Adventure Capital of NZ ... Queenstown

Well, did make it to Queenstown in the dark, after several flooded road crossings....our little van had a luggage trailer at the back (Noel, my driver, frequently gets calls to bring people back to Dunedin from Queenstown, bikes and skiis and luggage galore)...... that I was sure would jack knife us into the flooding river at each crossing, but intrepid Noel laughed away my fears and forged ahead......I believe he is stuck here for a few days because he does not have chains for his van and they have closed parts of the road we travelled on .... only chains will get you through! Yes, I am Canadian, I knew that rain would metamorph into snow in the higher elevations :) Glad I am flying out rather than trucking it :) Will attempt a few picture postings before I leave NZ Tuesday morning, but with have hardly taken any due to the weather ...... should have though....the scenery here is astounding and Queenstown apparently is the adventure capital of the country.....a cross between Kelowna (for Lake Wakatipu) and Banff, mountains surrounding the tiny town .... which I have been told has around 20,000 full time residents....more later..... xo seija