Upon arrival we collected our bags and were whisked away to our hotel. Although we arrived before check-in time our room was ready within a few minutes. While we were waiting I couldn't help but watch a group of young guys as they were checking out. They were bedraggled and grouchy as they sat amongst their mountain of luggage in the lobby. One was on crutches while another had one arm tied up in a sling. It was then that the I overheard one of them say to the others, "Let's never go on holiday again!". I couldn't help but giggle. Soon thereafter we checked in, ditched our bags and set off to start exploring the town. From the moment we arrived I kept thinking, 'This is so much like Bozeman'. And it was, a small ski town, wedged in amongst the mountains. Talk about deja vu. Except for the fact that it wasn't cold at all and had no snow. We heard later that the slopes were more icy than snowy. In town we saw person after person limping around on crutches or cradling an arm in a sling and/or cast. Yikes.
Walking into town, just seven blocks from our hotel, we took in the view. Yeah. I kept saying, 'It's so beautiful!'. :)
We soon realized that Queenstown really was a town because after walking a few streets we saw most of the bars and restaurants that we had talked about and wanted to try. We walked out to the waterfront to check out the beach, the boats and cruisers.
Then we had to make a trip to Fergburger. A couple weeks ago we had never heard of Ferg but apparently it's all the rage in NZ. We read about it's high user ratings online and even got a recommendation from one of the guys that works at our favorite Indian restaurant in Wellington. The burger was huge, perfect as we like to share, and delicious!! While it was still definitely different from a burger that you'd get in the US I'd have to say that it's the best kiwi burger we've had so far. :)
After Ferg we toasted the day at Pub on the Wharf while enjoying the beautiful view. Timmy quickly noticed this pup as he was running around the square, having the time of his life saying 'hi' to everyone and scoring treats from most people. :)
Next we went in search of dessert and within minutes we had found Patagonia Chocolates. They had all kinds of delicious treats including gelato, cheesecake and of course chocolate. We settled on four dessert shooters: Vanilla Bean, Creme Brulee, Boysenberry Cheesecake and Chocolate Mousse.
Um, yeah. We made short work of these tasty bites. :)
That night we set off, via shuttle, to the Onsen Hot Pools. We had both looked at this attraction separately and thought it would be fun to try. So we booked a pool with candles and wine to celebrate our anniversary!! :) Upon arriving we were escorted to our hot pool and soon after we were soaking up the warmth and taking in the ambiance from the candles. One of the walls rolled up and away so you could see out and feel the cool air while still being snug and warm in the water. :) An amazing experience!!
The next day we took in the Queenstown Gardens despite the fact that it was rainy. We then spent the rest of the day exploring the shops around town and grabbing a drink at a cozy pub, 1876, until that evening when I went to attend the first session of the conference.
On Sunday I went to the morning session and when I got back we decided to go exploring via one of the walking paths around the lake. The rain had cleared up and we were determined to get out there and enjoy the incredibly warm temperatures (14-15 C or low 60s F). The path provided us a nice long walk - just shy of five miles (and that put us only part way around the lake).
That night we decided to go into town and experience a Queenstown wine tasting. There's a place right in town where you can taste any (or as many) of the 80+ wines they have 'on tap'. I realized you usually see this with beer and not wine but this place was very different from anything we had ever seen.
We strolled in and were given a card that would keep track of the wine we tried throughout the night. If you saw a bottle that you wanted to try all you had to do was insert your card and press one of three buttons. Each distributed a different amount of wine into your glass. I loved that you could try just a sip. If you didn't like it then you weren't stuck with a whole glass wondering how you could get rid of it. :) The wine available for tasting was organized in groups so we started out with the signature NZ wine, sauvignon blanc.Then we moved on to the chardonnay and pinot gris. When we hit the riesling section I knew I was home. So delicious!!
We ordered an h'orderves platter, sank into the comfy leather chairs and continued to enjoy trying different wines at a leisurely pace. It seemed apropos to finish up with some dessert wine. Overall, a wonderful way to try a variety of NZ wine!! :)
On Monday I went to my morning as usual and then we set off to get some lunch and visit a cupcake shop that was sponsoring a fundraiser for the SPCA. Tim had seen signs around Wellington and wanted to make sure that we showed our support when we were in Queenstown. At Cup & Cake I had a carrot cake cupcake while Tim chose a red velvet beauty. While there we were able to visit with a super cute shelter pup, Winston. :)
Instead of having a regular afternoon session with talks from various scientists the students presented their posters. I presented a poster describing some ongoing lab work. A master's student had started the project but was unable to finish it before she graduated. So I ran an experiment the week before the conference and put a poster together to present what we had thus far. While preparing for this presentation I vacillated between panic and general peace of mind. One on hand I was worried because, with the exception of one experiment, I had not conducted this research and therefore did not have as firm a grasp on it if I had done it myself. Over several weeks I spent time reading papers and trying to sort it out in my mind. At the times I thought I had it, then I would continue to read and become confused again. Altogether a very frustrating place to be. In the end I took a deep breath and told myself that I've presented several posters over the last few years, some of those at the sometimes-incredibly-intimidating Neuroscience conference. When I came to the poster session I was nervous, as always when I present, but as students, professors and scientists stopped to chat with me about the project I started to relax. I was able to articulately explain what we had set out to investigate and what we found. In the end there were some questions that I could not answer but I wasn't upset because that is the nature of science (I'm not a chemist or molecular biologist so those questions will always get me). Overall, I'd say that my first kiwi poster presentation was a success!! After my session had ended I went around and had a great time talking to other students about their projects. Hello, nerds. :)
After the sessions ended I trekked back to our hotel to find the sweetest gift from my Timmy. It was a bottle of Misha's Limelight Riesling - my favorite wine from the tasting!!
On Tuesday I set off to the morning session but when I got back we decided to go out walking. After a leisurely stroll through town we found ourselves at the bottom of the 'hill' where the ever famous gondola starts. We decided there was no time like the present to ride up and see the amazing views!!
That night, Sue, one of the professors in our department, invited all the students (and Timmy) over to her flash suite for a steak dinner. We arrived to find all the students huddled around the h'orderves. Sue was juggling the task of preparing several dishes simultaneously in the kitchen. We sat down to succulent steak, crisp salad and deliciously soft bread. The evening was a great time spent relaxing, reflecting on the conference thus far and enjoying the good eats. Savoring our bottle of Riesling we chatted the night away while everyone else managed to plow through Sue's recently acquired case of wine. :) Happy faces all around.
Wednesday was the final day of the conference. They held a double morning session that ended with the student awards. One for the best student poster presentation and the other for the best student oral presentation. Sadly, neither award was won by a student from Victoria despite the fact that we had some good posters and two good oral presentations. :)
Tim and I grabbed lunch at a cafe in town before we were off to go ice skating!! With the temps much colder inside than outside we strapped on our skates and stepped onto the ice. As always I was unsteady at first, every move feeling unstable. From minute one Tim was at ease on his skates, dancing circles around me as I cautiously moved along. Soon I was feeling more confident and Timmy helped me improve my technique. I was even able to work up to skating backwards a little bit! Amazing! It was the best time I've ever had skating. I only wish that we had the opportunity to skate in Wellington. Unfortunately, there is no ice skating to be had. :(
We skated as long as we could, to the point where our ankles were going to fall off. :) Skating worked up an appetite so we walked around by the lake and in to town. We shared a Ferg burger and fries followed up with gelato!! Yum!!
Queenstown: Simply amazing!! :)
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