20 January 2025

I got up at 7.30 am to have a shower, and nearly fell off the ladder as I tried to negotiate my way down – which probably woke up the other, still sleeping, dorm users (including Pen). That’s if they weren’t already awake from the earlier risers clearing out.

My shower was nice enough, once I worked out what setting to have it on. There were no hot and cold markings, so I had to guess, as well as reduce the power of the shower so it didn’t wet my shoes. The cubicle is good and long and they supply plenty of hooks, which, after previous communal wash facilities, was very much appreciated. But, the lady in the cubicle next door, put her shower onto full power, which must have been lovely for her, but left my legs getting splashed as I tried to stand at the far end of the cubicle and dry them.

Once again we made up our breakfast in the kitchenette on the first floor and then ate on the 4^th/top floor. And watched the paragliders and gondolas as we planned our day.

We decided that the best, most relaxing thing to do, was to store our bags at Lylo and just go down to Lake Wakatipu’s edge and enjoy the view.

I don’t know that we relaxed. There was a bloke singing with his dog howling in accompaniment. The TSS Earnslaw was just getting read to set sail, so we had to get photos of that. There’s a concrete/plaster moa and we had to get photos of it with Kally and Scott, and then a couple came along and offered to take photos with us in it as well.

We also watched some of the watercraft too. Like the “Hydro Attack” team. To quote:

Reaching speeds of 80 kph on the water and 40 kph diving under the water, experience a one-on-one ride with one of our friendly and experienced pilots in our semi-submersible shark.

You’re inside what feels like a cross between a fighter jet and a torpedo. It’s skimming across the top of the lake at 80kph then it dives under the water, surrounding you in serene liquid blue. Next, your pilot points the shark at the sky and it blasts back out again, straight up into the air before shattering the lake into a million crystal shards on a screaming re-entry.

Whatever else you’ve done in the name of extreme excitement, nothing has prepared you for a ride in the shark. Hydro Attack is the world’s first commercial operator of these unique semi-submersible machines so while you’re in Queenstown don’t miss your chance to have a go.

I did want to do that as a slide show, but I couldn’t in a short space of time

As Pen said: “Queenstown: 18 ways to lose your breakfast.”

We bought ourselves some sandwiches from the same bakery we did yesterday (still no Ferg’s Burgers or anything) and headed back to collect our bags. Then we caught the bus to the airport. There we ate our sandwiches and chatted to a couple of sisters from Australia who were out here for the Cold Chisel show.

I’ve brought my D.C. pillow with me (the case has photos of her and the pillow is a comfortable height) strapped to my suitcase, and I had been concerned that I wouldn’t be able to take it on the plane. In the end I put the pillowcase in my bag and was prepared to leave the pillow behind, if need be.

We found a very helpful Air New Zealand lady, who said that I could take the pillow into the cabin with me, no problems, and sorted out our boarding passes and directed us to the baggage drop-off.

No one asked about our carry on luggage. The limit was 7 kg. Pen’s was 3 kg. Mine: about 7.9. We decided that if there was an issue, she would take my camera and then give it back to me when the time came.

We weren’t game enough to weigh ourselves.

Going through the scanning system was slightly more problematic, as I put my belt bag (phone, spiral bound notebook, pens, coins, notes), hat, handkerchiefs that were in my pocket(!), and camera bag (DLSR camera, zoom lens, pancake lens, D.C.’s camera, spare battery, tripod, Kally’s bear bag, Kally, carabiners, laptop, tablet, powerbank) into the tray to go through the scanner. Pen’s bag went through, stopped, and then continued on its journey. Mine went through, stopped, and did a slide to the left.

“Would you mind coming over here please?”

“Not a problem.”

“Please stand behind the red line.”

“Okay.”

“Would you mind if I looked through your bag?”

“Go for it.”

In the end, the things that they were concerned about were three, probably expired, AAA batteries in with my earphones. I gave them permission to throw them out and everything was good.

We waited in the holding cell until we were given permission to board; doing so by going up a long zig-zagged ramp, whilst the passengers at the rear of the craft had to climb stairs.

We were seat in 18A (Pen) and B (me) and the young man in C, who was a lot taller than me, kindly put my pillow in the locker. There was a short delay as we waited for planes ahead of us to take off and land, and tourist helicopters and seaplanes to get out of the way. And then we were airborne into the clear skies.

Photos: Pen

Photos taken by Pen with my camera. Lake Wakatipu?

Skies that got thicker and thicker with cloud the further north we flew. We did manage to see Farewell Spit, and get the briefest of glimpses of Mount Taranaki’s peak poking through the clouds, but from then on, much of the ground was obscured. Not that I could see much from the middle seat, anyway.

But, best of all, I did get to see Rangitoto! And Pen got a photo. Maybe not a great one, but Rangitoto’s still there.

We let almost everyone else get off the aeroplane before us, which meant that had a skybridge rather than steps to negotiate, and then our bags were almost the only ones remaining on the conveyor belt, so there was no rugby scrum to get them clear.

Then we headed outside (having checked where to go) and waited for the Skybus, which took about ½ hour to arrive. I chatted with an elderly lady from Wanaka whilst we waited.

We got off at the Skytower, walked to the Auckland City Hotel, were warmly greeted by Mat, who I’ve dealt with several times, and were informed that we had separate beds!

Cheers from us both.

When I’d booked, the only had a room with a double bed available, but this room (700) has a disability bathroom, and I think they must hold it back in case someone needs to use it. No one did, so they set it up for us as we’d requested a twin room. (Firstly, when I’d made the booking online, and then again when we were here last time.)

Checking my emails, I discovered that there’s an orange rain warning for the Coromandel Peninsula tomorrow. It’s also in place for Auckland, so trips to Tiritiri Matangi are off… If they were running on Tuesdays.

Pen wanted to do some washing, (so that’s one thing she won’t have to worry about when she gets home) so she set off the washing machine and we went downstairs to the restaurant, with a detour to get a 10% off for staying in the hotel voucher.

The restaurant’s closed on Mondays.

So we went to Dennys and I had a Cajan Chicken Skillet and a Bundaberg passionfruit drink. Dessert (which we should have been strong and not had) was a Churros sundae with Hot Fudge sauce.

It was starting to rain when we came back, did some blogging, and got the clothes from the dryer.

We came back, put the washing in the dryer, and went out looking for breakfast foods.

And then did more blogging.

Steps = 11,225

Kilometres (on foot) = 7.8