Arrowtown and my last days in Queenstown
After the Red Bull plane, I didn't do much in Queenstown. I met up with Kate from the Stray bus (the one I did jetboating with) and we had dinner a couple of times (home-made of course) I spent a couple of nights in the park on the penninsular watching the sun go down and sky going all different colours. I spent the rest of the time playing cards or Jenga with disgruntled snowboarders who were peeved there were still no slopes open. I felt pretty good as they were all asking me what was fun to do around town. I kept having to pinch myself, proffessional cool people who follow the winter round the world asking me, a chilled out, lazy, geek from Romford what's fun to do in the adrenalin capital of the world!
I went to Arrowtown for the afternoon one day. It used to be a goldrush town but now relys on tourism and its reputation for good pies to keep it afloat. The meat pies are without doubt the best in New Zealand (and Australia) and almost as good as my nan's at home. Arrowtown is also famous as the Ring Wraiths crossing the river after Arwen and Frodo scene (where the rushing water turns into horses) in LOTR was filmed near there. Coming from 'Hardcore' Queenstown, it was strange to go to a place where the pace of life seemed to be set to 'Stop'. It actually reminded me of a typical little Cornish village.
I'd been told to go the cinema there by a couple of people but unfortunately, the films started playing just as my return bus to Queenstown left. The cinema is locally owned and the foyer was part book shop, part bar. The theatre itself was full of sofa-like armchairs where you can enjoy a cheese and wine platter (brought to you in your seat) during the mandatory intermission!
They've reconstructed parts of the former Chinese gold-miners settlement from the goldrush days. Its looked like Hobbiton...
Kate and I went Lugeing again on our last day in town, bringing my total number of luges to 15!! Later, I saw Simon Todd, in the information shop. He's was in the year below me in school and was travelling in Oz with Paul (Barnes - who'd just gone to Thailand) who i've known all my life. Also, there was a guy in my room at Pinewood for a few days called Steve Fishly who used to be in the same class as my cousin Michael Day for years at St. Edwards School. Have any pubs in Romford shut down recently? I swear most of Essex is out here.