Oh the joys of not having to pack and unpack again! That’s probably the worst part about any itinerary that has you staying just one night at each location. The guest house that we’re staying at in Queenstown has the most extraordinary views over Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables and the couple who run it are delightful. Indeed, the whole B&B ‘experiment’ has been a resounding success to date as the accommodations chosen have been almost perfect in every way — in terms of location, quality, comfort, hospitality and of course the owners themselves. Queenstown is no different with a beautiful breakfast each morning that sets you up for the day and the pleasure (and convenience) of getting your dirty laundry cleaned. All the accommodation that I am staying at in New Zealand was booked through a New Zealand-based company called Bookin. Their website is www.bookin.co.nz and is run by a delightful husband and wide team of Pam and Forde Clarke. They can also be contacted on 0064 3312 0951.
Today I did the Shotover Canyon jet boat ride which has got to be the best of the jet boat experiences to be had in the Queenstown area if not in the whole of New Zealand. I also did a bungee jump at AJ Hacketts just outside Queenstown at the Kawarau Bridge (see www.bungy.co.nz). It wasn’t the first bungee jump that I’ve done as I’ve previously undertaken jumps in both Thailand and South Africa. Nor was it the highest — that accolade goes to the Bloukrans at 216 metres, officially the highest commercially operated bungy jump in the world, as recognised by the Guinness Book of Records (www.faceadrenalin.com). The significance of AJ Hacketts is that it was the site of the first-ever bungy jump so could be characterized as being the spiritual home of bungy!
