Shaun the Sheep, Soakings, and Stars

I noted earlier that we had been pretty much mirroring the Gate 1 Travel itinerary for our trip.  As their itinerary had a built-in day of rest -- NOT FOR THE STEELES! -- we actually caught up to them on this day in Queenstown.  Our primary activity for the day had been an optional tour for Gate 1, and it was a catamaran cruise on the lake, with a stop for lunch and a demonstration on a working sheep (wool, not meat) farm, or station, as they call them in New Zealand.

Watching the Sun Come Up From Our Porch While the Ladies Slept

We slept in a little, and after breakfast we elected to walk into town instead of driving.  Parking was scarce and relatively expensive, and there was no reason not to enjoy the 25-minute walk into town.  As were were on the lakeshore, we simply got on the nice crushed-stone walking/biking trail that led us into town.  We could have walked all the way around the shore, which would have entailed a pretty large peninsula of land, but in the interest of time, we cut up and over to downtown, which meant walking up a street that would have been at home in San Francisco.  I can't estimate the degree angle, but I wondered how the cars parking along the sides managed to not roll backwards.  I peaked inside a few, some were even manual-transmission cars, and I can't imagine trying to get into or out of a parallel-parking spot on that hill.

I had forgotten about the fact that we were to catch up to Gate 1 until we checked in for our cruise, and saw their bus outside.  The catamaran cruise was very nice, and carried folks headed to the sheep station, as well as others going for day hikes or traveling across the lake with their bikes, to then ride back to town.  On the far side of the lake, the boat docked at family -owned Mt. Nicholas Farm, where we, about 10-12 Gate1'ers, and a couple of Australians got off.  We were met by a foreman (fore-woman, actually), who brought us into the sheering shed and told us about the farm.  The operation itself comprises 100,000 acres and is home to 29,000 merino wool sheep.  It was massive, and encompassed the entire namesake Nicholas Mountain.  We learned all about the process of raising and then sheering the special wool, which is the highest quality in the world.  Just hearing how they manage such huge numbers of sheep, moving them up and down the mountain at different times of the year, and how they cull them was fascinating.  We eventually moved outside, where we met two "orphan" animals.  All of the cows and sheep are on their own to give birth, and invariably there are orphaned or rejected animals.  We met Shaun the sheep, and Lucky the calf, both of whom have been bottle-fed since being brought in from the hillsides.  We all had the opportunity to feed them, if we wanted, and that was followed by a demonstration of how their dogs herd and round up the sheep.  The family picture we took with Shaun is one of our favorite from the trip.  Great fun.

The Catamaran That Brought Us Across the Lake to Mt. Nicholas Sheep Station

Steam Ship Operating Continuously on Lake Since 1907 - Same Year the Titanic Was Launched

Sheered Wool on the Sorting Table -- From One Sheep

Us, with Shaun the Sheep

Freshly Herded Sheep -- Dog is Behind Them

As we were there, the wind was picking up and clouds had come in.  It was not raining, but it was definitely cold -- in the 50's -- and we were all happy to have our fleece coats.  It was also nice when we went indoors for a "plowman's lunch," with cold cuts, salads, and too many varieties of meat pies to count.  The meat pie is definitely a staple in New Zealand, we saw many shops selling them, gas stations had them warm, and supermarkets had aisles devoted to them.  While they are of course a British tradition, they have definitely taken on an Asian flair in New Zealand, with the most popular fillings seeming to be Indian butter chicken and tikka masala.  I was in heaven.

The catamaran returned to pick us up, and we saw an extended family get off with suitcases and a big supply of groceries.  They were met by a woman and her 10-ish-year old son.  We later learned she is the daughter of the founder of the farm, who now runs it.  She has two children they are home schooling and raising on the ranch, and this was their extended family arriving for the New Year's holiday.  It reminded us how remote they must feel.  They said it was an hour-and-a-half drive to the nearest supermarket, so the boat serves as their main link.

Catamaran Returning To Pick Us Up

On the cruise back to Queenstown, the wind had really picked up, and the lake was covered in large whitecaps.  The catamaran was immune from most of it, but as we slowed upon entering the harbor, you could really feel the force of the wind and waves.  In the morning, K had said she wanted us all to go parasailing over the lake but, as expected, when we inquired upon our return, they had stopped all runs due to the high winds.  They were still running jet boat tours, however, and Anna and I decided we wanted to tempt fate once again.  Katherine passed, and instead elected to browse the many, many stores in the compact downtown area.  We were told there was a tour leaving in 10 minutes; the agent where we docked called ahead, confirmed that they would hold two spaces, and then we raced down to the far end of the harbor, where we were last to join a long line of people in full rain gear and life jackets.  On our previous jet boat trip at Lake Taupo, they did not provide rain gear, but here they did, which should have told us something.  By now the whitecaps on the lake were immense, and waves were crashing and cascading above the breakwall.  People standing on the promenade were getting splashed by the waves, and then covered with spray as the wind carried the remnants into town.

We watched as one of the jet boats was returning was a previous tour.  It was fighting to make it to the dock, with the waves sending it in wild convulsions.  We could see that the people on board were soaked.  A first boat made it in, and despite their outward appearance, most of them gave us enthusiastic thumbs up and smiles as they removed their waterlogged raincoats.  That boat filled up, but there were still enough of us left in line for another boat, which arrived about 20 minutes later.  We were told the waves were so bad on the lake, that it was throwing off their entire schedule.

When we finally boarded, we were bobbing around like a cork.  Our driver explained that it was going to be very rough getting out of the harbor, but that we'd be turning east and then entering two rivers, where we would be sheltered.  He also explained how the jet boats have completely flat bottoms -- allowing them to navigate very shallow river water, as well as reach speeds upwards of 80 miles of hour.  The flat bottom, however, mean that they have no stabilization protection from the waves.  We slowly started our way out of the harbor, and I was in one of the outside seats, near the back.  Almost immediately I was covered in water, as waves were crashing into the boat.  It was fun, but also a little scary.  I continued to get bombarded, as I was on the windward side of the boat, for another five minutes or so.  Anna kept apologizing to me, saying she never should have recommended we go, and she felt guilty as she thought I was not having a good time.  I was smiling, though, and in the end, the trip was one of the highlights for me.

Once we cleared the harbor and entered the east side of the lake, and then the rivers, the waves were gone.  We hit tremendous speeds, crossed through several areas of rapids, and the driver would do 180-turns at intermittent intervals.  It was a blast!  We were going so fast that at one point my glasses flew off.  They wrap all the way around my ears, but still managed somehow to fly off.  Luckily, a woman sitting behind us had them lodge in her life jacket, and she was able to hold them until we slowed down.  Potential crisis averted.

On the Jet Boat Tour

Looking a Little Windblown, With My Freshly Rescued Glasses

Going at such a high speed, along with the sun's unexpected return, had dried us off completely.  That was, however, until our return trip.  As on the outbound, once we entered the harbor, we were subjected to the full force of the waves again.  As a saving grace, I was now on the leeward side, so I didn't get nearly as wet as before.

Katherine was waiting for us when we got off, and she had quite the chuckle at our disheveled appearance.  We were, however, wet and a little cold, so rather than walk back, we ordered an Uber, which only took a couple of minutes to arrive.  We actually used Uber several times on this trip, in various cities, and the prices seemed even lower than in the States.  That surprised me, especially as gas was averaging $6 a gallon.

Our Boat Struggling To Get Back Into the Harbor

Just a Little Water Soaked

Back in the unit, we decided to do some laundry, and Anna and I both showered.  We had a special dinner and evening event planned, so with a couple of hours before we had to leave, we elected to start watching the second LotR movie -- The Two Towers -- on our unit's DVD player.  It was a very nice way to unwind.

Back at Our Unit

We drove back into town and parked at the base of the gondola stop.  The cable car had ended it's regular run for the day, and only people going up the mountain on special tickets were allowed.  That meant that there were plenty of parking spaces, which made it nice.  The ride up was relatively quick, though K and Anna both thought it was too steep for their liking.  On top, we visited  the huge viewing platform, for some great pictures, and then we had a buffet dinner in their restaurant.  I had pre-booked window-side seats, and the meal was -- clearly -- the best of our trip.  The selection was outstanding, and everything was so fresh.  We had assumed it would be cafeteria-like food, given that everything has to be ferried up and down, but it was anything but.  We had enjoyed a traditional New Zealand dessert (which we have since learned is also common in Australia and South Africa) called a Pavlova.  It is essentially a fresh meringue base, covered with fresh fruit.  Simple, but delicious, and the ones we had on this night were clearly the best.  We were all so full from the buffet, however, that we dared not eat another.

Heading Up the Mountain on the Gondola

View Down to Queenstown

Panorama of Queenstown

Dinner With a View

We lingered over the late dinner while the sun set, as we had booked a "stargazing experience," which was to begin at 11:00 pm.  It had been so windy and cloudy most of the day, we had low expectations that it would even take place.  We gathered around 10:45 pm and were told "we were a go."  They added that they had not been able to hold a session in almost two solid weeks, due to cloud cover.

We were offered -- and availed ourselves -- of down parkas, and then walked further up the mountain, out of the restaurant, until we reached the summit, and then went down a little ways on the far side, to a viewing platform, where telescopes were set up.  Queenstown is known for outstanding views of the night sky, and on the far side of the mountain, we were further shielded from the lights of the town.  Our guide explained the southern sky to us, what was only vieweable from the southern hemisphere, and she helped us orient ourselves, as the constellations with which we were familiar, were all upside down and lopsided.  Using a laser, she would point to objects in the sky, and then set up the telescopes so we could take turns looking.  It was fun, but will admit to being very tired by the time we wrapped up.  It was well after midnight by the time we rode the gondola back down and drove back to the hotel.  No problems sleeping this night, at all.