Queenstown, NZ

Wednesday afternoon we debated driving to Queenstown the following day. It's always a debate about whether our munchkins can handle the car ride v. how awesome the destination will be. The we-are-only-in-NZ-a-week side won and we decided to take the chance and push the girls a little out of their comfort zone for the four and a half hour drive north east to Queenstown. Instead of making it a day trip, we booked a hotel room for the night. Best decision we've ever made.

Queenstown is hands down the most beautiful place I've ever been in my life. The girls did pretty well on the drive and Arabella even slept for almost two hours. In her car seat. Miracles do happen. We stopped twice for scenic photo ops and once for a lunch break. We arrived at about 2PM after the most beautiful winding drive. I brought a few magazines to read in the car but the country is just too gorgeous not to stare out the car windows in awe.The driver-I like to stare at him too!Scenic overlook on the driveThrough the car window-no jokeWe checked into our hotel room and then took a walk back to the main street and boardwalk area of the town. Bella didn't quite understand why she couldn't wade in the lake. She still had to touch the water.After a light dinner for the girls at a very un-kid friendly pub and promise ice cream for good behavior on the car ride;some duck chasing, we hiked it a few blocks uphill to the gondola ride. The girls loved it! Phenomenal views. There were lots of international flags on the walls as you exited the gondola. Proud American girls. Dinner for my husband and I occurred in the hallway of our hotel. The room service delivery gal looked at me funny when I told her we'd take the meal right here in the hallway. That's where we sat, half asleep ourselves, while the girls slept in the room, and ate our mediocre room service hotel food and read New Zealand's version of US Weekly. Not ideal but it was easy to overlook after an afternoon in beauty.

The next morning we hit the park and walked some more lingering in the beautiful views of the glacial lakes and snow capped mountains. Every chance I got I asked people to snap a family photo of us. I'm bound and determined to get a good shot of us for the Christmas card this year. Mark my words, you will be getting Christmas greetings from us smiling in NZ.

One of the rejectsAdelaide was allowed to choose a souvenier at the shop at the top of the gondola. There were loads and loads of stuffed sheep. She picked the one lone sheep dog. She's a dog lover at heart. She named her Pi. Pi meet a real sheep dog.More duck feeding.Another rejectHow could we pass this shot up?Gearing up for the ride back to Dunedin