Te Araroa Trail Queenstown
I woke at a respectable ‘zero-day’ hour after a surprisingly decent sleep on my everso expensive “squash ’em in” very sloping tent site at the Queenstown Lakeview Holiday Park.
Breakfast Te Araroa Trail Queenstown
Curly and I said our goodbyes to Max who was heading off today, and then we went for a rather magnificent breakfast at the Bespoke Kitchen cafe just opposite the camp site. It won Queenstown cafe of the year in 2016 – which was very well deserved in our opinion.
Curly had a scone with about 4 inches of butter on it for starters. Never before have I enjoyed the company of an ultra marathon runner, nor someone who’s running the length of New Zealand, nor a man in more need of a decent feed. It was wonderful to see him put it away (after having had the conversion about what he eats normally on trail/when properly training etc..). We both had the ‘breakfast board’ for our main breakfast which looked like a work of art and was comprised of poachies and smashed avo toast, a shot of greens and a berry chia pot with coconut cream whip.
I spent the rest of the morning in the DOC office chatting with the staff about Stewart Island North circuit and the Routeburn track, one of New Zealand’s ‘Great Walks‘ which I’ll head off to tomorrow. Walking the Routeburn means I will take a spectacular detour off Te Araroa trail but I will loop back around to meet TA at the Greenstone hut.
Lunch
I reconvened with Curly for a lunch of Patagonia Choclatier ice-cream then popped into the YHA to pick up my resupply box for the next leg. Given the weather has been incredible, I also posted a few more bits home, including my puffa jacket which I hadn’t worn since the North island. (In hindsight, this was a HUGE mistake. It got espacially cold down South around Longwood Forest and there were several time afterwards where I regretted my decision). Te Araroa Trail Queenstown
Dinner Te Araroa Trail Queenstown
Our final epic meal of the day was a Fergburger from the world famous Queenstown establishment. I went for the chicken and bacon option which was delicious! We enjoyed it with a beer on the waterfront. What a thoroughly marvellous day of eating in Queenstown! I mean, what else is there to do on an off day in the adventure capital of New Zealand 🙂
Tomorrow I’ll make my way to Glenorchy for the Routeburn and the Greenstone. Then I will meet Te Araroa again, and head to Mavora Lakes and down to Te Anau in about a week’s time.