After many months of cancelled flights and delays due to lockdowns and travel restrictions, we finally made it down to the picturesque Queenstown. I would go as far as to say that it is the most beautiful place I have ever visited.
We started our journey flying from Auckland to Invercargill and hired a car to drive up to Queenstown. We did a quick detour down to Bluff, where we had a delicious lunch with panoramic sea views at the Oyster Cove (highly recommend).
Our plan was to enjoy a skiing holiday. We were fortunate enough to have 30cm of snowfall the night before we arrived. The drive to Queenstown was magical to say the least.
Although this was not my first time in Queenstown (I doubt it will matter how many times I visit) you cannot help but be in awe of the natural beauty it presents. Not only is this town so visually pleasing but there is so much to do. It makes it very popular with tourists as well as a holiday destination (winter or summer) for New Zealanders looking to get away from the city life.
We had three days in total of skiing. We chose the Cardrona slopes, as I am still a “beginner”. This is said to be the perfect place to practice. By day three I found myself graduating from the beginner to intermediate runs and loving life. The Cardrona Alpine Resort offer skiing lessons to anyone willing to try it out for the first time.
To end our adventurous week in the South Island, we chose to unwind at the Onsen Hot Pools. Here you get your own private hot pool accompanied with refreshments and snacks, that looks out to 180 degrees of nature. We were lucky enough to book a 5:30pm slot, so that we could enjoy watching the sunset over the snow-capped mountains. This was truly an amazing experience. I have never felt so content, relaxed and full of gratitude. It was the most incredible ending to a magnificent week.
I have put together a video to capture our most memorable moments, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
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