Queenstown Rain

Friends and family,

Weather: Cloudy and rainy. Temperatures around 50 degrees.

Today our group enjoyed a free day in Queenstown. This city is definitely a tourist area, filled with visitors from all across the world. Along with the tourists come very high prices! Everything is very expensive and the town is one of the greatest marketing giants I have ever seen.

The morning began with six of us heading to the Queenstown booking center for our 9:30 a.m. Shotover Jet Boat experience. This involves a "Big Red" jet boat that has two Buick engines that generate 500 horsepower and move 750 liters of water per second to propel the boat and it's 14 passengers. The jet boats operate in the magnificent Shotover River Canyon, just outside of Queenstown. The river was high this morning and the weather was cloudy and rainy. It was unbelievable how close the jet boat driver got to the walls of the canyon as we cruised at 40 km/h down the river. The boat even provided numerous 360 degree spins. As many others from the UNL and Missouri groups enjoyed bungee jumping or sky diving, I felt that this was "high adventure" enough for me. I try not to climb anything higher than a grain bin. This means skydiving from 15,000 feet or bungee jumping from 134 meters were definitely out of the question.

When we returned from the jet boat adventure we spent time touring around downtown Queenstown. This provided an option for staying out of the rain. After grabbing lunch at a favorite local restaurant, Fergburgers, we stopped in at a local rugby tournament. It took me a while to get the hang of how the game is played. It is extremely rough! No pads, just an all out free for all. The game were an enjoyable and affordable way to spend the afternoon.

This evening we had a barbecue. Our coach drivers for the trip helped grill bratwurst and the cooking committee fried potatoes and provided ice cream. Tomorrow morning we start out with breakfast at 6:15 a.m. and the bus is leaving at 7:00 a.m. for Milford Sound. According to my high school agricultural education instructor, Mr. Spencer, it is a great sight.

Take care mates,

Matt