Where to start. Well it's been a long time since my last post. And I suppose having a good time has been getting in the way! I flew home to Ireland on August 8th and am only getting the chance to catch up with my blog now - finally! My last few months in New Zealand were filled with memories I can't even describe. Leaving was difficult, but necessary, and since I've been home I'm appreciating what a beautiful place I live in and what wonderful friends and family I have.
SO - Queenstown! Such a wicked little town full of vibrant people, magical scenery and hidden treasures. Known as the Southern Hemisphere’s premier four season lake and alpine resort, this gem of a spot is surrounded by majestic mountains and sits on the shores of the crystal clear Lake Wakatipu. If you feel like going to a spa for a day to relax, I would recommend just going to Queenstown instead! Taking a walk here would revitalise a ninety year old shriveled prune.
A duck hanging out on the Lake front
View of the mountains
Queenstown Harbour
Queenstown Lakefront
I lived like a backpacker while traveling before arriving in Queenstown, but I still treated myself and made sure I had a good time. My funds at this point weren't abysmal - but I certainly needed to watch my spending and find some kind of work. The problem was this - every young person has heard about how amazing Queenstown is in winter, and every young person ascends on the town looking for work; many of them kiwis with no visa restrictions or other travelers with plenty of time left on their one / two year visa. I was not one of those people so finding work for the presumably short time I was there was near impossible. Luckily I secured myself work for accommodation in the lovely Bumbles Hostel, right on the lakefront. I worked three hours a day, five days a week and didn't have to pay a penny in rent. It was a combination of being in the right place at the right time and a bit of a slog on my part in looking for somehow to sustain myself that this came about. I was only in Queenstown three days and yet there were people like me there six weeks with out work and paying 160 dollars a week in rent....in a hostel! I was not going to be one of those people. I also got a little bit (well a tiny bit) of temping work through AWF, which made life a bit easier. I wanted to live in Queenstown and I was going to make it happen - there was no two ways about it.
View from our deck at Bumbles
Living in arguably the most beautiful city in the world was dream-worthy. Time was spent meeting old friends, making new ones, hiking, drinking tea, trying out new recipes, sitting at the lake-front, wishing I could afford to go snowboarding (although there was very little snow), getting to know the inside of night clubs and pubs quite well (Searle Lane mostly), eating Fergburger at 4am, watching hockey games, laughing in the dungeon (our room at Bumbles), people-watching and reminiscing about my year in New Zealand and how it had impacted on my life. Time passed slowly by and I had the chance to think about the last twelve months, the next twelve months and what they would throw at me, and about my place as just one of seven billion people in this world. Things were uncertain, yet I was free, hopeful and happy.
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