Except, now I'm not too sure anymore. Queenstown was actually a fantabulous place, despite the fact that I was there for work. Nonetheless, even with a hectic meeting schedule spanning over a week long, I still managed to catch every opportunity to soak myself in all that Queenstown had to offer: breath-taking landscape that looked like a magnificant painting, friendly locals with never-ending hospitality spirit, n crazy outdoor experiences all at the palm of ur hands should u wish to take them. I do hope I'm at least tempting some of u to pay a visit now, because I guarantee u, if u just open ur heart to full disconnection from the rest of the world (yes, due to resort wifi connection problems, I was forced at first, then took it as faith to enjoy all of this alone), u'll understand what I mean. Plus, it was good chance to spend more time with me.
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From the moment I looked out the window from my seat, I could feel my heart lighten a little as the clouds floated past, revealing greens n blues of the real deal. When I say that, I'm not kidding. The blue of the water just glows! (If u don't believe me, check out the photo below). According to my sister, this is because NZ's the youngest land to rise. Not sure how much truth that holds, but it does make sense n my sis' quite the nerd when it comes to traveling n going places, so we'll take her word for it. Actually, I was lucky because the sunshine came when I arrived- take that! To those people who says I bring shytee weather wherever I visit :P
(Bluer than blue!!)
Just looking at the airport, you could tell this is a very tiny town. Actually, that crossed my mind when I found out- after missing my flight yesterday- that there was only one flight a day from Sydney to Queenstown. Genius. Probably because the airport can't handle the too many arrivals at once, which limits the number of flights from everywhere. Oh wells, I made it eventually despite arriving a whole day late. Luckily, I ran into a senior member n was able to hitch a ride to the hotel with his pick-up. Sweet-as :) On our way to our resort, I couldn't take my eyes off the beautiful scenery just outside of my window. Actually, it looked so unreal that it felt like it came out of a drawing or some animated world, but I'm sure at this point, I've already made it clear that it was a fairytale land there.
So anyway, we drove into the Hilton Resort where most of us stayed at the Kawarau Hotel (boutique hotel managed by Hilton). I gotta tell u, the rooms were fantabulously chique! It wasn't a spacious area, but the way the room was set up, it was so cosy n homey. The best part: a mini full set kitchen all to myself! Of course, the first thought that came to mind was, "I'm gonna cook tomorrow night!" n what I could make. Pasta, creamy soup, risotto...just think of all the possibilities! Except, I didn't really consider the fact that we were quite a distance from the "city", n with only one local deli that didn't carry much more than fresh sandwiches, pasta sauce n dried pasta, I think the only option would be pasta. At that point, even pasta made me so very excited because I haven't had the chance to cook since I've moved to Malaysia (my kitchen in my suit...is just pitifully tiny, I wouldn't even call it a kitchen. So, as you could probably imagine, I was ecstatic). But, this dream never came true during this trip as I had been either out at events or working till late. Though, I did stumble upon a private pasta party on the second last day n got a chance to use A kitchen, even if it wasn't mine. I still had a blast! (Now I miss cooking sessions with an old friend of mine- especially our green fries n lasagna *drool*). What I'm trying to say is, even though it's quite isolated, it's a place that has much to offer!
(Adorable kitchen!! But no time to cook :( )
Oh yah, there's always the option to take a half an hour water taxi into town for about NZD15 one-way or NZD20 for round-trip. A ride with an awesome view, but don't let the sunshine trick u- the temperature does drop quite drastically, so definitely bring a jacket anyway. Downtown...was really only a couple of streets, a tight knit collection of stores. Surprisingly, they had a LV (must be one of the tiniest ones I've seen). Always look around if you plan to get any wool products because there are literally tons. I'm not an expert on the different types but I did pick up a few for my family- I think they're Merino? Very comfy n very warm indeed. At night, there are a number of places to go too. For us, we decided to hit the Cowboy Bad that a couple of the guys visited previous nights. It was like walking into cowboy town n everyone actually dresses up to go there. I even tried riding the mechanical bull...hm, let's just say it wasn't a pretty scene n never to be replayed, ever. But, I won't lie. Even if I did land on my bottoms, it was quite challenging n I wouldn't mind trying it again :P
The week was basically work-oriented- sitting in on meetings n finishing up minutes. So we'll skip over all that "yawn". Aside from my daily dose- or probably overdose- of stress, I did take the chance to enjoy my stay in Queenstown. Luckily, we had a very entertaining host, so every night was filled with gatherings n excursions. A Maori Warrior dance was set up right in the backyard of the hotel, n let's just say, for a dance that could represent a number of things from war to love, it's a quaint n maybe kinda sweet tradition (I mean, I can't really imagine someone doing the Maori Warrior dance trying to prove his love to me, or expect me to fight them after. But, the chant's famous, especially after The All Blacks celebraciously performed it countless times at their matches). Anyway, just check it out if u get a chance. For the president's function, we cruised to the Walter Peak High Country Farm for dinner n watched live sheep-herding n shearing performances. They had this adorable 5 day-old lamb, n it was just so cuddly n cute! (u can tell how much I wanted to take it home *evil planning*). On our way back, we had the perfect view of The Remarkables (unequivocal mountain range not to be missed) at dawn- just magnificent! With the cool breeze blowing through my hair n the sunset lightly sprinkling at the edge of the world- there's really nothing that could compare to that peace of mind. Even now as I write about it, I could dimly remember that calmness...*sigh*
(our stay for the week!)
On the other end of relaxation, there was complete over-the-top excitement: AJ Hackett Bungy. It's the birthplace of bungy, structured perfectly over the Kawarau river where Lord of the Rings were filmed at some point. Honestly, I thought I'd chicken out, but if you could just see the view from the ledge of the jumping board- it made me forget about all those worries. Now, don't get me wrong. I wasn't that brave, but the fact that the staff slowly pushed my towel-bounded feet forward to the edge...I don't think I had a choice either. So, off I went. It was such an exhilarating feeling, like my body was trying to catch up with my heart that had leaped ahead. Definitely a feeling of accomplishment, n if there was one thing I regret, it was that my "dive" was horribly done. I do aim to jump more "gracefully" next time. Side note: some of u will probably feel a massive headache or discomfort after, but it's quite temporary. I survived, so i'm sure u will too. Plus, it was so worth it! I mean, if ur already in Queenstown, u'd be silly not to do it. At least that's what I told myself n so well done I did. World-class! *inside joke that caught on like fire for no apparent reason n now everyone says it for almost everything*
(I smile...even at situations like these)
For the light-hearted individuals, I would recommend going up the Skyline Gondola and spending half a day up at the mountains. They offer a few luge runs from the top of the mountain to the middle, all at the control of the driver to slowly roll down while enjoying the view or quickly race through for a mild excitement. Trails were also available for the explorers-at-heart to walk around n soak up the wonderful environment. I believe u can do their bike trails too, but not too certain about that. It does look fun though. So if ur into biking n ur in Queenstown, why not? Actually, if ur already in Queenstown, u should try as many things as possible because some people would FLY there just to do it. (Side note: In fact, the 22 year-old cute-but-too-young guy that sat next to me on flight there was going to Queenstown just to Skydive. He's a diving expert having done over 300 jumps. Can u just imagine that?! Ah, I so wanted to ask him to take me, but nope, work first). Though, given the opportunity, there's no reason to back down. U don't want to go home regretting that u didn't try this or do that, because just the travel to NZ was a pain in the bottoms...hence, make it count!
Overall, it was a great experience n I'd totally recommend people to visit when they can. It was a little odd- upside down, rather- that I was going there for work. Nonetheless, I did make use of all my free time to enjoy as much as I can there. Next time, I'm gonna try skydiving! Can't wait...until next time :)
