Days 46-47 Queenstown

Two hole zero days.

Oh a rest day! I could cry with happiness. Not even one rest day, two!

Saturday meant sleeping in, going out for breakfast, washing clothes, drying out tents and resupply.

I think Conny, Ivan and I sat at Vudu & Larder cafe for about 3 hours. Eating and drinking good long black after good one. Don't ever think the TA is a cheap walk. You eat poor on trail and then live like a rich King in towns it's actually horrifying. (Still not checking my bank balance, eek)

The 5 of us couldn't believe that our idea we had weeks and weeks ago in Hanmer Springs about a dinner/night out it we all end up in Queenstown was actually happening. And not just that, the fact the 5 of us were still together and not yet sick of anyone, moreso just loving every individual more for what they bring to the group.

A French bartender, an Austrian physics PhD/mountaineer, an Austrian Primary Teacher/Ski instructor, a Kiwi Emergency Management specialist and an Australian Town Planner. 5 very different personalities, 5 unique people and somehow it just works!

As discussed in Arrowtown we hit the op shops to find an outfit but to save embarrassment we shopped for ourselves. $10 was still the limit.

I also headed back out to Frankston to catch up with a friend from home, Mel, who now lives there. It was so nice to sit on a couch in a home for an hour! I had sent some of my things there to collect post trail which included limited makeup - bb cream, mascara & blush. I took them back to the dorm and the three of us got ready for a night out for the first time in 6 weeks.

My face has only had sunscreen and limited moisturiser on it for 6 weeks. It's so good not to wear makeup each day!

Getting ready to go out, Ivan and I realised our outfits matched a little too well. It was really interesting because none of us have ever seen each other in our everyday life clothes or what we would normally just look like clean and fresh. We only know the hiker version of each other.

We had a few wines before dinner since we had 5 bottles to get through in a day and then went for a lovely civilised dinner at Madam-woo.

Afterwards we headed to a bar for a shot of tequila to celebrate making it to Queenstown and while walking alongside the lake I passed a group of couples around 70years old. I over heard the man carrying a heavy box say 'where are the homeless people to give this to?' my ears pricked up, 'what is it?'.

'A very heavy $400 birthday cake we don't want!'. Before saying I will have it, I asked whose birthday it was and it was his wife's Sue's 70th. We all said Happy Birthday to Sue and in that moment I was now holding the remains of Sues tennis themed birthday cake. It had tennis balls on it and Ivan picked one off and bit straight into it while the man quickly got out the words 'no you can't eat.....' and with the mouthful of styrofoam Ivan now had, we realised we can't eat the tennis balls.

And off they walked leaving us with half a $400 cake.

Oh my goodness I was so excited. We straight away sat down and started devouring into it. But like the civilised hikers we are all dressed up looking semi ok we sat and pulled it apart with our hands because that's all we have. The cake was also heavily food coloured green and Ivan and I would discover it stains your hands and your clothes.

The others decided to call it a night but Ivan and I headed out for a few more G&T's and some terrible dancing.

Sunday involved more food and general meandering around Queenstown. I chilled out a bit by the lake before Laura and I headed to do the Shotover Jet. Would you believe when we get there it absolutely buckets down rain and the boats are cancelled for the afternoon so back to town we go. The little boat was the closest Laura could get to a ride.

The rain cleared and I headed down to the waterfront for fish and chips minus the fish so basically potato cakes and chips haha. Ivan, Laura and David joined me and then a guy came and sat on the wall next to me. Ivan and I looking at what he was wearing - rain pants and Brooks, we were like he's got to be a TAer. Of course I asked and he was. A NoBo'er called Duncan. Such a great guy. He's in training for one of the world's toughest ultra marathons in April - the Sahara ultra in Morocco. It's absolutely mental that ultra. We then got chatting about Morocco which was nice.

Ivan was being as annoying with me as ever and so David and I put him in time out on the beach for 10minutes silence before being like his parents and rewarding him with gelato after. Honestly the games and scenarios we make up on trail is so ridiculous it's funny.

There was a classical piano player busker playing and we stood and ate our ice creams listening. I've never been more moved by live piano playing a very very sad song as I was there. I wasn't sad for long because Ivan declared 'this is the worst ice-cream decision in his life's and that made me happy. David and I both tried it and he was right he couldnt even give away his ice cream.

Ren x