OUR MEGA QUEENSTOWN UPDATE: Days 6, 7 & 8

Bleary eyed and certainly not bushy-tailed, we arrived in Queenstown on New Years Day. It was very different to Auckland, with poor weather and cold temperatures helping to blow away the effects of an all-nighter.  The sheer numbers of our Contingent meant that we were split across 7 flights throughout the day – the first leaving at 7am and then every hour after that until 1pm.  We spent the first day of 2013 based in the Queenstown Ice Rink, which was our lunch hub and allowed Venturers to head out into town. 

It took a little longer than planned to check into the accommodation as our rooms weren’t quite ready, but everyone was housed and happy in the end. The patience and cooperation of the whole group after a particularly long day was impressive.  After movies in both dining halls, it was off to bed to catch up on some sleep and get ready for an action-packed few days!

The morning of the 2^nd marked the first chance to for Venturers to complete the optional activities, as well as the included pursuits offered by the Contingent.  Unfortunately the weather remained poor, and for safety reasons a couple of operators had to postpone activities to the following days.

All the activities were very well received.  Venturers had the opportunity to do Parasailing – being towed behind a boat 25m above the water; Mountain Biking – a day of extreme tracks and offroading; White Water Rafting – down grade 3 and 4 rapids; Jetboating – either the Shotover or Karawua Rivers; Nevis Swing – the biggest swing in the world, with an arc of 320m in a 220m canyon.  Others included the Treetop Zipline – flying foxes slung amongst the forest and across canyons; Cruise – a 90min ride on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu; and the Skyline Gondola and Luge – a cable car up to the top of the mountain, and buggy style karting down it.  The Rover-designed and Leader-run Amazing Race also provided lots of challenges and entertainment, with two teams collecting the prize of $200 per team, or $50 each!!  As well as all the above extreme adrenaline and adventure stunts, the Venturers were given free time to explore Queenstown across all of the days, with the freedom of the unstructured sightseeing being enjoyed by all the Venturers.  Many took the chance to check out other little activities and well as  to stock up on souvenirs. 

Regular Contingent meetings helped things run smoothly, and kept everyone up to date with the day-to-day arrangements.  Days were busy and fairly hectic, with kids coming and going between activities both on and offsite.  The weather improved dramatically on the 3^rd, and we woke to a cracking day and a dusting of snow from the previous night.  This meant postponed activities could run, and the schedule tightened that little bit more!  Movie and games each night provided a nice social environment to cap off each day. 

Our special group of 50 went off to Milford Sound on the morning of the 4^th, and had a spectacular day and night despite some inclement weather.  All were very grateful of the chance to visit one of the true great natural wonders of the world, and the photos are truly something.

It was awesome to see the reactions of all the Venturers as they saw more and more of the city and its surrounds.  The scenery and terrain is spectacular, and presented an unique contrast with the rolling green hills of the North Island.  Our accommodation at the ski lodges of Reavers and Pinewood was nestled at the foot of rugged mountains and still only 5 mins walk from the centre of the city.  Queenstown has provided a sensational base for the Contingent to unpack, wash and regroup.

It was also the ideal place to receive our Non-Pretour Venturers, who arrived on two planes on the day of the 4th. Most of them had the chance to squeeze in a quick visit in town, before heading off to our welcome event at the Queenstown Aquatic Centre.  We all rotated between the pool and slides; the grassy playing fields; and the indoor courts.  While all were good, the most popular station was dinner – which lived up to the promise as best meal of the trip. Served straight onto massive tables, the crackling pork, roasted lamb and jelly-bean-filled (Australian) pavlova went down a treat, and had all 500+ mouths quiet for once!!  The extra 100 members fitted in seamlessly, and we were a much bigger happy family once again!

The morning of the 5^th went incredibly smoothly, with the contingent already briefed and ready to go the night before.  All 534 members had their rooms checked, bags loaded and were scanned onto one of 10 buses in under an hour, without so much as a raised voice.  Throw in the collection of lost property and the distribution of snacks, and the accommodation guys had never seen anything like it!  From there it was off to the Venture site at Riverton, with the three hour drive a mixture of wonder at the landscape and the need to grab sleep at any chance.  Arrival at Riverton was smooth, with check-in completed fairly quickly.  From there the Venturers went straight off into expedition groups, and all the excitement of Phase 1 of the Venture kicked in. It is from there that we will continue in the next edition of Kusi and Rob's Venture South Blog!!!

Until then, as we say to the kids: have fun and behave!

Rob and Kusi