Queenstown in a heat wave

The four of us - George, Michael, Hugh and myself met up at the main YHA in Queenstown. It was great to have got over the 14 hr flight from YVR to Auckland. It needed one day just to rest a bit but it has not stopped us from experiencing Queenstown. It earns the title “The adventure capital of the world” when you see the amazing amount of activities that the youth of the world partake in. We have done our grocery shopping for the Kepler tramp, have eaten out for dinner each evening (restaurant food is expensive here), and have got to know each other. Yesterday we decided to do a hike up to the top of the Gondola (instead of riding), which Hugh and I did four years ago. This year the enthusiasm of the group led us to go further up to the “saddle” of the Ben Lomond trail. We hiked 15 KM and ascended 1080 meters. This afternoon we take a bus to Te Anau. We are in the middle of a heat wave. Yesterday it was 31C here in Queenstown.