HELLLLLLOOOO AUSTRALIA!
We write to you from sunny Queenstown, after 2 days of
fairly solid rain. We woke this morning
to clear blue skies and a light dusting of snow on the mountains in the
Queenstown bowl. The weather has been a
welcome change and brightened our spirits, allowing all activities to progress
as normal.
But first, back to NYE! The 31st was a free day in Auckland, and the cracking weather
meant Venturers spent the day sightseeing and cramming a lot in. The Hobbit, filmed and made in New Zealand,
was a popular choice, as was the 220m Auckland Tower. Last minute purchases of costumes and gear
left at home were completed, and focus soon turned to the party.
NYE itself was an amazing night. The Uni Hall Dining Room was cleared and
converted into Auckland’s premier nightclub, with one of the best DJs in the
country. The theme of Aussie Beach Park
produced a range weird and wonderful outfits, with everyone embracing the
spirit and having a good laugh along the way.
The countdown wound down pretty quickly, and before we knew it midnight
was upon us. As we said on the night –
forget Sydney, Tokyo, Paris, London and New York – Auckland got it first and we
made it the place to be!!!
The bump out of Auckland on NYD was a slick operation that went
incredibly smoothly, even though the bus left at 4:30am. All the Venturers
were patient and cooperative considering the situation, and we pay particular
tribute to the Contingent Team and Leaders (Including yours truly!) that stayed
up for 40+hours straight in order to make sure things went smoothly. We all arrived in Queenstown without incident, and after dinner we all went to bed early to be ready for activities the next day!
What would happen next?
Would everyone wake up in time? (mostly). Would the rain clear?
(eventually). Would everyone continue to
have an absolute ball? (yes). Would Queenstown live up to the hype?
(definitely!)……
…. Tune in next time for the complete update to bring you up
to speed with the latest comings and goings!
Talk soon,
Rob and Kusi.
Thanks Kusi and Rob. Wish we knew what NZV181 was spending all OUR money on... was it a costume for the ball? He is no Cinderella, just the Pumpkin. Or perhaps jumpers and coats for the snow since he left his Contingent Hoodie at home ..... Hope you two are getting into fun mode too. Regards, NZV181 Mum and Dad
ReplyDeleteAny updates for the weekend?
ReplyDelete