When Trish and I planned our trip we
We said our farewells to Pamela the night before so we didn’t need to wake her before the crack of dawn. We packed, made the bed, and snuck out before the sun rose.
It was a very rainy morning so our flight was slightly delayed.
The international terminal at Sydney is only set up to accommodate large planes and we had a small plane for the jump back to New Zealand. That meant they had to bus us out onto the tarmac to board, which would have been OK, except for the rain! We were all a bit soaked by the time we made if from the bus, up the stairs, and inside the aircraft!
The flight to Queenstown was actually faster than from Auckland (and we made up time in the air) so we didn’t arrive too late. Plus, the weather was MUCH better when we arrived!
We’re staying at the QT Queenstown, which is very conveniently located and has a gorgeous view (not that there are any bad views around here).
The hotel is built into a hill, so you actually enter on Floor 8. At first I was afraid we’d have to walk up and down that hill to get to and from town, but there’s another exit on the lake side that has a flat path to town.
Or room is neat and has a teeny tiny balcony.
We even saw the TSS Earnslaw steam past (which we’ll be taking later this week)!
We decided to have dinner at the hotel and call it an early night since we had to get up so early for our flight. The main restaurant looked cool, with its various chef stations, but the menu happened to be fried American foods and smoked meats. We opted to eat at the bar, Reds, instead.
Unfortunately, the food was just OK. The only standout dish was the razor shaved octopus Trish ordered.
White bean hummus and veggies 
Smoked fish croquettes 
Lobster roll 
Razor shaved octopus
I finally got a true New Zealand hit-you-in-the-face-with-pineapple-and-grapefruit sauvignon blanc and Trish had a chili mojito.
The spectacular view made up for the less than spectacular food. We also found three different examples of the different “styles” of mountains we encountered earlier this year in a wedding style quiz from The Knot. The idea of “casual mountains” continues to crack us up.
Casual Mountain 
Classic Mountain 
Majestic Mountain
After dinner I enjoyed a luxurious soak in the tub, which is actually long enough for me to stretch out fully. I was in heaven! Afterwards, I snuggled up in a robe and enjoyed the sunset view.
