We drove to Queenstown today. We went over the Crown Range - by accident because I wanted to avoid it!
http://www.newzealand.com/int/feature/the-crown-range/
I figured I would drive Lauren crazy as we rode the ridge, but it didn't seem nearly as bad as the drive up Mt Washington in New Hampshire. Maybe it's the Lyrica, or maybe it's that Lauren has learned to accept my fears, or a combination ... No matter, it was outstandingly beautiful. I don't think I would go up Mt Washington again, but surely I would ride the Crown Range road to Queenstown again and again !
Queenstown is a lovely, lovely town. I could stay there for a few days this time of year, soak in the sights on the beautiful lake, and enjoy some great people-watching experiences. In fact, I would like to spend an entire spring here in New Zealand.
There were a lot of people from Asia there. It must be a popular destination for them, just as Waikiki is for Japanese. I had a really nice conversation with a sweet young man from China who had obtained a work visa and worked in a gift shop that catered to New Zealand products. I bought four hand lotions that I will use as gifts when we are back home. He told me about the process of obtaining his visa, his single-parent Mom still at home, his wife who was his university mate, and his hopes to go back home in four years and hopefully become a parent and give his Mom a grandchild. His wife isn't so sure about that, but he said he told her he would do all the parenting. 😊. He was such a nice young man.
We came back through Cromwell, bypassing the Crown Range, and the elevation change (lower) was remarkable. I didn't realize we had driven that much higher, but we obviously had. The Cromwell road area looks like a major fruit orchard and wine valley, but we didn't see much of interest when we drove through the town.
On the way to Cromwell, though, as we entered wine country, we did stop at a wine tasting place and purchased samples of three. The rosé was an award winner, and no doubt deserved the honor. It was my favorite.
Home again, we shared a serving of microwave lasagna and a salad, and then we settled down for the night.
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