This morning, we started out for our activity at 8:15am, the latest of any of the days we have been here so far.
On Tuesday we left at 6am to make it for our Milford Sound cruise at 10:30 and left the apartment at 4:45 Wednesday morning to get to our Franz Josef Glacier hike. It was so nice to sleep in today!
We arrived at the Queenstown Rafting start point to get our wetsuits, booties, dry-gear, oars and life vests before taking a 45-minute bus ride up and over a mountain to the drop-off point to begin our rafting trip down the Shotover.
The journey to the point was on a mountain road cut out by gold miners way way back when gold was being mined out of this area, probably over a hundreds years back or so. The road was dirt the majority of the way and just wide enough for one car, or in our case a bus. If oncoming traffic was present, someone had to back up to a point along the steep mountain cliff to where the other could pass. If you have a fear of heights, you should sleep on the bus. Otherwise, this road may cause you to pass out from fear, especially if you look out the windows and down!
Our float down the Shotover lasted around 2 hours. It was a really fun rafting trip and no one from our boat went overboard. However, one woman from the Kuwahara boat did go overboard; an woman from New York who had rafted one other time many years ago. I guess rafting is not like riding a bike?
The rafting driver for our boat, luckily, had learned a little Japanese while doing rafting tours in Australia. He did a great job telling everyone what to do in nihongo! His name is Tom! For those Japanese reading this, get him to be your driver and you will go down river without a hitch.
Hats off to Tom and Chris, a 19-year old guy who is learning to be a rafting guide-driver. You guys did a good job today and made the trip very fun for everyone. The conversation was also great.
After rafting, we went on a little drive around the area, found some sheep and a shepherd and his dogs and took some photos. Then we went shopping at our favorite place, Fresh Choice, bought groceries for tonight and tomorrow morning and then took the van back to Hertz.
After that, we went downtown and shopped for omiyage, drank coffee at Starbucks where we met a girl from Toyonaka, Osaka and then came back to our apartment where we are now preparind mussels, vegetables, meats and breads for dinner. Wine and beer to wash it all down!
Tomorrow: Auckland!
