Dateline February 10, 2015, Millbrook Resort and Queenstown
Arrival.
We came down into the valley to our final destination in New Zealand, the Millbrook Resort, just outside the city of Queenstown. A small note on the way in: the one-lane bridges in this part of the country can be a real challenge. You have to watch the arrows to know who has the right of way. It takes queueing to its highest level.
We checked into our two-bedroom cottage at the resort, right on the golf course. It was a beautiful stay and the views of the course were lovely.
Pete's birthday.
It was Pete's birthday on the 6th, so we let him pick the plan for dinner. He wanted dinner in. Janice and Bunny went to the store and came back with one of the most beautiful rainbows we had seen all trip.
Bunny and Janice put dinner together with much wine, and we had a small feast in honor of the birthday. To bed for sleep, and golf at Jack's Point the next day.
A note on Milford Sound.
We had wanted to visit Milford Sound while we were down here. It is a four-hour drive each way, or you can fly, which makes more sense. The catch with flying is the weather: you might get there and not get back for days. Our schedule was too tight to take that risk. We'll plan for a return trip.
Queenstown.
Queenstown sits on the north shore at the eastern end of Lake Wakatipu, with many shops and restaurants. There were folks selling crafts along the lake front. We stopped for a glass of wine, watched the sights, and frankly people-watched.
We headed back to the resort, only twenty minutes away, and then out for dinner in Arrowtown, just down the road. The tapas restaurant La Rumbla had been recommended by Stephanie at Lake Tekapo Lodge. The food and service were both outstanding. If you are in the Queenstown area, do not miss this restaurant.
We sat at the bar and met Henry, a new bartender from England. He had graduated from university and, like many young people we met on this trip, was traveling the world doing various jobs before returning to London for his career. Henry introduced us to Blue Duck vodka, made in New Zealand. It is fantastic. We are all carrying a bottle home.
A day off and the assistant pro from Georgia.
The next day was a day off. Bunny and Pete decided to take the scenic drive up to Glenorchy. We decided to play the Millbrook Resort course. They did not have a tee time for us and were fully booked, but John had a nice discussion with the assistant pro running the pro shop, who was from Georgia. He was able to slot us into a "starter's time."
John's sales skills still come in handy.
We had a great day on the course and picked up a takeaway lunch at the Hole In One restaurant on the property.
Will saves us, again.
Back at the cottage we found an email from Will Owen, our trip organizer at Playing Around New Zealand. We had made an error on our own schedule and there was an extra day in the country. Given the choice of another night at Millbrook or an extra night at the Auckland airport, Millbrook won. We left the arrangements to Will. He jumped in and took care of all of it, extra night at the resort, changed our Queenstown-to-Auckland flight, changed our hotel room at the airport. Saved us.
Eighteen more, and Kobe.
We decided to play another eighteen at Millbrook. If you stay there and pay for one round, it is good for all day. After we finished the second eighteen we stopped at the concierge and asked about reservations at Kobe, the Japanese restaurant. Back in Queenstown earlier, the woman at the information booth had told us that Millbrook had the best sushi anywhere in town. She was right. It was a beautiful dinner and once again we had fresh lake salmon. We are not sure we will ever be able to eat salmon in the US again. (Just joking. Alaska salmon is still some of the best in the world.)
The Hills, rained out.
The next morning we were scheduled to play The Hills. It was pouring down rain and the grounds were puddled, but we decided to go to the course at least to check our options. We arrived at the gate, which was unmarked, and no one answered, so we turned around and headed back to the cottage.
When we got back, Janice found a voicemail from Will. The course had contacted him to say they would be closed until the afternoon, and only walking would be allowed once they reopened. We discussed it. Because of Janice's hip and, frankly, our ages, we were not going to walk the hilly course. We asked Will to try to reschedule for the next day. The Hills could not accommodate, so Will arranged a refund. We were all disappointed.
The Kiwi Birdlife Park.
After the skies cleared, we drove into Queenstown and walked over to the Kiwi Birdlife Park.
This is a conservation effort to breed kiwi as healthy as possible, using DNA testing to match mates. Since the kiwi is nocturnal, the viewing area is kept very dark, with just enough special lighting that you can see them during feedings. No photographs allowed inside the kiwi house, but they are amazing birds. A kiwi egg, we were told, is roughly the size of an ostrich egg. The chicks are kept at the park for about six months before they are released into the wild.
We walked around the park and saw other native species, then sat in on a presentation to learn more.
The presentation went into stories about the introduced predators that now threaten New Zealand wildlife, including the possum, brought in from Australia, which preys on the kiwi. The naturalist told us we should all consider buying possum products. They sell possum jackets and scarves made from a possum-wool blend. She also told us, with a smile, to do our best to hit them on the roads as we drove. Possibly the first conservationist anyone has heard of who actively asks you to kill the animal.
To put it in perspective: there are about 40 million sheep in New Zealand and roughly 80 million possums. Yikes.
The gondola.
After the bird park we walked across the street and boarded the Queenstown Gondola, which carried us up to one of the highest points in the area. The views were magnificent. A little cool, so we had some coffee and tea at the top, and from up there we caught another rainbow.
The Haka.
We walked down into town for a little shopping. Pete and John had fallen in love with the All Blacks, the New Zealand national rugby team that the whole country adores. One of the things the All Blacks famously do is a short ceremonial Haka before every match. So Pete and John had to give it a try, in front of an All Blacks promotional poster in a shop window.
The results were memorable. We bought a few things in town and headed back to the cottage.
Saffron's.
That evening we went to the other restaurant Stephanie had recommended in Arrowtown, called Saffron's. The food was excellent. The service was not.
Jack's Point, take two.
We had one more golf day, and we knew that if you played Jack's Point a second time within fifteen days, the second round was half price. So we booked an 8:12 a.m. tee time and headed to the course in the morning. A bit chilly to start, but after about five holes the sun was bright and it was a great day. A fantastic lunch in the clubhouse afterward, and then we packed up for the airport, our Queenstown-to-Auckland flight, an overnight at the airport, and on to Adelaide for the next chapter.
More on Jack's Point and our farewell to New Zealand in the next post.
