Well, we took off from Queenstown and went to the deer park. You paid by the car to enter and drove all up into the mountains. Funny we were higher there than we were the day before on the gondola. One part was so steep that I got a bit nervous about driving up any higher (steep and close to an edge with no guard rails of course, but then we realized we were at the top. We saw all kinds of deer. You couldn't pet them but they didn't run from you. The bucks were so huge I wouldn't have wanted to get too close in case they weren't friendlies. :) We also saw some goats, now they wanted petted and they came running when the car stopped. We didn't buy any food, so they quickly became unenchanted with us. At the very top there was an old movie set. It was a oriental looking prison from a movie back in the 90s. I'll try and think of the name of it. It was sort of overgrown and was falling in a bit. - The view from the top was just something. Not a cloud in the sky but a bit hazy. Still...remarkable. - On the way down (much easier by the way) we came across some donkies, bison, and other cute creatures that would stick their heads in the windows if they were rolled down. It was an hour of fun and very scenic.
We then went on toward our destination of Manapouri, but stopped in a little town at the end of the lake called Kingston. Not much there but an old looking train depo and a cafe. We got some lunch there togo because as luck would have it they were having some kind of parasailing competition going on. Music and a dude on the microphone telling the crowd who was coming down and the tricks they were doing. First of all, the crowd was about 30 people maybe. Hippies and such. :) We had our lunch while sitting on the edge of the beach and watched the parasailers come down. I call them that...they aren't hand gliders, they are the canopy type like the boats pull you off the coast of Florida. Only here no boats, just crazy guys jumping off a giant mountain. - We finished our food and watched one more guy come down then got back in the car to venture on. We still had about an hour and a half to go. When we got to Manapouri we drove thru the town in about 1 minute (Elkville size except for giant mountains and a breathtaking lake) so we turned around and went back to find our B&B. It is a newer place and the rooms are very large. Janice let us do our laundry but we had to hang them dry. They were close to dry when we left but are finishing up in the room over chairs. :) We drove to the next town for supper which was called Te Anau. Pronounced like tea a now. We went to the Real Journies office to see if we could cancel our overnight cruise. Yes, I know. It was cancelled but then we got in the next night. Janice sort of talked us out of it. She said she didn't really think it was worth it. Plus all the way here we were deciding if to try to change our flight out of Christchurch and fly out of Queenstown up to Auckland. So if we cancelled our overnight, that would free us up for other options. So when we went to the office, they let us cancel because they had originally booted us off and we re-booked for only a 2 hour cruise on a smaller boat. Even the girl there said we'd see as much on it as we would on the other. So we made if for 3:30 so we could take our time going up. Everyone says it's just something else. Also there are lots of photo ops along the way and waterfalls, lakes, short walks, etc. that we'll do on the way up. Breakfast is at 8. So that will give us lots of time. Either way, we'll stay here again tomorrow night.
Dinner in Te Anau was great. Guy had the Venison with a twice baked sweet potato and I had the Pork Belly. Wanted to try something different. Our server loved the pork belly because "they leave the skin on and it begins to crackle". Ok, so how do you pass up a description like that? So I got it an it was excellent. It had a wonderful crunchy outside just like she said. It came with roasted pumpkin and sweet potato salad that was great. I ordered the flourless chocolate cake and it was excellent. When we left the restaurant it was about 9:10pm and still had some daylight. That is nice.
Well I better get to bed. Long day tomorrow. Should be spectacular. I have no pictures today because right now I'm on the guest computer. Janice gave me the password to the internet, but it isn't working. So I'll try to figure that out tomorrow. Nothing too great except a Donkey trying to kiss Guy thru the car window. Oh, and a shot from our room looking out so you could see the view we have from this B&B. I'm running out of words! Great, fabulous, gorgeous, breath taking, wonderful. None of them really do it justice, nor do the pictures.
Oh, Amanda...tonight the restaurant we ate at had the LOTR's cast there when they here shooting. They signed autographs on a shirt, but Viggo wasn't there apparently. But Frodo and Pippin and Sean Austin. :) Wish you were here to see the scenery and wish Steve was here to shoot something big. :) XOXOXOX