Kristin Laura

We had big plans for the day, but our rafting trip was cancelled.  Instead we drove into town for lunch and a bit of souvenir shopping.  Something I really like about New Zealand is all the outdoor dining.  I think almost every eatery we've been to from roadside cafe to brewery to fine dining has had both indoor and outdoor seating.  When it rains, people either come inside or get closer to the umbrella.  The outdoor wood furniture is made of local woods in rich red tones and is very heavy.  After doing a bit of shopping (a few of you are hard to buy for), we went to Atlas Beer Cafe on the recommendation of the girl at the bungy jumping gift shop.  You've gotta get the inside info from the locals (which she probably wasn't).  Shawn opted for lunch, while I had breakfast because I couldn't pass up a last chance for smoked salmon. Seagull taking a break on the giant kiwi sculpture Atlas Pork belly sandwich with Chimichuri sauce and ja...

We left Te Anua this morning for the the final destination on our trip...Queenstown.  The countryside near Te Anua is very barren and dry looking compared to the green rolling hills we've seen during most of the trip.  The hills are covered with short tufting grasses and smaller bush-like trees, but still you see sheep hugging the hillside with their heads buried in the grass.  The wind was very strong in the valleys between the hills.  Eventually we emerged into greenery again and travelled along a beautiful lake. Devil's Staircase Lookout Outside Queenstown, we stopped in Gibbston Valley for lunch and wine tasting.  The area is known for Pinot Noir.  Gibbston Valley Winery had a great outdoor restaurant and a cheesery (we could all use more cheeseries) along with their tasting room.  We were lucky to finish our lunch before the rain came again. Shawn had fresh blue cod and potatoes with chorizo, and I had mushroom soup, bread, brie...