Te Waipounamu - Queenstown - Queen Vic incognito!

One of the best ways to see and experience Queenstown is on the water. There are numerous options -the water craft ranging from jet boats to steam boats to a "Shark" - The "Shark" is a jet ski modified with an enclosed canopy. It is highly maneuverable in the water and can be launched into the air and also submerges for a few seconds.
The romantic choice would be the TSS Earnslaw - the steam ship which celebrated its centenary in 2012. We decided on the catamaran cruise which was a slightly longer cruise and included more scenic viewpoints. We were not disappointed, rewarded with fantastic views of Mt Earnslaw when we docked at Mt Nicholas Station. Highly recommended.

 

Wharf in foreground, Bob's Peak in background. Zipline is in the forest to the left of the summit.

After lunching at a cafe on the wharf, our afternoon plans were put into action.
No trip to Queenstown would be complete without a Gondola ride to the lookout on Bob's Peak.
We were astounded to see hoards of mountain bikers using the Gondola to hitch a ride up to the top where there are numerous bike trails, varying in difficulty and length all over and down the mountain.
The Gondolas have modified bike racks to carry the bikes.
The Gondola ride itself takes only 5 minutes ascending through a gap in the pine forest, found everywhere on the mountain slopes in many areas around Southland.
The picture postcard views from the observation deck are spectacular - fit for a Queen - though because I left my tiara back at the hotel, I kept a low profile and remained anonymous. 
We sat for an hour, soaking up the panoramic scenery.

There are several ways you can choose to part with some dollars at the summit. We watched para-gliders ($200 per person) take off for a 12 minute descent, and others testing their skills on the two luge tracks on offer.
We booked on to a Zipline tour and spent the next 90 mins conquering our fear of heights on 4 different lines. I decided to take on all of the challenges set by the crew and ended up flying through the air, upside down with no hands attached on the last 2 runs - what a rush! Great fun!
Ended the day at Pub on the Wharf, where we continued our NZ Bourbon and Cider tasting challenge - after all, you have to wash the lamb shanks down with something!

 

 Bat-girl!

Still making friends with the locals!