Visiting New Zealand for the second time, my initial plan was to trek the beautiful Milford Sound – the 8th wonder of the world. But New Zealand weather is considered “unpredictable” – meaning that nothing can be predicted and it was only close to the departure date that I learned that the trekking trip was canceled due to bad weather. Feeling disappointed, I decided to change my itinerary to Queenstown and did not expect that just a few days later, I would be “captivated” by Queenstown immediately!
The Queen's Residence
It is said that in the late 19th century, the first British settlers to settle in the South Island of New Zealand exclaimed: “This place should be the Queen’s residence.” The name Queenstown originated from that, not because of the ancient castles in movies or in imagination.
From Wanaka to Queenstown, I chose the Crown Range - a high-altitude route with majestic landscapes. The view from the top of the pass will help you take in the whole poetic Queenstown, while I was as absent-minded as a fool peeking at my first love. That was when the weather gradually changed from autumn to winter, and also when nature put on its most brilliant colors.
Along the mountainside, there are coniferous forests and golden grasslands covering everything. I clicked my tongue, it is true that only Mother Nature has such excellent painting ability, waving countless colors of yellow, blue, red, orange, both spontaneous and harmonious.
The car meandered down the valley and headed towards the helipad. I was extremely excited about my first experience here: Seeing the whole view of Queenstown from the top of the snowy mountain by helicopter. The tour lasted about 30 minutes, with 20 minutes of going up and down and 10 minutes for visitors to enjoy the majestic scenery on the top of the mountain. Only when you go up high can you see the grandeur of Lake Wakatipu - the longest lake in New Zealand. I remember that day was a beautiful sunny day, Wakatipu gently curved around the snowy mountain ranges like a blue silk ribbon and the sun was dancing on my shoulders.
Cuisine of the upper class
After my aerial tour, I headed back downtown and headed to Fergburger to refuel. The humble shop on Shotover Street was voted the best hamburger shop in the world by CNNGo, a travel website in the US.
It took me 20 minutes of queuing and another 10 minutes of waiting before I could enjoy the giant burger. The crispy, charred crust, the golden cheese, the fragrant beef and the richness of the signature sauce all blended together in my mouth, making me feel like I was melting. The best place to enjoy this burger is perched on the shores of Lake Wakatipu in the late afternoon, when the city lights are about to come on and the street performers start playing their merry tunes.
When it comes to Queenstown, we have to mention the vineyards with traditional wine recipes. I can recommend Amisfield Winery & Bistro, which owns one of the largest farms in the area and is also where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge came to enjoy premium wine during their visit in April 2014. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor areas, if the weather is not too cold, choose a wooden table under the trees and admire the beautiful scenery right in front of your eyes. Besides the excellent wine flavor, each dish here is made from local food sources with delicate aesthetics and trains diners to be patient to enjoy. Therefore, do not be surprised if a meal will last about 2 hours.
Queenstown - a place to test your senses
If Queenstown was just a gentle beauty, I would not have been so fascinated. Nature has endowed Queenstown with many special terrains with steep cliffs, deep canyons, winding rivers, this place is known as the adventure paradise of the world when creating many exciting adventure games with many levels of heart-pounding. As an adventure enthusiast, I could not ignore experiencing as many challenges as possible here.
Starting with the seemingly “light” Shotover Jetboat game: Speed challenge by jet-powered jetboat on the Shotover River. Visitors will board the boat in groups and be equipped with waterproof jackets as well as safety buoys. After the opening act, there are turns on the calm river, the canoe accelerates and rushes into the rocky river area. Sometimes the canoe rotates 360 degrees or seems to crash into the cliff next to it and then makes a beautiful curve through the next river within 5 seconds. It was only for a split second but at that moment my heart stopped beating and I did not dare to leave the handrail. However, it cannot be denied that just once you dare to immerse yourself in this bravery-testing game, you will understand what it feels like to be scared but fascinated. You will feel “out of energy” after about 20 minutes of screaming your heart out on the Shotover River.
Even now, when I recall the feeling of standing at Kawarau Bridge that morning to prepare for Bungy Jumping, my heart still beats fast. Imagine you are stepping on the edge of a bridge without handrails, below is a deep abyss, your heart is pounding and your mind seems to have flown to another land, that is the feeling when immersing yourself in the world of bungy. Many people have come here and participated in this game as a way to challenge themselves. The most nerve-wracking moment is the decisive moment: jump - or - not jump. Just one step and your feeling is completely from the bottom of the abyss to the top. When stepping into the void, your heart seems to stop beating, suddenly full of vitality as if liberated, the jump plunges down, then bounces up many times. You will have the feeling of "I can fly - I am flying" freely amidst the beautiful scenery of nature.
On my last night in Queenstown, I rewarded myself with a lake cruise on the legendary Earnslaw. This 105-year-old steamship, built in the same year as the Titanic, is affectionately nicknamed “Lady of Lake Wakatipu” by the locals. After the whistle blew, the ship gently glided across the water, with the city sparkling in the distance under the brilliant lights. Inside the ship, the passengers were bustling with music and entertainment like a scene from an American movie from the 1900s. I walked towards the bow of the ship, through the cockpit where the sailors were busy putting coal into the stove and enjoying the gentle breeze, suddenly feeling a little sad as if I was about to leave my lover.
I always believe that every place I go, every person I meet is a destiny, and that destiny has brought me here. The day I left New Zealand, Queenstown welcomed the first snowflakes signaling the arrival of the winter god and I knew that: I will return to this place to visit the "queen" of my heart.
MORE INFORMATION
-Trip:Air travel is the only way for you to travel from Vietnam to New Zealand. Currently, in Vietnam, there are many airlines with transit flights to New Zealand such as: Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar, Qantas, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines... Especially, from June 28 to October 28, 2018, visitors can fly directly from Saigon to Auckland by Air New Zealand on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
-Visa:Visitors can visit the New Zealand Embassy website for more information: www.nzembassy.com.
- Vehicle:
+ Transportation in New Zealand is very convenient and civilized. You can travel by any means of transport such as cars, motorbikes, bicycles, buses, trains... However, you should choose cars or motorbikes because New Zealand has many beautiful roads and traffic laws are not too strict.
+ If you want to rent a car to drive yourself, you can contact Gorental (http://www.gorentals.co.nz/) which specializes in renting tourist cars from 4 to 9 seats. The rental price is about 20 - 90 USD/day.
- Accommodation:In New Zealand there are many forms of accommodation for you to choose from: hostels (dormitories), farmstays, hotels, homestays, camping… You can stay in any form you like.
- Cuisine: New Zealand has many typical dishes that you should not miss, such as dishes with soft meat, dairy, seafood desserts, ripe fruits and vegetables especially kiwi, white wine, natural sea salt, chocolate, chutney, dipping sauces...
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