Wanaka to Queenstown

SO after a day swimming, laundering and blogging, we left Wanaka with Nick Frame and Nick Hayes both (Aussie and Kiwi Nicks) and traveled over the highest road in New Zealand to Queenstown (Codorona Pass). On the way, Nick Hayes traveled with us in the Vanette, so we had time to catch up with him on the way over. One of the things that he reminded me of was that he was at the very first birthday camping out party at the cabin/Chateau Angelique! That would've been 2001 (we thought). He also showed me a wicked splinter that is under one of his nails -- I think that made the picasa site, so that is a splinter(!) under his nail, ouch! The landscape in Queenstown is similar to Wanaka, it seems more like the western US than the other parts of New Zealand have.

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We went to a very nice restaurant at a winery just outside the town and had lunch with Peggy Preston, her mom, and some of her friends, most of whom had a Crested Butte connection: the four of us (Gen, me, Nick and Nick), Jody (Peggy's boyfriend), Karina (a Canadian with no CB connection), Dave (lived in CB in the late 90s) and his wife Vicky. There were lots of questions about Scott Carr, Kate Seeley (of course), Kochevers....Nick Hayes recounted a story about Ted pouring heavy drinks late one night at Kochevars and how he bounced off of one snow bank and then the other zig-zagging across the street trying to get back to Kate's (its a 2 block walk for you non-CBers).

Dave also remembered Blake and Anette, Angie and Scott Wallis too. Many stories were had and shared. He had a joke about women in CB (after I shared my. "the town is filled with Peter Pan's and Wendy's -- or CB where the men are boys, and the women are men"): What do you call a hot tub filled with CB women? "Gorilla's in the Mist." (Not my joke, dont kill me for re-telling it!) Peggy asked about Ruta, Mark and Erika. I got to tell her that Mark and Erika are pregnant! She Says congrats Mark and Erika! More was discussed about CB including what has changed, what is the same, etc.

The Queenstown area has about 17,000 year-round residents, so it is much larger than Wanaka at about 3,500 (which is why the Nicks like Wanaka better, I suppose). Karina, as a Canadian, said that it was relatively easy to get citizenship, although there is a process. She has a job, and her employer keeps re-newing her work visa and is sponsoring her for her full residency/citizenship. She says that because so many NZers are departing the country for greener ($) pastures, mostly to Australia, there is a need for workers in NZ. This is why there are so many worker/visa college aged (mostly europeans) here, like Aljosha in Nelson. The Nicks explained that anyone can own property here regardless of citizenship, so it seems that if you have a skill you need, are willing to work lower paying jobs, or are financially self-sufficient, New Zealand will welcome you with open arms.

Dave and Vicky want to trade houses with people around the world, and since they live in NZ they have a lot of offers. I sweetened my offer (CB alone is a big plus as he along with the Nicks all want to go back to CB) by saying my house comes with a gourmet chef, so Phil you gotta stick around and not move in with Cathy Benson!

Dave is a ski guide in the winter (i got the idea that was the bustling heli-skiing business) and had a property maintenance business in the summer called "Lawn Enforcement." Dave described how nice it was to live in New Zealand, especially in Wanaka or Queenstown (or any where on the drier side of the mountains) because the snow falls up high, but it remains nice/temperate in the valley floors. Unlike CB which has 2 seasons (covered and uncovered), they got to experience four real seasons, yet with these amazing mountains so close (not to mention the lakes, etc.) Also, apparently, January 2 is a holiday, too, so you get two days to recover from the hangover! "Kiwis are smart that way," said Karina.

So I left Queenstown in the rain, and just after Kingston (just 39 Km away, at the far end of Lake Wakatipu) it got sunny, just to show you how changeable the weather is. (Of course as i made the note in my digital recorder, it started to rain -- in the sunshine.) Gen said it would be kind of sage-brushy-ish here and it is. The countryside has turned to green grass with brown bushes (?) or are they just brown big grasses? Some of the brush here looks like mesquite -- again New Zealand shows great variety in ecosystems/weather. So I am traveling through this landscape, just short of Te Anau and it is sunny, blue bird -- hard shadows on the tour bus in front of me, but it is raining (?!) hard enough for me to have my windshield wipers on continuously. There are clouds in the sky, but nothing over head -- where is this rain coming from? Just further illustrates the point.

Until next time,

Newo Out