New Zealandisms

December 31st, 2002 at 12:00am

It’s another beautiful sunny day in Queenstown, great weather for New Year’s Eve! I’m sitting in the waiting room of the medical clinic in town, waiting for desperately needed drugs to save me from the terrible hayfever I’ve had ever since landing in NZ. I just couldn’t take the itchy eyes and stuffy head anymore. My new friend Sharlene was nice enough to make the appointment for me AND drop me off at the clinic while she runs some errands. She’s also invited me to spend New Year’s with her, her boyfriend Kent, and some of their friends on an overnight trip to the Routeburn Track and I’m definitely looking forward to it. We’re all meeting up sometime this afternoon to start the hike up the track.

Yesterday I went into the bustling town center (full of tourists and holiday makers) to run some errands and then Sharlene met me later to go for a hike in the afternoon. We drove out to Arrowtown to do a really nice 2-hour walk up a valley and down a river on the other side. The weather was perfect again and it was a great day for being outside.

We were having a laugh actually over the Kiwi’s definition of going for a ‘walk’ which can mean anything from a 2-hour stroll to a 6-hour climb up a mountain. Then, when we came down to the river there was a 4-wheel drive truck going right up the center of the river and I said what are they doing are Sharlene said, ‘oh just going for a drive’. It’s a different world down here.

Entry Filed under: Hiking/Trekking,New Zealand,Queenstown