feldmanlarry

Nov. 11, 2017 — From Margaret

Queenstown, NZ

Queenstown is inland in the southeast corner of the South Island (see #13 on the map)

We really liked Queenstown! Our hotel was right on the waterfront, and we enjoyed these views from our hotel room.

Larry enjoyed the scenery as he rode the gondola up to Bob’s Peak. In a previous blog entry, I explained how I hiked the trail. We met at the top and enjoyed coffee and views on this sunny warm day.

 Speaking of coffee, we had to adjust to Australian and New Zealand tastes, as coffee in our country is usually brewed, and is weaker. We both drink our coffee black, so we usually ordered “long black,” which adds espresso to the hot water. But sometimes Larry preferred “Americano,” which adds hot water to espresso, and is a little weaker. Even with the extra water, he wanted it watered down more, which was often difficult for them to pull off.

On our last evening in Queenstown, we took the gondola up to Bob’s Peak, where we had been earlier in the day. We met a guide, who led our group of about 15 people on a walk to a dark area with two telescopes. Fortunately, we had a mostly clear sky with plenty of stars, including the Southern Cross. The moon wasn’t there to interfere, because it was a waning crescent moon visible only in the morning sky. We did see a couple of meteors, and a satellite. Our guide explained how there’s a vast area of sky that we cannot ever see in the northern hemisphere. He helped us pick out several stars and constellations. I certainly didn’t need help finding Orion, though it was upside down!

I guess because Orion is so distinctive, this constellation has been an anchor for me for many years – whether I saw it while walking home from teaching a night class, or see it in the early morning while out for a run and walk. Wherever we travel, I try to find Orion, the Big Dipper, and Polaris. In Australia and New Zealand, of these, only Orion was visible. But I learned to also recognize the Southern Cross. Perhaps the regular patterns in the night sky provide comfort. I also pay attention to moon phases and meteor showers, sometimes sitting out in my back yard in the wee hours of the morning with a cup of coffee.

It was a wonderful evening under the stars, and a nice way to end our travels on the South Island of New Zealand. The next morning, we flew to Auckland in the North Island.

Looking down on Queenstown at night from the gondola heading down.