Until next time

This is my last day in Qtown. It has been a blast (details below), but I must move on.. Tomorrow, I will be hiring a car and travelling back up north, just past Franz to a place called Harihari. This little backtracking episode should take up to a week, before coming back through Queenstown and heading south again into unchartered territory on the way to Milford Sound.
Since we spoke last: I have participated in a few more activities including the Shotover Jet and a day of combination shooting/archery; many more nights of drinking and partying with some real great guys; and a lot more lounging around. Over the past week, I have been hanging out quite a bit with Nicola, a Northerner (happy Nic? Or for those of us unfamiliar with the local politics of the UK: a chickadee from Northern England). It has been nice having someone to hang out with (for more than just a few days) amidst the continual and inevitable change of every other aspect of my surroundings, if only for a brief while. It's amazing the number of people from the UK and Ireland over here.. It's virtually guaranteed that anyone I meet here originated from one of these countries. I assumed that, because NZ and Aussie accents are fairly similar, I would come back speaking like a kiwi. It looks more like I'll be coming back with an English accent.. In fact, since I've been over here, I've even had some British people ask me what part of England I am from!!
Thursday came and we drove up, with Nic's friend Jodie, to Coronet Peak. This is usually a popular skiing destination just out of Queenstown, however by the time we got up there, the snow had all but melted, leaving a mixture of mud and dead ground cover. Still some fantastic views over Qtown, Arrowtown and the surrounding mountains and the huge Lake Wakatipu, so definitely not complaining.
We became a bit trigger-happy on Friday as we decided to have a shot at archery and shooting, in a place aptly named 'Have A Shot', just outside of Wanaka. Of course, I kicked ass at archery, with a total of around 210 as compared with Nic's dismal effort of 95.. Secondly was pellet shooting at a target 20m away.. I blame a crooked sight and bent gun barrel for my defeat on this round. Following this, the last and probably my favourite, was the clay-pigeon shooting. Shotgun style with foot-triggered pigeon release.. Many a clay-pigeon was massacred on this day.. And again I was the undisputed victor. All-in-all, a good day was had by everyone, and a couple of unsuspecting tourists have now been added to the list of the world's trained snipers.
Saturday and Sunday, pretty much a write-off due to hangovers and lack of sleep. Dave, a damn funny Irish dude from my dorm, managed to miss his early-morning bus on Saturday, and so we decided to have a bit of a lazy day before getting back on the piss that night. He was smart enough to have an earlier night than the last though, and so was able to drag himself onto the bus on Sunday. We did manage to catch a flick Sunday night: Out Of The Blue. An NZ film about a massacre of 13 people in Aramoana, near Dunedin, by David Gray in 1990. A very eye-opening film.. Check it out if you get the chance!
Monday was Shotover Jet time. 3 tonnes of metal, floating on 10cm of water.. It was good fun, but I got a mild form of hypothermia from this one. I foolishly sat in the rear right-hand corner of the jetboat, where the spray from the famous 360-degree spins (within the boat's own length) would ultimately end up all over me. The water was freezing, the air was freezing, and the fact that we were travelling at about 80km/h along the water's surface didn't help.
Tuesday, we made our way to Arrowtown, a little bit out of Queenstown, to check out a Chinese settlement from the gold-rush era and some historic buildings.. Thought you'd appreciate that one Nicola :) Enthralling stuff. Damn good pies out there though, even if they were cold!
Wednesday, we thought we'd get a little sadistic and shove some metal bars through our skin.. Well, getting our ears pierced doesn't sound all that exciting now does it? Nic went for "the Nook" and I got "the Industrial".. A bit of a spur of the moment thing, but it suits me, so I'm happy. It friggin' hurt, but NO, I didn't cry (despite popular belief)!
Yesterday was a day for writing journals.. If you call taking 8 hours to write 2 1/2 pages a day for writing journals. Again another write-off.
Today, I've moved out of the hostel that has become my home over the past 2 weeks and have moved (for a night) into Jodie's flat with Nic until we part ways tomorrow. They will be taking their 1984 Toyota Corolla, affectionately named Nigel, and driving through Christchurch onto the North Island.
Well.. I've been writing this for quite some time, so it's best that I stop and put some photos of my time here for all to see..
Until next time, I'll leave you with this thought:

It all works out in the end. If it's not working out, it's not yet the end - Anonymous

Photos:
1. Is this not the funniest face you've ever seen? Dave, Toby and Nic
2. Nic and I. For Nic: "This girl made Qtown for me - She rocks!"
3. Dave looks hot with my beanie-cap on.. A lot of devil's horns that night..
4. Hold it.. Hold it..
5. Now we just need some real pigeons
6. The Shotover Jet performing a patented 360-degree spin.. That poor back row!!
7. The Industrial
8. The biggest burger I have ever seen.. Fergburger (the best burger joint in the world!), Shotover St.