Queenstown Adventures - Graemes 30th

In May we were lucky enough to spend 4 nights in Queenstown, without the kids! Just us!! The kids were happy as can be with their grandparents, and we were living it up large with Hilton Hotel Life.

So, I never realised that hotel people do all your dishes. That was such a surprise to me. I need to get out more! haha! / become so wealthy I never need to do dishes again. It was like living in a dream! 

Anyway, 5 nights away, what a dream come true. We had been squirreling away money for the last year for this trip, as a big Happy 30th Birthday to the man of our house, so we could have some time away from our house! Graeme was also blessed by a lot of his friends for his birthday, with cash towards adventures in Queenstown. 

We planned to live up large, eat out and buy desserts, drink coffee and wander the streets and do as many adventurey things as we could. It turns out, we ticked all of those boxes.

The highlight for me was definitely Milford Sound. It's about 3.5 hours drive from Queenstown, so it really does take up a whole day; leaving in the morning, going on a cruise around lunch time, then returning home after dinner. It was a big day and we were shattered by the end of it. I think that was the one night we got takeaways and crashed in bed. 

But Milford sound, what a beautiful, stunning part of the world. Breathtaking. Even the drive there, I wish we had spent more time stopping off to take in the views. So much beauty and goodness that is so refreshing for the soul.

We went on a Jucy Cruise which was, I assume, just as good as all of the other cruises on offer. All up about 2 hours on the boat. 

I was lucky enough to end up at the front of the boat and was doused in water from a waterfall. It was a happy accident, and from then on we stayed at the front of the boat and loved our cruise. Much better to be out in the fresh air, although it was FREEZING cold. Wind chill felt like it was in the minus'! Still, I sipped my red wine, bathed in the sunlight and thanked God for all of these moments. 

Those last 2 photos above were from a video we took. We tried to get a photo of us and the waterfall, except the wind was all up in thurrr. You can see the video on my Instagram here.

Following that we spent our time in Queenstown on the shot over river (above). I had been on it as a kid, in which I had thought for sure we were certain for death, but it wasn't nearly as scary as I had remembered. Still, thrilling none the less. Graeme "woohoo"'d his way down the river, and it was a joy for me to see him having fun (while I held on for dear life).

We ate Fergburger, Winnies Pizza, drank lunch time beers and wines, sat by fire sides, talked about silly things from my "conversation starters" (which were a great idea to take, when you're wanting to talk about things other than kids, but your life only consists of kids). 

Speaking of kids, we almost forgot they existed. And when we phoned them they said "we need to make you a card, can we hurry up and say goodbye now?" So never mind them.

On our departing eve, we found the local c3 Church and treated ourselves to a couple massage which was divine. We finished off the day by eating a ridiculously expensive meal which was a ridiculously huge hunk of steak, and drank from a ridiculously large wine glass. Ridiculous. All of it. 

What is this life?

*Sigh* Last day and time to go home. 6 hours later in the car and we were ready for our own beds. But I definitely could have stayed in that dream bubble for a little longer.

Thank you to Nannie & Poppa, Grandad Jimmy & Colly for all of the Baby Sitting hours you racked up! And to all of our friends who put in for our adventures!

Lots of memories made. Thank you. 

Happy Birthday Graeme! xx