After a day of epic skiing at Treble Cone, we took a day away from the slopes to explore nearby Queenstown as the weather wasn’t suitable for skiing. Situated amidst the towering, snow-covered Southern Alps beside the massive Wakatipu Lake, Queenstown is one of the top destinations to visit in New Zealand.

In the morning, we rode a gondola to a beautiful lookout to take in amazing views of the valley below, and then zoomed down luge tracks in gravity-fed, nimble wheeled carts. After luging a couple runs, we rode the gondola back down and walked into the town center where we explored the lakefront, enjoyed local cafés and shops, and a few kiddos even dared to enter the Fear Factory—a spooky haunted house.

In the afternoon, we piled on the bus to enjoy the scenic ride back to our lodge in Wanaka where a group of students prepared a delicious meal of chicken parmesan and pasta. We went to bed early so we could wake up at 6 a.m. to hit the slopes the next morning.

Luckily, the weather cleared up and we had a spectacular day of skiing with sweeping views off the mountain and some fresh snow to carve. After a full day of skiing, a group of students fired up the barbie and made some delicious kebabs.

We’ve all enjoyed the stunning beauty of Wanaka and Queenstown, great skiing and a comfy lodge to call home for the past few days. However, we’re excited to hit the road tomorrow to delve into more cultural exploration through visiting a local Māori iwi (which means “tribe” in Māori) called Ngāti Tama. There we will stay in their marae which is the iwi´s sacred meeting ground or community center for celebrating culture and customs. We will report back soon!

– Topher & Jaimie