Queenstown

I'm in Otago where sheep outnumber people 9:1, people don't lock their doors, you can walk or hitchhike everywhere, and backpackers inhabit the public parking lots.  So far I've learned you don't need to refrigerate eggs, there are no paper towels, trash bags cost $2 each, neked means tired (not naked), arugula is called rocket, and no one else uses American billiard rules.  Queenstown's population is ~10,416, so it's quaint, but also known the world's most extreme sports destination.  You can do anything from river surfing to canyoning and it was the birthplace of bungee jumping.  Since arriving, there have been nonstop new experiences, not very much sleep, and travel journal entries are getting longer and longer.

First smooth move in Queenstown- I left my cell phone on the plane.  Charlotte, flight friend from UK, watched my bags while I ran out on the runway to get it back from security.  Running on the runway would definitely get you arrested in USA, but here, no worries.  The people living around lake Wakatipu are from everywhere, Brazil to Czech Republic to India to you name it.  Tourists are everywhere getting in their last vacations as Summer winds down, but there are also a lot of young people on work visas and sponsorships.  I'm the newbie trying to adjust.

Lauren and Katie live in a 5 bedroom house with Alice and Gronya (Irish), Steve (Aussie), Laura and Lea (German), landlord Nick (weirdo), and now me and Nick C (VT friend).  Everyone gets along really well even with just 2 bathrooms.  Nick C arrived from Southeast Asia on Saturday with -$2.28 in the bank, hadn't eaten a meal in 3 days, and slept in a McDonalds the night before.  He doesn't have a raincoat because it got ruined by banana sap when he was working on a banana farm in Australia.  You can't make this stuff up.  Right now, the 4 of us are sharing this room...

Lake Wakatipu has crystal blue waters bordered by massive mountains.  Each day we try to get in some fun outdoor activity like a hike, disc golf, kayak, etc.  Town is a 5 minute walk, and there are tons of cool shops and galleries.  On Sunday we went to a BMX competition down the road, and the past two days Nick and I have been going door to door in town on the job hunt.  I have a trial shift at a seafood restaurant tomorrow.  Today I drove on the left side of the road for the first time to Glenorchy to ride for a position as a horseback riding tour guide at Dart Stables.  Dart is one of two yards touring the land used to film Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit, and Willow. They had 8 horses in Lord of the Rings and a few in the recently filmed Hobbit.  On the 2 hour trail ride we waded through a few streams and saw the Misty Mountains and Mount Doom.  Horseback riding through paradise for a job interview? Boom.  They want me back on Friday for a 6 hour ride. I have been slacking on taking pictures, and I honestly don't think pictures do this place justice, but I'll try.