I woke up even earlier today to greet the sunrise. It was amazing - the pink over the lake and the mountain was like cotton candy. It was too early to swing so I brought my coffee and my Kindle into the common area to read for a while. When it was an appropriate time to go back to the RV, we gathered all of the cereal and yogurt and made our way back down to the common area to get a break from the RV.
We had what could have been an hour drive to Queenstown that day, but the RV rental place told us not to go through the mountains so we took the long way around that added 40 minutes or so. Lucky for us, because this was the first time we got gas station meat pie. Oh goodness, I'm glad these little pockets of love aren't a thing in the states. I would be 900 pounds. We made a few pit stops along the way to pull over for water features and other views.
We got to Queenstown a little before lunch and pulled into the Queenstown Lakeview Holiday Park to get settled for the next few days. We wandered into town which again was super cute - larger and more bustling than Wanaka but still quaint in its own way. My friend, Jay, had suggested we eat at Ivy & Lola's so we headed that way and got a table right on the harbor for a light lunch since we were all pretty full on meat pies. I had a veggie soup and the boys had seafood chowder while Emily munched on a cheese and chutney platter. We also sipped on both spike hot chocolate and spiked cider - purely to keep warm on this crisp afternoon.
We wandered a little more before heading back to the Holiday Park to book a few things for tomorrow. Andrew and I decided on a ski day in Cordrova while Emily and Jason opted for a wine tour. Then for no reason at all, we went and took naps until 5PM or so.
Our next adventure was right around the corner - literally. After a 5 minute walk or so, we were at the base of the Skyline Queenstown which is a gondola ride up to the top of Bob's Peak. The Skyline is known to be the steepest cablecar lift in the Southern Hemisphere! We made our way up around sunset and even though it was a bit overcast, the view from the lookout over Queenstown was still magnificent. We weren't staying for dinner, but we did grab a drink at the bar while continuing to take in the views of the city.
It was dark once we got back down the peak but it was still a short walk to dinner at the beloved Fergberger. This joint is open 21 hours a day and has a line out the door most of those hours. The line move far quicker than the wait for the burger so you spend a lot of time challenging others duals at first come first serve emptying tables and staring at the menu wondering which burger you will get next time you come.
I went with the "Little Lamby" and then the 4 of us split and order of onion rings and fries. I don't know if I was starving or if everyone recommendation got me hyped up - but this burger was amazing and well worth the wait. I couldn't leave any food behind and ended up wandering the streets for a bit continuing to eat fries.
Needing to walk off some burgers, we wandered the streets for a smidge. Emily and Jason had already made their rounds so they went and grabbed a drink while Andrew and I weaved up and down all of the little streets checking out the shops, bars and restaurants. I could definitely spend a little more time here if the schedule allowed. While wandering, we stumbled upon a man singing and playing the guitar -- with his big sheep dog howling along. I plopped myself down on the closest bench and listened to dog and owner sing Bob Dylan's "Knocking On Heaven's Door". Priceless.
We continued to wander aimlessly until finally finding Emily and Jason at a cool bar called Surreal. We sat a while as they finished their wine and then walked home to shower and do laundry. Andrew and I had to get all of our ski gear ready since we had a pretty early shuttle coming to get us in the morning.
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