Queenstown

It was Paddy's day the day we arrived in Queenstown. So we headed to the hostel and grabbed some noodles and took a bit of a break before we planned on headed out. The guys in the hostel were going out so we decided to grab a few beers in the off license and join then before going to the pub. We stayed quite late in the kitchen, talking and playing drinking games and somewhere in the middle I had to go get us more beer as we had run out. After we headed out to an Irish bar but our group couldn't even fit in the bar because it was so packed. As it was late we had to head off to a non Irish bar to get space but all of town was buzzing and it was still great fun. Next day was spent with a hangover followed by mini golf. Me and Brian got the exact same in the mini golf but I think that was because his hangover was a lot worse than mine. The next day brought clay pigeon shooting. Brian was brilliant, he shot everything but the rabbits (little plastic disks that roll along the ground). Even then he got half of them. His hours on the Nintendo seem to have paid off. I didn't do as well but I did enjoy myself. I did hit more than half which made me happy. It was a great day and definitely something I would do again. That night we went on an official pub crawl. We meet up with a group of twenty or thirty and headed to a selection of pubs around the city. There were drinks promotions and free shots or drinks at each of the bars. We even drank at a pub called tardis which was cool. The logical follow on being the next day was for our hangovers which actually weren't bad at all. I got my hair cut and we booked the next three days of activities. We decided to do a different selection of activities on the second two days. 

We stayed in a hostel called Adventure Queenstown hostel and I have to say it is hands down the best hostel I've ever stayed in.  They make everyone fell at home and it's like one big family.  I think it's partly because there are a lot of long-term people there (people staying from a month to a few months) and partly because the guy running it just really wants to make it the best hostel in Queenstown.  That's a pretty big task considering the sheer amount of hostels in Queenstown and the fierce competition.  Everyone hangs around in the hostel and we've extended our stay twice here.  In the kitchen everyone chats with everyone new and when there are drinking games or just card games, everyone is invited in.  Even if you just want to sit and chat with guys while they are cooking or drinking.  People make an effort and invite you to chat or watch movies with them.  The guy running the place makes a big effort and sometimes they play the wii and just ask everyone passing to play a round.  

Anyway for the first day I went horse-riding.  We went riding around a place called Glenorchy and went past a bunch of places where Lords of the Rings was filmed.  Also a few of the people in the stables had been orcs in the films as they could ride horses well.  I was worried about horse riding after hurting my back so we took it easy.  The horse I was on was an ex stunt horse and a dream to ride.  So pretty soon I was cantering around the river bed without a bothered (the next day my lower back was a bit sore and stiff but that was just the muscles from doing exercise that I wouldn't normally do).  We got to go through rivers and the horses were really sure-footed.  It seems when the river is really high the horses can end up swimming through and pulling the riders along with them which is pretty cool.  You would never get that in Ireland.  That day Brian was meant to go out on a flat raft thing with handles at the side that you lie on going down white rapids.  There was a mix up in the booking but in the end he got to go down white water rapids on a body board.  You have to be a really strong swimmer to that which is why I didn't go for it.  I'm not that strong a swimmer.  he had a fantastic time.  It went really well the first time around and then the second time he tried to film the whole thing on my camera.  It didn't go half as well that time.  There are videos of it that me and Brian have on our hard drives.  The next day I went for a walk up a little of Queenstown hill and through the Queenstown gardens.  After which I went to a spa for a half hour in a floatation tank and a massage.  I hated the floatation tank, I getting really twitchy when I can't sleep at night and have to make the bed over and over again so the sheets stay straight and I have to make sure I am lying perfect straight and everything is in exactly the right place until I can sleep.  The floatation tank was like not being able to sleep.  I spent a lot of the time trying to keep myself in the dead centre of the tank.  Also I kept getting condensation on my face and it was all uneven and my ear plugs were uneven.  Ok so I'm just a bit strange but anyway.  The massage was amazing, especially after the horse-riding.  I felt completely relaxed after.  I have never really been bothered doing a bungee so Brian spent the morning doing a bungee.  He did the biggest one in the country.  He said it was brilliant, a great adrenaline rush.  He said he would do it again but it was very expensive.  Afterwards he headed for a game of frisbee golf.  They have a permanent pitch in the Queenstown gardens.  You have to get a frisbee from the tee to a small basket with a pole and chains in the centre.  It's suppose to be a very fun game.  That night the two of us played drinking games in the hostel and then went out to bar called Fraiser with about 12 people from the hostel.  It was a really great night.  There was drinking Jenga, cards and pool.