Queenstown, New Zealand

 

New Zealand was not inhabited by humans until about 700 years ago when the Māori people arrived by canoes from Polynesia in waves over several hundred years. The first European to visit the region of Queenstown was Nathaniel Chalmers in 1853, guided by the chief of the Tuturau. It was around 1860 that the Brits determined that New Zealand would be a favorable addition to the British Empire. The Māori mined jade for its beauty and it usefulness in making tools. They considered the soft yellow metal they also found to be useless. However, the Brits realized that there was gold in them thar hills, and the rush was on.

Queenstown is on Lake Wakatipu, the third largest lake in New Zealand. The economy relies heavily on tourists like us during the summer with recreational activities involving the mountains, wilderness, lakes, rivers, and nearby sounds, fiords, and the ocean to the east, south and west.

Then there is the crazy stuff that puts Queenstown on the map. Although the first recorded bungee jump was made from the Clifton suspension bridge in Bristol, England, the first commercial bungee jumping operation began in Queenstown.

We passed.

And then there are the people who jump off high cliffs and out of perfectly good airplanes.

We passed.

In the winter, the mountains provide the best runs in New Zealand for skiing and snowboarding.

https://www.queenstownnz.co.nz/stories/post/home-of-big-country-queenstowns-ski-touring-and-splitboarding/

It is currently summer in the southern hemisphere. We passed.

We did not pass on a wonderful trip to Milford Sound, and a nice hike in the wilderness. That follows.