They don’t call Queenstown the Adventure Capital of the World for nothing. This is where commercial bungy jumping, jet boating, and tandem paragliding were all born—because apparently someone looked at these mountains and thought, “How can we make this more intense?”
Milford Sound: Worth Every Bit of the Hype
We kicked off the day with a scenic flight with Glenorchy Air to Milford Sound—often called the “8th wonder of the world” (Piopiotahi in Māori) and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Take one didn’t exactly go as planned. We took off and then had to turn right back around because the cowling (covers the engine) flew open mid-flight. Nothing like a little pre-adventure adrenaline spike. Our pilot, Annabelle, handled it extremely professionally.
Round two was much more successful—and absolutely stunning. A few snow-capped peaks, glacial lakes up high in the mountains, deep valleys, and scenery that doesn’t even look real from above.
Once we landed, we boarded a boat to explore deeper into the fjord (and yes—it’s actually a fjord, not a sound, carved by glaciers).
Towering granite cliffs clinging to impossible angles, and waterfalls everywhere—some permanent like Stirling Falls and Lady Bowen Falls, and others that appear out of nowhere, especially when it rains (we had a blue sky day).
And then there’s Mitre Peak—rising straight up 5,551 feet like it’s showing off.
Just when it felt like it couldn’t get any better, we spotted a New Zealand fur seal having a little snack in the water, completely unbothered by our presence. Watching it in that setting, with waterfalls crashing around it, felt like we had somehow wandered straight into a nature documentary.
A Quick Kiwi Encounter
Back in Queenstown, we stopped at a kiwi (bird) sanctuary—because you can’t come to New Zealand and not see one.
Since they’re nocturnal, the sanctuary flips their schedule so you can actually spot the birds foraging “at night” (in the dark). What surprised me most? Their long, skinny beaks with nostrils at the tip, which they use to sniff out food.
And Then… We Floated.
To round out the day, we tried one of Queenstown’s signature inventions: tandem paragliding with Gforce Paragliding. I had to be talked into this by Brendan but very glad I did it! After all, it was invented here in Queenstown.
You run a few steps off a mountain (which your brain strongly objects to), and then suddenly… you’re not falling, you’re floating. Quiet, peaceful, and completely mesmerizing as you glide over Lake Wakatipu with views that don’t feel real.
And then you do a few twists and turns and before long, you’ve landed on your rear end.
Queenstown doesn’t do passive sightseeing. Good thing we are not passive people!
Interesting to note: Tipping is not common in New Zealand. Traditionally, you don’t tip, but you can leave something if you think the service was really good.
Dessert: The dessert of NZ is pavlova. There’s an going dispute between New Zealand and Australia who invented it. The Kiwis are holding firm to historical facts that point to it being invented in 1926 to honor the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, who visited the country. It’s meringue with a creamy marshmallow-like center, topped with fruit. Yum!!
Christina’s Journey Journal 