Day 41: Winter in July

I'm as close to Antarctica as I think I ever want to be.

That's not true. If I get the opportunity to go to Antarctica, I'd take it. How could I miss out on that? As of a week ago Antarctica and Africa are now the only two continents I haven't been on.

This morning I left Sydney and landed in Queenstown, New Zealand. Queenstown is on the southern of the two islands and is on the west coast. I was blown away by the view as the plane flew over the mountainous white caps that stand between Queenstown and the ocean.

I knew it was Winter here, but since Sydney was basically sweatshirt weather I thought it would be similar. New Zealand is much colder. Technically it's only twenty degrees or so colder, making it about forty degrees, but that is way colder than my body is used to, especially when the calendar says July.

But I bundled up with my sweatshirt and hat, and I made it through. Tomorrow I will also wear my flannel as another layer of warmth.

From the airport I took a shuttle to my hostel. The driver was a friendly guy who had only been living in Queenstown for a few weeks. He shared what information he could, which was surprisingly a lot. I guess he's a fast learner. According to him this is the last rush of winter for Queenstown. They just got some snow on the mountains that will likely be the last of it, so a lot of people are coming down to go skiing.

I've got other things on my mind though.

Tomorrow I catch a bus out to Franz Josef, which is a famous west coast glacier. I'm not really sure what to expect, but the bus ride is supposed to be really great, with several stops along the way. I'm really excited, and I can't wait to write about it so you can know what it's all about.

Anyway, I got a little sidetracked. My hostel is right on the shore of Lake Wakatipu, which is bordered on the opposite side by beautiful snow topped mountains. After checking in I walked down to the lake to get a good view before the sun set. The shore had plenty of great skipping stones that I took full advantage of, a very relaxing activity, the perfect way to settle into New Zealand. I walked along the lake for a little while before the cold drove me back inside for a desperately needed hot shower.

I rested a little after my shower, not wanting to go outside to let my wet hair freeze in the cold air. But eventually I walked into town for some dinner. I found an Italian restaurant that might have been a little expensive, but I had to celebrate my first night in New Zealand somehow.

On the way back I stopped at a convenience store to stock up on some snacks for the bus ride tomorrow. I find it's always better to have food than to not, especially since I don't know what kind of food the bus will offer.

I am very excited to be in New Zealand, this has been the part of the trip I have been looking forward to the most. So much still lies ahead, I can't wait to experience it.

Thanks for reading and here's to tomorrow.