Queenstown is a bit of a tourist trap as it’s the gateway to Fjordland, but that doesn’t make it any less charming. It’s a bit of a cross between some Alpine village (like, say Grindelwald, Chamonix, or even a large Åre.
Climbed Ben Lomond, the largest mountain in the area at 1745 meters (sometimes I think we’re too old for this stuff) then tramped back down in glorious weather for a rewarding gourmet-type meal (me lamb, Pia grouper – I think that’s Marulk in Swedish) with a couple of glasses of Otago’s finest Pinot Noirs to wash it down with. The weather, like the surroundings, is absolutely glorious. Luckily for us it was quite cool and breezy when we started our 8 hour tramp today.
Met a group of middle-aged women (our age) who were really struggling up the mountain as we were coming down. They’d signed up for 2 x long distance walks, around 7 days walking altogether. They found the hardest mountain in the area to climb for a practice run without knowing how hard it was (guidebook said only the very fit should attempt), then filled their rucksacks with books to get the feel of what it’s like to carry all their food. Hmm!
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