The Alex & The Eleanor + 1

Tuesday January 8 2008
Queenstown (wine/river surfing)
Hot, cloudless blue sky.

Yesterday afternoon we finally got around to planning our time in QT (as they call it) and our first priority was a canyoning trip, which seems to be caving, but above ground – it’s the same mix of stuff - repelling, climbing, waist deep rivers and adding jumps and slides (and cutting the squeezes). Our guide for caving said to do the trip out of Wanaka, and since that trip rocked, we listened. They had 2 options, one being slightly more advanced then the other, with a couple bigger repels, but sadly it was booked for both of the days we had for adventuring. So we signed up for the easier one. There are closer canyoning trips (just out of QT), but this one is a full day and is recommended, so the easier one it is. But that’s all for tomorrow. Today is a bit of shopping (finally! decent shopping!) and wine tasting.
Central Otago, where QT is, is the newest wine growing region in NZ. Its much cooler then the other regions, and suppose to known for its Pinots. The area is also known for its cherries which are very much in season and bought in paper bags at roadside stands are quite fabulous (she types spitting out a pit).

Our first stop is Chard Farms, with an innocent seeming turn off from the main road – but I quickly realize this is no easy turn off. Its 2km of gravel road about 1-1/2 lane wide (but 2 way) that has been carved out of a hillside. A steep hillside. It’s a gussied up goat track. I very quickly regret putting Chard Farm on the list of places to try, but there isn’t anywhere to turn around. We get there eventually and settle in for the tasting – they have a decent sparkling and some nice pinot noir’s – Alex is really crazy about a couple of them. Sadly they do not export to the US, being too small yet. Hopefully soon. But certainly worth the (scary) drive.

Next is Peregrine, which I think is the best known in the US market from the area, at least I think I am pretty sure I had heard of it before we got here. The building is quite pretty, but the wines are fairly unimpressive for the cost, which is really pretty high for NZ wines. Most definitely an export wine, but not one I have interest in seeking out when I get hope.

Lastly, and quickly, we stop by Gibbston Valley Wines, which is the first and largest producer in the region, and happily for us has a neighboring cheese shop which will serve as lunch. Sadly pretty quickly I get the sense its more like Montana then Kim Crawford. They do a tasting of 4 wines, all of which were quite unexceptional. Alex did a vertical of Pinots – starting with a 2000. They were ok, I guess, but the 2002, the best of the lot, was over $60, and it wasn’t even close to that good. Sigh. And the cheese was ok, but didn’t come close to the Te Mata cheese place in Hawke’s Bay. Ah well, I will stick to cherries.

After our cheese plate we race back to town to put on swim suits meet the van for our afternoon adventure – River Surfing. We choose this over rafting because it seems that its not something you can do in many places. Something about the liability concerns of sending people down grade III rapids with a boogie board. We head out and drive a bit out the river where once again we get suited up with wet suits, and life jackets and flippers and helmets and our trusty boogie boards. We then head down to the river and get a bit on instruction (do what your leader tells you to do) and get in the water. Ok, I get the wet suit thing now. The river is cooold. We turn out into the current and immediately hit a rapid. It’s a little scary because I have no idea whats I’m doing, but I don’t get totally trashed its gives me some confidence. The entire way down the river is kinda like that – I never really catch on and there are too many of us (10) and enough people who aren’t good swimmers that it reminds me of a rugby scrum all the time – everyone piled into a little knot barreling down the river. At times it fun, at times its just frustrated as I get knocked around not by the river so much as everyone else. The nice thing about the company we went with is that they let you go down the run again – its about 6km and takes and 45 min and then they bus you back to the start and you do it over. Not everyone did it the second time – Alex included, the fins just weren’t working for him and without them you are totally out of control. I went down again and it was more fun, mostly because I had done it before, but also a lot because the group was only 6 so it was way more manageable. It was fun, but I like rafting better and I think it qualifies as one of those ‘I’d glad I did it once, but I don’t think I really need to do it again’ things. Which is weird, I would have expected to love anything that involves floating in a river.

We get back to town and have a bit of a relaxing soak in the hot tub at the hotel before heading out to dinner in a neighboring town – Saffron in Arrowtown. The place got good reviews and was recommended by a couple people and it starts out good, the service is friendly, the wine is pretty good. We get our appetizers, I got I got a crispy bacon and squid salad that was good but filled with cilantro, Alex got some duck and rice fritter things that he wasn’t crazy about, so we switched and were both happier I think. They are mad for cilantro here, even if they call it coriander. But why can’t you say it on the menu if it’s a major flavor ?!

But then we waited and waited and waited for the mains – probably close to 40 mins., and they were brought without a word of apology. I had the lamb, which was nice, and Alex had beef, which was fine, but not amazing. And then we waited and waited for the plates to be cleared and see a dessert menu. The waiter, we can see, is outside really chatting with another table the whole time. Finally the hostess goes over to him and says something and then clears our table. But still we wait for a dessert menu. He brings them to another table. He walks around the outside of the restaurant, to avoid us we think, though we have not a clue what we have done to offend him so thoroughly. At this point its almost a game, to see how he can avoid us. Finally though we catch his eye (Alex wouldn’t trip him – literally – like I thought was called for) and get the check. So much work to give them money! We finally head home about 10 – we got there at 8 – and although very annoyed at the length of time the meal took, it gives me the chance to marvel that its still light out. The sun is set, but I don’t think we turned the headlights on until we were half way home. Really insane.