We arrived in Queenstown this morning after a bit of a bumpy flight down from Wellington – thanks to spring gales sweeping New Zealand this weekend. We start riding the Otago Rail Trail on Monday, so have a weekend to reacquaint ourselves with Queenstown – we were last here nearly 20 years ago and it’s just a bit different.

It was a bit of a soggy afternoon but nonetheless we had a look around downtown and found a very nice seafood place for a light lunch. Neil and Colleen, friends from Brisbane with whom we are doing the ride, arrived yesterday.

By Monday the weather is supposed to clear – fingers crossed – for at least the first 3 days of our five day ride. We are doing the Trail at a relaxed pace, hoping that it will leave us time to do a bit of exploring as well as ample recovery time.