Nathan's journal entry: "We were up and around a bit earlier than expected, but that worked well. We walked along the waterfront and over to the rafting company. Once we got suited up at the base camp, we drove out along an old gold mining road. That was beautiful, but the road was patched together in ways that would not be considered adequate in other parts of the world."
Bridge over Shotover River.
Nathan's journal entry: "Rafting was great! The river was beautiful, cold snow melt, and several places along the river were sheer cliffs on both sides. We saw numerous Merino sheep and a few goats along the river. The only downside to the river is that is it littered with all kinds of old gold mining equipment, but that did not detract from the views. There was also a cage on a cable going across the river. It used to be used to move sheep from one side to the other."
Yellow flowers growing all along the river.
Nathan's journal entry: "The rapids went up to a grade 4, but they did not seem that bad. At one point, we lost three people (of seven) from our raft all at once, but the guide was good enough to get us through without much trouble. We had a great time and finished with rafting through a tunnel that was made to divert water away from the main path of the river."
Kristin's journal entry: "This morning we went rafting down the Shotover River. I wasn't so sure about it at first, but the river was shallow and the wet suit kept me warm. I felt like a Hobbit - I loved it! The rapids were so much fun, and we managed not to fall off the raft. Our guide was great. I'd love to do it again."
After rafting, we had to leave Queenstown and headed north to the Cardrona Hotel. We were sad to leave Queenstown. It ended up being our favorite of all of the New Zealand cities that we visited...such a relaxing place!
Nathan's journal entry: "Our afternoon was spent lounging next to the lake and then driving up to Cardrona. I was very apprehensive about driving since I am still getting used to that and some streets are not marked well. But, I did fairly well and am getting much better with signaling for roundabouts."
View from the drive.
Queenstown from a distance.
Hmmm...who said America had sole claim to "purple mountain majesty"?
Nathan gave a thumbs-up to the view!
Kristin's journal entry: "We ate at Fernburger for lunch and then headed to Cardrona. It's a beautiful drive with wonderful views. So far I love the Cardrona Hotel...the room and grounds are wonderful."Yep, the Cardrona Hotel was wonderful. It didn't look like much from the outside, but the inside was a delightful surprise.
Cardrona Hotel from the outside.
Flowers growing in front of the hotel.
This was a pretty awesome old car - it had carpeting on the inside!
Inside our room.
The view from our bedroom window.
Nathan hanging out on a bench.
The flowers outside of our room.
These were the angriest pansies we had ever seen! Grrrr....
Pretty sure these are called lupin...they grew everywhere in New Zealand.
Outdoor fireplace and seating area.
The inside of the hotel was just as fun. We enjoyed hanging out by the fire and reading.
Gold mine shaft in the floor of the hotel.
Where we ate dinner.
Cozy couches by the fire.
The hotel bar.
Nathan's journal entry: "The Cardrona Hotel is beautiful and rustic, so it is excellent if you happen to be passing near here. The food was nothing to write home about, but it was good, and the servings were huge. I almost could not finish dinner. Now if only the drinks were that large..."
Nathan with his teeny-tiny glass of "fizz."
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