Queenstown - Skyline Gondola

Oyster Moon
Paul Foskett & Rhu Nash
Mon 28 Oct 2013 05:17

Queenstown is full of young people.  This is called the adventure capital of NZ.  You can do anything here, well almost, ski, luge, cycle, white water rafting, jet boating, river sledging, canyoning, walk, skydive, hang glide, kayak, water ski, sail.  I’m sure there must be more.  We took the Skyline Gondola (cable car) above Queenstown.   Gladys clenches her buttocks.

 

 

Lovely day and spectacular views of Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu below. The Gondola viewing point is 790m above sea level and 456m above Queenstown.  Lake Wakatipu is 77km long, 5km at its widest and 372m at its deepest.,

 

 

LHS Queenstown Bay and Remarkables.  RHS valley between Crown and Criffel Ranges that leads to Wanaka.

 

 

The Remarkables in the distance.  Cecil Peak is the highest point at 1974m.  The next highest is Walter Peak (1915m) which you can just about make out n the far distance of the RHS picture.

 

 

Snow had started to melt, walking between the fir trees was like being in the rain.  Couldn’t walk really far as very slushy. 

 

 

Here’s a couple of artistic ‘tree in flower’ shots.

 

 

Hang gliding.  I would have tried this but Paul didn’t want to jump off a cliff face.

 

 

The luge

 

 

Me watching the hang gliding

 

 

The little black and white tripod is a geodetic mark – fancy word for a surveying benchmark.

 

 

Nice bit of tussocky grass and a handsome man.

 

 

Signpost home. RHS This sign tells pilots where they can and cannot fly.  Bit late if you were in a plane but hey.

 

 

He’s ‘armless.

 

 

Paul on the way down.  The sign says ‘Visitors.  This gondala may slow or even stop.  Don’t be alarmed we wiill have you inderway as soon as possible.’