Adrenalin rush and the offer of a male strippers uniform

You just never know what’s going to happen next or what you’ll come across here in NZ!

Today’s weather was forecast to be the best of the days the tour’s stopping in Queenstown so it had to be the gondola Skyline ride.

Open the curtains in my room and this is the view!

Friends and family will tell you of my irrational fear of heights and in particular large structures held up by ‘string’ (or so it appears to me but it’s actually proper steel cables etc.) typified best by my dislike of the Dartford Bridge on the M25. I know it’s been there for years but one day…

You can just about see the string for the cable car as they climb vertically!

Anyway, loins girded the cable car to the top was uneventful and even calm for me (as I wasn’t looking down). But the views from the top were stunningly spectacular even for NZ! Sample glimpses follow…

Intriguingly there are various activities you can do at the top of this mountain – cycle down, paraglide off or even bungy jump (after all Queenstown is the world capital for such crazy things) but the one that looked the most sensible was the mountain top luge – or to be more precise a low slung carbon fibre moulded trolley with wheels and a brake which you could use as you hurtle down the preordained tracks.

So after watching others – including small children and aged others – managing to do this without risk to life or limb, it has to be done – not once but twice! But it meant each ascent up above the gondola was by ski-lift. Again, another structure held up by string! But it had to be done!

But wowee! Brilliant! Massive adrenaline rushes both times and fear of stringed structures probably allayed.

A walk around the centre of Queenstown after the gondola descent brought this exclusive group to a fancy dress/party goods shop since our tour leader is planning more fun and needed feathers, a hi-vis jacket and balloons! Heaven knows what’s in store!

Whilst browsing an elderly lady overheard our conversations as to what we were looking for and handed me a male strippers costume (or rather lack of it) to consider! The goods were returned to the shelves as I want to leave NZ next month with an unblemished character!