Fri 29 Jan - On to Queenstown

This quilting business is like a secret society, you go to one shop and they tell you about another, and they put you on to yet another and so on – they obviously work in cells so that no-one has the overall picture! Anyway, needless to say en route to Queenstown we managed to find another Quilt Shop way in the outback up a dirt and road. After much admiring of quilts and materials and discussion about things that mere men have no knowledge we exited with the customary brown bag and password for the next shop!
When we arrived in Queenstown via the steep and twisting Cardrona Pass we were immediately impressed with its location. It is at the head of Lake Wakatipu, nestled below and climbing up the sides of a two hills and with views across to the range of mountains known as ‘The Remarkables’ – idyllic. The town itself is very lively, full of young people and with much going on at all times. The waterfront has a promenade made for people watching and is backed by restaurants, bars and coffee shops with buskers adding atmosphere. Half of the ‘shops’ in town appeared to be booking offices for one adventure experience or another and the others were either souvenir shops, camping/trekking/watersports clothing outlets or purveyors of art and craft galleries/shops. We ended up staying in Queenstown rather than the slightly more upmarket Arrowtown nearby because with the New Zealand Open golf tournament in full ‘swing’ close by, accommodation was scarce.