Best Bits So Far...

Ok. So here is a little list of the best things myself and/or the whole family have done so far... In our opinion. Most experiences the kids enjoyed with us, and are family-friendly. Some however, are strictly Mummy and Daddy only. That's what babysitters (ya-yas) are for! Some of these destinations are covered in more detail in destination mini-blogs contained within this site. Here we go in NO particular order of worthiness:


Mighty Mt Yasur on Tanna Island, Vanuatu.

Standing on this grumbling, rumbling monster was something I'll remember forever. The world's most easily accessible active volcano, it thunders and belches out giant rocks and clouds of smoke. The rocks usually don't make it passed the rim, so it's MOSTLY safe. But the tour guides check with scientists before taking a tour up (lucky for us!). We didn't stay on Tanna Island, but on Efate near Port Vila. The 1 hour flight from Vila and 1 1/2 hour trek by 4WD to get to Mt Yasur is very worthwhile. You pass lush rainforest and lovely villages, until you enter an alien-looking barren land, dotted with lava bombs. Leaving the car behind, you complete a short walk up to the rim. The Mt Yasur fireworks display has been on show in Tanna for the last 800 years! If you stay at Whitegrass Resort on Tanna you can do a night trek. I can imagine seeing the lava at night would be incredible. Next time! I probably wouldn't advise taking very young children here myself, as the sound and vibration of the ground would no doubt be frightening.  Also, it's not like there is handrails to stop errant toddlers from falling in either!  Our older children were 6 and 8 at the time, and it was no problem with them.

Mt Fuji and The Pirate Ships of Lake Ashi

Oh this was AMAZING! Probably close to the top of my travelling experiences. It was a bit of an epic trek I completed in one day, and I should have stayed overnight to experience it properly and soak in one of Hakone's onsens... But it was still incredible. You wouldn't believe how many different modes of transport this trip takes! I started out in Tokyo in the morning and caught the Shinkansen to Hakone-Yumoto, then the Hakone Tozon train takes you up the steep hills passed the onsens while performing several 'switch-backs. You then travel 211metres up a steep incline by cable-car from Gora to Sounzan station. THEN, you catch the majestic ropeway  to Togendai Station. Juring this leg, you pass volcanic steam rising at Owakudani, and on clear days see Mt Fuji!! It was beautifully clear on the day I travelled, and the view was unforgettable! At the end, Lake Ashi comes into view. On Lake Ashi, you can take a scenic cruise on one of the gigantic replica pirate ships across to some little villages for sightseeing. I stood high on a deck on one of these ships, gazing back at Mt Fuji. Looking over the beautiful scenery around me, the breeze in my hair, I really thought at that moment - It doesnt get any better than this! You can then catch a bus back to Tokyo.  If you stay in Hakone, and don't go back to Tokyo the same night (too gruelling), I would totally recommend this for kids of all ages. No reason they wouldn't enjoy all the different aspects of the trip, especially the Pirate ships!

The Ngong Ping Cable Car and the Tian Tan Buddha - Hong Kong

Ngong Ping Cable Car is a wonderful 5.7km ropeway that takes about 25 minutes. The cable car journey begins from Tung Chung, crossing Tung Chung Bay towards North Lantau Island. We chose to pay extra for the all-clear 'Çrystal Cabin'. It allowed 360 degree views as well as straight through the floor. This was a big hit with the kids. They were ON the floor, eyes glued, peering at the sea below us. I can't say enough about this. It was spectacular, stunning and just about every other superlative you can chuck in there. Just beautiful crossing the bay, and then you seem to rise up into the clouds. It was a bit cloudy when we were there, up near the top of the trip, and it really added to it I thought. Just when you think you're near, you rise up even more, and all of a sudden the cloud clears and the Tian Tan Buddha is before you. Jaw dropping literally. Once at the top there is a little village and the Po Lin Monastry. Next to that is the 268 steps leading to the buddha itself. Majestic.

The Whitsundays. Australia.

I may be biased but The Whitsundays has to one of the world's most beautiful playgrounds!. We love to base ourselves in Airlie Beach, and do the many day-trips out to the Reef or the Islands. The township also has a big man-made lagoon so you can swim all year round including stinger season. You can cruise out to Hamilton or Daydream Island, see incredible Whitehaven Beach (which very much lives up to the hype), spend a day on ReefWorld and so much more. If you choose to stay on the islands, we recommend Daydream Island as the better one for young kids. It has more shallow swimming pool areas, the living reef attraction and the famous mermaids! It just seemed more suited to our young family. Hamilton, however is fantastic for couples or older families.It is also home to the incomparable qualia resort. My hubby and I stayed their sans kids, and is is covered in one of this sites destination 'mini-blogs'.

Boracay Pub Crawl - Boracay Island, Philipines.

Oh this one was STRICTLY mummy and daddy... Not everyones cup of tea, but we found it so much fun. So much dancing and drinking and silliness and drinking! You get the picture... Alcohol poured straight from a bottle down the throat. Oh yeah! Ridiculous party games on White Beach, bar after bar, and drinking games punished by more ummm drinking!. Sober types NEED NOT APPLY. This is a night of clean, trouble-free (was not sleazy in the lightest, and no dramas) but entirely drunken fun, FUN! Party with many different nationalities, and age isn't an issue at all.. We encountered all ages, mainly Filipinos and Koreans, but there was a smattering of Aussies, Poms and, as usual, a few Viking countries rate a honourable mention (anywhere there's drinking to be had you'll find Aussies, the English and Norwegians normally). Can I get a Boracaaaaaay... Pub Crawl! is the battle cry. And you are given a canary yellow t-shirt to wear as a momento (Im thinking this also makes it easier for the tour guide to try and keep increasingly drunk and enthusiastic tourists together as you make your way from bar to beach to bar - easier to spot stragglers and strays!) 

Helicopter Tours. Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown's surrounds is probably the most beautiful place we've ever been. We flew with The Helicopter Line, and Glacier Southern Lakes Co. over spectacular Alpine scenery. Featuring dramatic views of the Southern Alps, Aspiring National Park and the ancient icefalls of glaciers. We did an alpine snow landing, and a Glacier landing in the Forbes Mountains. We saw the beautiful Rees and Dart River Valleys, Skippers Canyon as well as Lake Wakitipu's Northern shores, and  Milford Sound and enjoyed a landing there. This is probably the all-time family favourite travel experience to date. Like something out of a travel show literally. Better than the brochures. Absolutely 100% pristine, beautiful and unspoilt. We will go back again. Mark this down on your bucket list. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!

Bohol Island. The Philippines.

Bohol is a 45 minute ferry ride from Cebu City in The Visayas. It is home to the amazing little bug-eyed tarsier, a tiny caniverous monkey-like creature.

We visited them at a sanctuary on the island. No touching is allowed, but  they are not behind cages. I was a little concerned my girls were going to try and grab the cuties, so was extra vigilant. Those little mouths are full of razor-sharp teeth too, I wouldn't like a bite! This is not a world-class sanctuary by any means, but your admission price does go towards conservation of these creatures. DO NOT patronize other unscrupulous operators on the island who let you handle them for photos. Handling is almost always fatal.

Another attraction on the island is the bizarre, but beautiful 'Chocolate Hills'. So named because they turn brown and look like Hershey's Chocolate Kisses in summer. There is said to be 1200+ of these mysterious mounds. Scientists aren't exactly clear on what they are, but one local legend is lovely. Said to be the dried tears of a giant Arogo, who fell in love with a simple mortal girl Aloya, and was devastated by her eventual passing. There are another couple of local legends which involve ummmm.... giants poop... hmmmm I think i'll stick with the first one!

There is also a tour on the Lobo river we recommend here. You float down the river on a barge while enjoying a simple buffet lunch and live music. Along the way you stop by other barges featuring local river tribes dancing and singing for donations. You can do all these things and easily be back in your resort in Cebu in one day with children. There is also accommodation on Bohol to suit all budgets as well.



AJ Hackett Bungy Jumping and Nzone Skydiving Queenstown.

Back to Queenstown again.  I really did love this place. So anyway, when in Queenstown... do what every other crazy person is doing over there - throw yourself out of, or off something at every available opportunity!! Another Mummy and Daddy only activity obviously! There is plenty for the kids to do in Queenstown too. Next time I'm going to try the Nevis Swing. Google that if you want to see some real stomach-churning adrenalin at it's best. I thought my body had probably had enough on this trip. I was standing in line for the Bungy behind two 65 year-old English ladies who were on a 'Bucket List' trip around the world - awesome!! I asked if they were nervous, and they said they felt they didn't have much to lose at their age. Good on them I say. Yeehaw Grandma!!....

Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary & Klias Wetlands Probiscus Monkeys. Borneo.

                                               
Borneo is a wondrous place. I really enjoyed Kota Kinabalu and a Tiger Beer on 'The Waterfront' watching the sun set over the South China Sea (or Philippine Sea depending on who you talk you). It's the natural attractions that really set this place apart from anywhere else in the world. But don't get me started on Palm Oil Plantations. Flying over Borneo was the only time in my life I've felt the need to cry as I arrived at a new destination. Destruction of paradise as far as the eye can see in every direction. An absolute disgrace. However... what jungle that hasn't been detroyed is amazing, and home to some of the most incredible creatures on earth (what's left of them). Go and see them... unfortunately with Palm Oil greed, who knows how long they'll be here for. Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary is a centre where they take in orphaned or injured Orang utans and try to rehabilitate them with a view to releasing them back into the wild. It was a moving and wonderful place I cover in my mini-blog on Borneo. Similarly the Klias Wetlands Monkey-Tops Safari river cruise we went on, also covered in my Borneo blog. Cruise a beautiful river on the wetlands, and spot Probiscus monkeys and macaques. We then came back for dinner beside the river before embarking on a night-time trip down the river to watch the fireflies light up the trees beside the water.. stunning.

Honourable Mentions... 

• Uluru and the 'Red Centre', Australia. Beautiful, and I really did get a lump in my throat and think 'This is Australia' and all that.. Why isn't it in the section above among the best things I've done??? Something about standing many kilometres away behind a fence, with coach loads of other tourists and a warm plastic cup of wine in my hand, left me slightly underwhelmed. All the same, it is one beautiful chunk of rock. I would like to try the 'Dinner under the Stars' next time.

• Ocean Park, Hong Kong.  This is an amazingly good theme-park. Carved out of a mountain-side, and set over a few levels, this is very different to a 'western' style theme-park - which is why we liked it. A panda exhibit, fantastic aquarium and great rides - one of which tipped me upside down so I had a great view of the South China Sea while riding it! The littlies liked this park, but they also loved Hong Kong Disneyland, which was good as well. Ocean Park definitely caters for adults and teenagers better however - Mum had a great time! One word of warning, take your own snacks. The snacks are Chinese fast food at it's ummmm most interesting. Fried, crunchy, dehydrated squid and octopus and delights like that. I was willing to give it a go, but the kids were all less enthusiastic.

• Gold-Coast Theme-Parks, Australia . We live near here, so probably take it for granted a little. But for anyone else, it's surely one of the epicentres of theme-park fun IN THE WORLD. Something for everyone all within a short drive of each other. Dreamworld, Seaworld, Movieworld, Wet-n-Wild and WhiteWater World.  The Australian Outback Spectacular, an outback-themed dinner show is also there. Dracula's, the Gold Coast's famous Cabaret Restuarant is nearby, as well as a couple of different Putt-putt parks. The Q1 Skypoint climb, Australia's highest external building climb, is not far. A perfect destination for adults and kids alike. So much to see everyday, and if you get tired, spend a few relaxing hours at one of the many glorious beaches. Mum and dad can try their luck at Jupiters Casino later! An all-rounder of a destination, and popular with tourists from all over the world.

• Whale Watching Hervey Bay, Australia.  Fabulous. We were not disappointed. Lots of Whale and breaching action. Very memorable. These days expect your boat/cat to be well-appointed, have a spotter-plane and provide an included buffet lunch or morning/afternoon tea etc. If not, book one that does, as there is plenty of first-class operators. The whale-watching season generally runs from July to November.

• Robinson Crusoe Island, Fiji. We did a day tour from a resort on Vitu Levi's Coral Coast. One of the better day-trips available. It was a lovely cruise down a river across the open water to the Island. There we had a lovely 'Lovo' style buffet lunch, and watched one of the best Polynesian dance shows I've seen with fire and knife dancers. Plenty of activities available. You can join in, or just laze on a truly beautiful beach with crystal clear water. Both us, and the kids really enjoyed our day. 

• Windows of The World, Shenzhen China. This wacky place is the strangest theme-park we've ever been too. A park in Southern China, just over the border from Hong Kong filled with giant replicas of the world's greatest attractions. You can arrange a Shenzhen Economic Zone Visa for a single day-trip from Hong Kong to see this place. I'd just book a tour through your Hotel like we did, and they arranged it for us. It's more reliable than just turning up at the border and trying to arrange one. It's definitely incredibly zany and worth a look. Some attractions were alright, others were astounding. The stand out is The Eiffel Tower replica. CRAZY! It's huge.. around 1/3 the size of the original I believe (the real one must be absolutely enormous! - I haven't had the pleasure yet) and you can catch an elevator to the top. We all loved it! 

20 signs you are addicted to travel!

Here is a list of points I compiled. It is by no means definitive. You may be experiencing some or all of these symptoms or completely new and different ones - which I'd be interested in hearing about! These are all symptoms I have suffered/ am suffering from at times. If you think you are suffering from more than 5 of these ailments at any one time.. SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP! Go see your Travel Agent immediately!

1. Your suitcase is never fully unpacked. You are still fishing clothes out of it to wear weeks later.. What's the point of unpacking when that next holiday is just around the corner?

2. You can say 'please', 'thank you', 'where's the bar?', and most importantly 'how much?' in 6 different languages! Even worse... when your children walk into a restaurant and say 'Bula!'... then 'Salamat' when the waiter hands them their meal. (true story)

3. Instead of being happy when you walk in the door once home, you feel deflated, and a little depressed.

4. You put your suitcase down, make a coffee and think... I'll just check out the latest flight deals while I settle in... just in case. (you know you've done it!)

5. The main reason you go to work each day is to save up for your next trip. 

6. You keep track of what the Aussie dollar is currently worth in 10 different countries and have a stash in your drawer that you haven't cashed in. Hey, it's always handy for a taxi from the airport next time!

7. Every time you dine out or order a drink from a bar, you work out in your head how much in Rupiah or Peso you'd be paying... then convert that back to AUD... then feel like your paying waaaay too much!

8. You are older than 13, and think wearing your hair completely braided with little colourful beads at the ends, is a valid and attractive fashion choice.

9. Similarly, you believe a good choice for 'after five' attire is your fetching sequinned kaftan.. or your best sarong teamed with your fancy thongs with the beading on the straps!

10. You have those little complimentary toiletry bottles in your shower... and little hand soaps on your basin.

11. You now have thigh muscles of steel and can navigate a squat toilet drunk in a pair of stillettos without blinking an eye after years of practice.

12. You wake up in the morning and automatically  think 'I hope the omelette line isn't too long at the Buffet this morning'... 

13. You start trying to wrap your pillow around the back of your neck like a travel pillow...

14. On your first trip you were 7 kgs over your luggage allowance on the way out.. now you pack in 5 minutes and take a small backpack with your passport, 2 sarongs (or boardies for blokes), a pair of swimmers, a toothbrush, a camera and your kindle. If the shopping's good you'll buy a suitcase and fill it up with bargains over there!

15. You wear destination/experience 'brag' t-shirts or other items of clothing like those Vietnam red ones with the gold star.  43m Kawarau Bridge Bungy Jumper is my current favourite. (What the world really needs is just 1 more Bintang singlet PLEASE!.. no really).

16. You try to stick your ATM card in the key hole of your door...

17. Your bucket list reads like a lonely planet catalogue...

18. You read a Lonely Planet guide and think.. ''ppffff That restaurant was rubbish! The one around the corner was so much better!"

19. You've stopped wondering why they make snow globes with little confetti snow, and a beach scene complete with sand, blue water, shells and little miniature palm trees. When IS the last time it snowed at a tropical beach you've been too?

20. You google how to turn your wash cloths and bath towels into little hanging monkeys or swans or elephants... Then you put your sunglasses on them, and think it's hilarious every time!!

Hilarious right????? Never gets old ;-)

Queenstown with kids.

Queenstown. Date Travelled: May 2012 with the twins.

Two weeks in Queenstown. What an incredibly beautiful place. Breathtaking. It is TOP of our list of favourite places we've been so far. Numero Uno! May was such a good time to go. Rusty Autumn hues and a dusting of snow on The Remarkables. If you're not after a Ski holiday, Autumn in Queenstown is a fantastic option. It's cheaper and NOWHERE near as busy for a start. But it is also so stunning. We were lucky to get an increasing amount of snow towards the end of our stay, so had a bit of the snowy experience as well. But, by then, all the beautiful scenery gets 'whited out'. Undoubtedly it's a great Ski destination, and we plan to give that a go too... But in the meantime we marvelled at the beauty and colour of Lake Wakitipu, went Gold Panning, visited the Kiwi Bird Sanctuary, flew in a helicopter and landed on some Glaciers, then Milford Sound. Bungy jumped and sky-dived (me not the kids!). Took a wonderful journey on the TSS Earnslaw across Lake Wakitipu to Walter Peak High Country Farm for lunch, and a sheep shearing demonstration, and so much more! What a place. I can't recall staying somewhere where we found so much to do - a great place for adults and kids! 





The scenery at Queenstown Airport is striking with an amazing backdrop. I was excited straight away to be greeted by such beauty. It's an arrival for sure! From there we hired a car and made our way straight to our lodgings -the absolutely gorgeous and fairly new Hilton Queenstown on the banks of incredible Lake Wakitipu. I am certain I've never seen a Hotel in a more beautiful setting.

Everything about the Hotel was fantastic and spot-on. There sure is cheaper accommodation in Queenstown available, but for a splurge, this place is amazing. The rooms were spacious, but warm and cosy, with large closed-in gas fireplaces. On the lake side they also had balconies to make the most of the incredible view. There is also a huge indoor heated pool (properly heated, beautifully warm). I LOVED this place, and would give it 9/10. I'm a bit of a lobby bar with entertainment fan, and this has none, but it's not really that kind of place anyway. It feels like an upmarket ski lodge, and suits its surrounds perfectly. It also has a pub/bar as part of the complex. It sits adjacent to the Kawarau Hotel also managed by Hilton, and some shops.

The artwork scattered around the hotel was lovely and fitting of the place, really adding to the atmosphere.






























The restaurant was extremely gorgeous and modern, with amazing chandeliers and pink feature lights. The menu was spectacular and tasted as such. The Venison was my favourite. Outside they had a large fire pit with seating to make the best of the view, even in the cold.

The only thing to be aware of with this hotel is its location. Its is on the other side of Lake Wakitipu to Queenstown. Its not a long drive, about 10 -15 minutes around the lake through Frankton. Honestly with the scenery along the way you won't notice it. There is a water taxi that has stops from the Hilton right to the dock in town, so that was a fun and really convenient option anyway.

As much as we loved our Hotel there was much to do. So much different variety of activities and sites to see amongst the jaw-droppingly beautiful country-side, it certainly was a no-brainer for our choice of ultimate family holiday so far. The decision was unanimous! Here we go....

TSS Earnslaw and The Walter Peak High Country Farm.

The Tss Earnslaw is a quaint and impressive old steamer that leaves from the wharf in Queenstown, and makes it's way across Lake Wakitipu to Walter Peak High Country farm. Tickets are purchased right from the Real Journeys office at the dock. The duration is 3 1/2 hours, and it costs $75 per adult, $22 per child including including morning or afternoon tea. We added the optional Buffet lunch for extra. We pre-booked ours over the phone as it's pretty popular, as you could imagine. The farm itself is picture perfect, and after the buffet-lunch, you get to watch a sheep dog and sheep shearing demonstration. The girls had a great time and learnt a lot from the day. It was a very enjoyable, educational and scenic day trip, perfect for families.

Haha! I had to post this pic. My husband got dressed next to our beautiful warm fireplace at the hotel, and walked out the door accordingly.... and proceeded to freeze all day! Not his finest moment. I had two four year-olds and myself to rug up, so I refuse to take any blame!

Kawarau Bridge Bungy

Obviously this is a mummy and daddy only activity! I'm am not sure what I was thinking... I know for certain I must have taken temporary leave of my senses. Surely not the ideal activity for a 37 year old suburban mum of young twins? Or, is it the PERFECT activity? You decide.

The walk of doom?...

3, 2, 1...

aaaaaaaahhhhh.....

woooooohoooooooooo!

crikey?

It was EVERY bit as terrifying as I thought it would be. Not so much the actual swinging around, which was fun, but THE JUMP itself. I'm glad I did it. I'm actually really proud of myself. But can't say I want to do it again in a hurry. EVER. This is a mighty fine place to do a Bungy Jump, if you want to give it a go. In fact it is the birth-place of modern bungy, and the first AJ-Hackett site. That water is not trick photography, or a filter. It really was that colour. Dazzling! There is a viewing platform right beside, and my girls had a great time cheering me on. My more adventurous one wanted to have a try too... Not likely!

Nzone Skydiving

Once again, I'm not sure why I signed myself on for this. Every other adult in Queenstown seems to be jumping off or out of something, or peddling/walking off into the mountains for epic treks though. So I think you sort of think... why not? I chose the biggie too - 15000ft of sheer, heart-pumping adrenalin. The maximum height they had, with the biggest freefall. You can also choose 12000ft or 9000ft if you prefer. Prices start at NZD$269 and go up to NZD$429. I can't describe how much I loved this. Strangely, unlike the Bungy, I didn't end up being afraid at all. Maybe the ground is so far away, it's less confronting than staring right at the rocks? Like everything here, the scenery is mind-boggling and magnificent, and there's no better birds-eye view! The landing area has toilets, tables and chairs, coffee making facilities and a little play area for kids. My family watched me land, and the girls ran over with big kisses when I had finished.

Here we go!...

Gold Panning and Goldfields Mining Centre

Back to the family activities! About 50mins from Queenstown, on the road to Cromwell, is this historical gem. You can go gold panning in Arrowtown as well, but we tried our luck here. There are old trails, and an old Chinese gold mining settlement that was actually quite amazing. It was astonishing to see how they lived perched on the edge of the gorge, and how tiny they must have been!

Helicopter Tours from Queenstown

We flew with The Helicopter Line, and Glacier Southern Lakes Co. over spectacular Alpine scenery. We experienced dramatic views of the Southern Alps, Aspiring National Park and the ancient ice falls of glaciers. We did an alpine snow landing, and a Glacier landing in the Forbes Mountains. We saw the beautiful Rees and Dart River Valleys, Skippers Canyon as well as Lake Wakitipu's Northern shores, and Milford Sound in the Fiordlands, and enjoyed a landing there. This is our all-time family favourite travel experience to date. Tramping around on a glacier is something I'll remember forever. I'm not sure I'll ever see anything so spectacular again. Not that I'll give up trying! wow, wow, WOWOWOW!!! Book it, you will not regret it. 100% pristine, incredible mother nature at her astonishing best. We don't see snow at home, so the girls had a snow-ball fight, made snow angels and had a ball. Check it out...

Arrowtown

Arrowtown is a  living historical settlement on the banks of the gold-bearing Arrow river. It features many restored cottages along it's tree-lined streets. A museum, Chinese gold miners settlement and plenty of lovely cafes and small shops can be found. We went at the best time I think. It's known for its beauty in April and May, as the trees ignite with colour.

Glenorchy



Five minutes drive from Queenstown at the end of Lake Wakitipu is glorious Glenorchy. The drive there is considered to be one of the most scenic drives in NZ. The landscape here was featured in key scenes in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Its a small rural village surrounded by snow-capped mountains, pristine lakes and rivers, ancient beech forests and national parks.

Along the way you will want to stop and take heaps of pictures.

 

 I wonder how that fishermen was fairing?

Invercargill, the Bluff signpost and the road to Lands End.

Invercargill is both the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities IN THE WORLD! It is about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Queenstown. Another 20 minutes drive is Bluff. It is the southernmost town in new Zealand and considered 'the end' of New Zealand (it actually isnt technically, but why ruin a good story?) You can catch a ferry from here to Stewart Island. It is famous for the Bluff Signpost of course, and has a lovely English-style inn here called 'Lands End'.

Wanaka

There are two ways to travel between Queenstown and Wanaka. The most scenic and shortest actual distance, is the Crown Range Road. It is New Zealand's highest road, reaching an altitude of 1121m. It zig-zags a fair bit, gets narrow and needs concentration. You need to slow down to 15kms at some parts too. Subsequently, the travel time is longer than the other route through Cromwell, which is what i'd reccomend with kids.This is also a lovely drive past boutique wineries and Lake Dunstan, and takes bout 1 1/2 hours.
There is a great attraction for the whole family here. Stuart Landsboroughs Puzzling World. Its an eccentric oddity of a place with illusion rooms, a great maze and the leaning tower etc. Some of the rooms were really, really good and pretty mind-blowing. It is certainly unique and I've never seen anything like it. There was one room in particular I still can't really explain. It was maybe sloping one way, but everything else in it another?... I don't know. But it sent our brains HAYWIRE! We had trouble even walking in there. We spent at least 1/2 an hour in laughing fits in that room. Fun for the whole family. The kids will love it!

Skyline Gondola/Resaurant/Luge/Bungy & The Kiwi Bird Sanctuary

The best views of Queenstown and a fun ride. We also had the really good buffet dinner at the top and watched the sun set. Try the Kiwi fruit wine - yum! Didn't try the Luge or the Bungy... and never will haha! That Bungy looked worse than the Kawarau bridge, because you are already up the side of a mountain before you even start!

I mean for crying out loud!!

Down the bottom is the Kiwi bird sanctuary. It was great, and once again perfect for the whole family. You can't take pictures of them, as they are kept in a pitch-black room. It takes a few minutes for your eyes to adjust to even see them. They are way bigger than I thought! I was surprised. There is a good wildlife show as well. Very educational for us and the girls.

Bars and more bars!!

Ok mum and dad time. Queenstown has a reputable child-minding agency. We got sent a local primary school teacher, so weren't complaining! The rates were very reasonable. So off we went. Excellent bars everywhere to suit all ages. Including two sub zero/ice bars which was a very cool experience (pardon the pun!) Meet people of all nationalities from everywhere... woohoo!

Fergburger!

You have to visit the famous Fergburger and try one. It's renowned around the world for its burgers, and has a cult backpacker following. There will be queues, and they are a touch expensive. I was wondering how backpackers could afford them, but they are HUGE. Probably lunch and dinner for a traveller on a budget! They are also VERY YUMMY!!

Look, there are just so many activities and things to do in this awesome place I could go on for ever. I'm just going to post a few random pics of either beautiful or interesting things. Two things of note... Do visit a winery, there is many to choose from. There is also an aquarium of sorts at the wharf in Queenstown. It is actually a room under Lake Wakitipu, which has a window to view the eels and fish of the lake. There is a machine which you can slot coins into, which drops fish pellets on the outside to attract them. The kids really enjoyed this, as did we. Very entertaining. One thing we didn't get around to trying was the Shotover Jet boats... Next time!

What a great idea! Instead of making the poor postie go from house to house!

Finally... we had originally booked for a one week stay. Loving it so much we decided to stay an extra week and changed our flights. The Hilton would have stretched our budget too much for an extra week, so we checked out and moved to The Shotover Top 10 Holiday park at Arthurs Point. We stayed in an Executive Motel Self-Contained unit for NZD$130 a night. It was fantastic. Roomy, modern with a mountain backdrop. It has campsites, lodge and budget motel accommodation as well camp kitchen, laundry and kids playground. You can book tours here as well. There was a bus stop right out the front, and the trip to Queenstown took only 7 minutes. As much as we ADORED the Hilton, at the price we will probably just stay here next time we go.

The last day was actually my birthday May 16, and I got a lovely little present! A small dumping of snow. Well... locals probably wouldn't call it snow, maybe more sleetish, but for us it was SNOW!

We also had a real-life earth tremor! Very small, but our first, so terribly thrilling. There was an earthquake in the Fiordlands apparently, which sent the shock waves radiating out. It felt like ripples under our feet. You could feel it radiating. It was amazing. There was two waves. The first time I looked at my husband unsure as to what was going on, the second I sent the kids under the table and dashed to the park office. The manager looked at me like I was crazy haha! She was like "whats the big deal?", "I didn't really feel it" etc etc. I'm standing there with my mouth open, and her husband walks in and said he felt it, but they are so common that no-one really bothers about them much here. Okey dokey... I felt a bit sheepish, it was only very slight, but we certainly don't get those at home!

So what's next? Another visit for sure. Maybe in winter for a ski-trip. I would still like to come back in Autumn again though, and do the drive through the Fiordlands. I would also like to attempt something called the Nevis Swing!

Watch this Space!