adventures in Queenstown
This past weekend was my last full weekend in New Zealand and I chose to spend it in Queenstown - adventure capitol of the world!
Unfortunately, all my "adventure" budget got spent skydiving in Wanaka last weekend, so...I was left with very little to actually DO in Queenstown.
I did get to see some AMAZING things though - such as The Remarkables (a mountain range) and Lake Wakatipu
The only thing I had planned was going up the Skyline Gondola, riding a luge down a mountain and going to see the "Kiwi Haka" which is a Maori cultural performance. Riding the Luge down the mountain was WAY more fun than I thought it would be. For your first time down you had to ride the "scenic" course, which was slightly boring, but my second time I did the advanced course and THAT was fun.
The "Kiwi Haka" ended up being a lot of fun too. The performance was interesting, and they invited audience members up on stage to learn one of the "dance" moves, which is really one of the ways Maori used to train themselves for battle.
It was all quite interesting and VERY "cultural"...even if it was the fake tourist-y kind of culture.
On Sunday, I didn't have anything to do so I ended up walking around and spending WAY more money than I should have out of sheer boredom, then I rode a Steamship out onto Lake Wakatipu for lack of better things to do...it was SORT OF a waste of money (mostly because I didn't really need to do it), but at least it ate up enough time.
Now I'm back home in Dunedin and sitting at work with absolutely NOTHING to do. Because of the BLUEprint takeover, we haven't been taking on any new clients the whole time I've been here, which had led to the work the designers are doing slowly drying up. On Friday I literally had nothing to do - I asked every single person if they had anything for me to do and they didn't - it looks like everyone is scrambling to find things to occupy their time around here! The sales people have finally started selling again, but that means that more design work probably won't be needed for a little while (pretty much as soon as I leave is when more work will magically appear). This has left me incredibly bored and just sitting in front of a computer for 8 hours a day...I mean if they're going to pay me to literally just sit here and stare at my computer, I guess I can't complain too much, but I'd just hate for my last week working for BLUEprint to be completely unproductive.
SO FAR THIS SUMMER...(AUGUST08)
1. Have you had more than 5 different boyfriends/girlfriends?
Nope! Just the one!
2. Have you had your birthday?
Mine is not a summer birthday
3. Been to church?
HA!...hahahaha...uh, no. Unless visiting a Cathedral on Sunday counts...
4. Cried yet?
Only a couple of times, but generally not over anything serious (except the minor freakout I had a couple of days after my car accident)
5. Been to the movies yet?
"The Dark Knight", "The Incredible Hulk" & most recently "The Escapist" (which was the film I saw at the Dunedin Film Festival with Brian Cox starring! It was very very good)
6. Stayed up all night?
I don't know, maybe in all of the plane flying and jet lag I did stay up an entire day, but...I can't be sure.
7. Drank Starbucks?
Nooooo
8. Gone shopping?
Waaaay too much. I've reached a point where I'm not even buying stuff for myself...I'll get bored and go into stores and see stuff and go "OH! _____ would really like this" or "I should get this for _____". I have gotten some great stuff for myself though...most recently a shirt from Queenstown that says "Sweet As"...which...would only be funny for people who've been to New Zealand (yay inside jokes!)
9. Been camping?
It's felt like it a couple of times with the lack of indoor heating! But not technically, no.
10. Been to the beach?
I've been to MANY MANY beaches, though I haven't been swimming at all yet - that's for Australia!
11. Bought something for over $200?
Yes...waaaay too many things. The most expensive thing I bought was my skydiving experience for somewhere around $400 USD
12. Met someone new?
So many new people I can't even keep track of them1
13. Been out of state?
I've been "out of state" virtually the whole summer.
14. Gone snowboarding?
No, I could have this past weekend in Queenstown, but...I don't like snow.
15. Kissed someone?
Yes...MORE than one someone (figure that one out!)
16. Slept in someone elses bed?
Unless a hostel bed counts, no?
17. Snuck someone over?
No.
18. Snuck out ?
Yes...
19. Been to a bar?
So so many bars. The last one I was in was for the Tibet concert.
20. Lied?
Not significantly
21. Got in a car?
Got in a CAR ACCIDENT!
22. Been called a tease?
Yes :-D
23.Loved anyone?
Definitely
24. Done something you regret?
Not really
25. Last Person you hugged?
My tandem skydiver!
26. Last Person to call you?
Nate (who else is crazy enough to stay up till 3am just to talk to me)
27. Last time you took a bath?
when I was in Christchurch...what is it, three weekends ago now? It had a jacuzzi setting and everything, it was AWESOME.
28. When was the last time you felt stupid?
I can't actually recall...generally feeling stupid doesn't last long so it's hard to remember.
29. Who was the last person who saw you cry?
SAW me cry? Well...I actually don't know. I rarely cry in front of others.
30. Who was the last person who made you cry?
either Nate or myself.
31. Who was the last person you danced with?
a WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE at AJ & Anna's wedding - it's been that long.
32. What did you do today?
Woke up (actually before my alarm for once!), got ready and walked to work as the sun was rising over the hills of Dunedin - gorgeous. Now I'm at work sitting, doing absolutely NOTHING.
Unfortunately, all my "adventure" budget got spent skydiving in Wanaka last weekend, so...I was left with very little to actually DO in Queenstown.
I did get to see some AMAZING things though - such as The Remarkables (a mountain range) and Lake Wakatipu
The only thing I had planned was going up the Skyline Gondola, riding a luge down a mountain and going to see the "Kiwi Haka" which is a Maori cultural performance. Riding the Luge down the mountain was WAY more fun than I thought it would be. For your first time down you had to ride the "scenic" course, which was slightly boring, but my second time I did the advanced course and THAT was fun.
The "Kiwi Haka" ended up being a lot of fun too. The performance was interesting, and they invited audience members up on stage to learn one of the "dance" moves, which is really one of the ways Maori used to train themselves for battle.
It was all quite interesting and VERY "cultural"...even if it was the fake tourist-y kind of culture.
On Sunday, I didn't have anything to do so I ended up walking around and spending WAY more money than I should have out of sheer boredom, then I rode a Steamship out onto Lake Wakatipu for lack of better things to do...it was SORT OF a waste of money (mostly because I didn't really need to do it), but at least it ate up enough time.
Now I'm back home in Dunedin and sitting at work with absolutely NOTHING to do. Because of the BLUEprint takeover, we haven't been taking on any new clients the whole time I've been here, which had led to the work the designers are doing slowly drying up. On Friday I literally had nothing to do - I asked every single person if they had anything for me to do and they didn't - it looks like everyone is scrambling to find things to occupy their time around here! The sales people have finally started selling again, but that means that more design work probably won't be needed for a little while (pretty much as soon as I leave is when more work will magically appear). This has left me incredibly bored and just sitting in front of a computer for 8 hours a day...I mean if they're going to pay me to literally just sit here and stare at my computer, I guess I can't complain too much, but I'd just hate for my last week working for BLUEprint to be completely unproductive.
SO FAR THIS SUMMER...(AUGUST08)
1. Have you had more than 5 different boyfriends/girlfriends?
Nope! Just the one!
2. Have you had your birthday?
Mine is not a summer birthday
3. Been to church?
HA!...hahahaha...uh, no. Unless visiting a Cathedral on Sunday counts...
4. Cried yet?
Only a couple of times, but generally not over anything serious (except the minor freakout I had a couple of days after my car accident)
5. Been to the movies yet?
"The Dark Knight", "The Incredible Hulk" & most recently "The Escapist" (which was the film I saw at the Dunedin Film Festival with Brian Cox starring! It was very very good)
6. Stayed up all night?
I don't know, maybe in all of the plane flying and jet lag I did stay up an entire day, but...I can't be sure.
7. Drank Starbucks?
Nooooo
8. Gone shopping?
Waaaay too much. I've reached a point where I'm not even buying stuff for myself...I'll get bored and go into stores and see stuff and go "OH! _____ would really like this" or "I should get this for _____". I have gotten some great stuff for myself though...most recently a shirt from Queenstown that says "Sweet As"...which...would only be funny for people who've been to New Zealand (yay inside jokes!)
9. Been camping?
It's felt like it a couple of times with the lack of indoor heating! But not technically, no.
10. Been to the beach?
I've been to MANY MANY beaches, though I haven't been swimming at all yet - that's for Australia!
11. Bought something for over $200?
Yes...waaaay too many things. The most expensive thing I bought was my skydiving experience for somewhere around $400 USD
12. Met someone new?
So many new people I can't even keep track of them1
13. Been out of state?
I've been "out of state" virtually the whole summer.
14. Gone snowboarding?
No, I could have this past weekend in Queenstown, but...I don't like snow.
15. Kissed someone?
Yes...MORE than one someone (figure that one out!)
16. Slept in someone elses bed?
Unless a hostel bed counts, no?
17. Snuck someone over?
No.
18. Snuck out ?
Yes...
19. Been to a bar?
So so many bars. The last one I was in was for the Tibet concert.
20. Lied?
Not significantly
21. Got in a car?
Got in a CAR ACCIDENT!
22. Been called a tease?
Yes :-D
23.Loved anyone?
Definitely
24. Done something you regret?
Not really
25. Last Person you hugged?
My tandem skydiver!
26. Last Person to call you?
Nate (who else is crazy enough to stay up till 3am just to talk to me)
27. Last time you took a bath?
when I was in Christchurch...what is it, three weekends ago now? It had a jacuzzi setting and everything, it was AWESOME.
28. When was the last time you felt stupid?
I can't actually recall...generally feeling stupid doesn't last long so it's hard to remember.
29. Who was the last person who saw you cry?
SAW me cry? Well...I actually don't know. I rarely cry in front of others.
30. Who was the last person who made you cry?
either Nate or myself.
31. Who was the last person you danced with?
a WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE at AJ & Anna's wedding - it's been that long.
32. What did you do today?
Woke up (actually before my alarm for once!), got ready and walked to work as the sun was rising over the hills of Dunedin - gorgeous. Now I'm at work sitting, doing absolutely NOTHING.