Wanaka to Queenstown
Our next stop is Queenstown. Only about an hour or so drive from Wanaka, so we're not in a huge rush. Courts has been itching to go on another hike since our last epic one in Franz, so we head for a short one (various over 30s injuries amongst the group) not far from Wanaka, which promises views of Diamond Lake. It's short and steep with a bunch of stairs and an amazing view of the lake.
Next stop is Arrowtown, a quaint little town Courts is keen to check out. It's been a hot minute since we had a pie, so that's our first port of call when we arrive in Arrowtown. The pies are the best we have had so far and the town is a cross between old western and Stars Hollow. It's right up Courts' alley. Fuelled by pies and ice cream (and the threat of rain clouds) we finally make tracks for Queenstown.
We arrive late afternoon and drop our bags at the Air BnB. The scenery is phenomenal, as we've come to expect everywhere we go. The girls have been craving ramen for days now so we head for a highly rated ramen restaurant. It has a line (good sign), but the line has not moved after 20 mins (bad sign). We decide to come back another day when it's not as busy. Next, we head to Fergburger, a Queenstown institution. The line here makes the last one look like child's play. We put this one on our list for another day as well and settle on Lonestar instead.
We're not quite ready to turn in yet and we hear there is a casino, so off we go. It's a Monday night and it's pretty busy, however they only have two tables open. We ask about it and its due to being understaffed (which we've noticed is a common theme, most places having signs in the window looking to hire). We loiter around until a seat frees up at the Blackjack table and add a couple of chips to the collection and a few less dollars from the bank account.
Still not ready to head home, we find a craft beer bar boasting 23 beers on tap. It would be rude not to, so we head on up and sample a few and are impressed with everything we try. NZ craft beer game is strong. So far, so good Queenstown!