Supermarket is closed - doh! (Queenstown)

Other than the fact that I'm hungry, today was fantastic! I took a bus trip from Christchurch to Queenstown, with a stop at Mt. Cook. Here's a map:

A quick rundown of where we stopped along the way...

Lake Tekapo. Really pretty stop along the way. The next lake was much nicer, so I won't post any photos, but on the way, we passed some vineyards - fun fun, haha. However, the guide explained that rose bushes were planted next to each row of grapes - this way, winemakers can use them as a gauge: if something goes wrong with the rose bushes, they can try to confine it and figure out what's wrong before whatever it is affects the grapes. Interesting! We also saw these crazy irrigation systems that don't require anyone to actually man them - they are all "run from the comfort of the farmer's home, through his computer." CRAZY! Even farming has been taken over by technology...



Lake Tekapo is also in the McKinsey Region, which was founded by John McKinsey, who had a dog named Friday. They would actually steal the local farmers stock (like cows and sheep), and then sell them back to them the next day! Um... and why is this area named after him? Confused...

I will post this, though, for Katie Noonan. Found in the parking lot of Lake Tekapo was none other than...

Lake Pookakey. Okay I'm kidding - it's spelled Pukaki, whatever. The color of this lake is amazing because it's right on the cusp of the Tasman Glacier, so it's a really turquoise color. Don't mind the offcentered, crookedness - it's the best I could do from a moving bus, haha!

Mt. Cook. The Maori name of this mountain is "Aoraki" or "Cloud Piercer." Hence this next picture...

Despite not seeing much of Mt. Cook, the highlights of this stop were A. learning that one of the mountains which I could see actually used as the base of Minas Tirith - who needs Mt. Cook when Gandalf rode here - and B. the fact that an ABBA megamix was playing in the gift shop - yes, Phil, Kiwis like ABBA. Does this make you like the country at all?

Oh, btw, in case you haven't gotten my xmas present yet... just a suggestion, haha! I was going to buy this, but I don't want to carry it around:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YZBNABQ8L._SS500_.jpg

Holy crap - I just googled it and it's ridiculously priced! I'll just buy it here, nevermind...

Cromwell. Last stop of the day was Cromwell, home of dried food and fresh fruit. Not really interesting at all, but yummy! I met the only Kiwi who wasn't in the best mood ever - then again, I wouldn't be too happy if it kept freezing overnight and my orchard is suffering... she kinda barked at me when I asked her what kind of dried fruit I was sampling, whoops... Sorry?



Funny sidenote - the couple behind me, I think they were British? Not sure... They couldn't spell skiing - it was hilarious. "S K... Y... ING. Yes, that has to be it. There can't be TWO "i"s together... I was dying inside. I don't know why it struck me as so funny.

I think it has to do with the fact that I'm kinda lonely? I haven't really laughed since I was with Whitney, and it's funny how you notice these things when you travel alone. Overall, I really like it, but it can get lonely sometimes. I met a really cool girl named Laura, and we had a good time in Mt. Cook, but it's not like having Katie or Andrea around making me pee all the time... haha!

Queenstown. We finally got to Queenstown, and I'm staying at Bumbles Backpackers - right on the lake! Absolutely fantastic view outside of my room - literally on the lake, crazy! I met my roommates, and they seem nice - one guy works at the hostel, one guy is from Brazil and is just here " to drink tonight before going to work tomorrow morning" - um, okay? And then there's a couple from London who just graduated "University" - adorable.

Another thing I noticed along the way - until we got to Queenstown, I hadn't seen one airplane. Granted I wasn't really looking, but I was looking at the landscapes all day, so I would have noticed one I think. This place is unreal - untouched is the best word. Apparently, a huge percentage of the land here is protected by the government, and no one can actually even WALK on it, let alone settle on it. We would drive for hours and see very sparse farms or towns - between them, nothing but the most phenomenal landscapes I've ever seen.

Mecca. Also known as the Lord of the Rings Store - yes, there is a whole store devoted to it - stop laughing. I spent a good 45 minutes in there, just looking at all the goodies. Most of it was figures and collectibles which I wouldn't really buy, but it was really amazing to look at. I did, however, buy a few things for myself: an elven ring and necklace - I'm a sucker, I know. I figure this would be my one splurge while I'm here, haha! This place was really awesome.

Queenstown Gondola. Beautiful! Queenstown definitely wins in my book - Christchurch is pretty, but this was fantastic. The Remarkables is the mountain range that faces Queenstown, and you might recognize them from several LOTR scenes (okay, maybe just Stephanie and I...) - right in front of them is Deer Park Heights, also home to LOTR scenery. LOTR or not, I think everyone can appreciate how beautiful this is...

And with that, I'm heading back to Bumbles, hopefully with something to nosh on before heading to sleep!