Tuesday and Wednesday are my weekly off days from work at The Remarkables ski restaurant and hence these two days have become my ‘weekends’ now. It was very good and clear weather on those two days this week and hence I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to head out for some fun!
On yesterday, me and my friend head out back to The Remarkables not to work, but to ski. I fell down much less often this time and managed to complete one entire beginner’s (green) route without any fall at all. That was an improvement that I’m quite happy for and it looks like my skiing skill is progressing. The snow was pretty good and it was clear and sunny all day long yesterday, making it a perfect day for skiing.
The schedule was a bit more busier today. In the morning, we went for a walk up to the Queenstown Hill, The track up to the summit of the hill took about one and a half hour. Some parts of the track are quite steep and also slippery due to several icy and wet surface (this hazard is expected when you are hiking up a hill during winter). It was quite an exhausting hike but the view at the summit made up for it! The panoramic view over Queenstown, The Remarkables, Lake Wakatipu and all the mountains at the background are truly spectacular! There was also an interesting sculpture called ‘Basket of Dreams’ near the summit where you must not leave without taking a picture with it. Then, it took us about 45 minutes to head back down from the hill.
In the afternoon, we went to Glenorchy, a small town about 45km away from Queenstown (about 45 minutes drive from Queenstown) for a quick trip just to snap some cool pictures. The most photographed landmark in that small town is none other than the small Glenorchy Wharf Shed in red colour. There is also a jetty just behind the shed that offers visitors another spot for some photo taking as well with snow capped mountains and the lake as the backdrop.
Since we were already in Glenorchy, we travelled a bit further up to a rural place called ‘Paradise’ which has been used as settings in films and television. I have no idea why the place is called ‘Paradise’ but at least now I can say I have been to the ‘paradise’ on Earth! The surrounding area here is pretty much empty and is used for sheep and cattle farming. Finally, we head back to Queenstown in late afternoon for an early dinner at a Thai restaurant before going back home. It was a tiring but a very satisfying day with fascinating visits to Queenstown Hill and Glenorchy (took so many photos today…) before ending the day with an awesome dinner!
Vincent Loy's Online Journal 