KEY POINTS:
At 4am the insistent beep of the alarm shrills through the pitch-black hotel room. I fumble to silence it, then sleepily dial a pre-arranged number.
The woman at Queenstown's Sunrise Balloons sounds extremely chirpy for such an early hour. "Yes," she says. "We're flying this morning, and we'll pick you up in half an hour."
Ballooning is best in the early morning so those involved in the activity are obviously used to rising before dawn. Our bus driver is also overtly cheerful, while the dozen passengers on board are less effusive.
Ballooning turns out to be an interactive affair, and we're put to work spreading out the balloon and holding the mouth open while large fans inflate it with cold air. Once it's semi-inflated the gas burner flares noisily into life, adding enough hot air to lift the balloon gracefully off the ground, where it towers 10m above us.
We clamber into the sturdy wicker basket and there's a welcome burst of warmth as the burner is momentarily reignited. Pilot Hugh McLellan gives the signal for the ropes to be cast aside and just as daylight glimmers on the horizon, we float quietly upwards. In the half light, the landscape recedes to resemble a child's farmyard set, complete with tiny fences, trees, buildings and animals, but seconds later visibility is zero as we're wrapped in cold, clammy cloud.
Hugh senses consternation on board. "Let's find some sunshine," he says, firing up the burner and powering the balloon upwards. There's a collective gasp of awe when we pop out of the gloom to find ourselves surrounded by dark mountain peaks that pierce the candy floss clouds. The sun is already licking the edges of our aerial world with lambent flame and as we hover silently at 2000m it emerges to bathe this otherworldly scene in golden light.
Hugh points out various landmarks then all too soon we descend beneath the cloud, skimming low before touching down gently in a field near Arrowtown. Once again it's hands-on as we help cram the giant balloon into a surprisingly small sack. The final flourish is a champagne breakfast, which we consume under the interested gaze of a herd of white-faced cows.
By afternoon, the cloud that added a magical touch to our balloon flight has burned off and when we're picked up by Nomad Safaris, Central Otago is baking in the heat. We climb into a 4WD bearing P1PP1N number plates and set off on Nomad's Safari of the Scenes, a tour that promises to take us to Paradise and back, stopping at several Lord of the Rings filming locations on the way.
Paradise is an area at the head of Lake Wakatipu, beyond the tiny settlement of Glenorchy. The road dips and twists along the lakeside, offering a new panorama of shimmering waters, burnished high country and snow-capped blue mountains at every turn. We stop intermittently at viewpoints where our guide explains what Lord of the Rings action took place there.
We're not LOTR fanatics but the movie connection adds another dimension to the trip as we try to picture the landscape as Middle Earth. Despite the grandeur of the mountains, for me it's the soft greenery of native beech forests that evokes the strongest memory of the trilogy. This is Lothlorien country and as a breeze ruffles the leaves and sends rays of sun shimmying across the forest floor, it's easy to imagine the ethereal songs of elves floating through the treetops.
Past Paradise, we crunch along gravel tracks and splash through braids of the Dart River, stopping on a shingle bank to absorb the scenery. It seems a long way from anywhere, but as we enjoy tea and cake some kayakers appear, followed soon after by a jet boat, then a group of horse trekkers. On the return trip we stop to skim stones in the lake's crystal waters but when giant sandflies threaten to carry us away, its time for P1PP1N to carry us home.
We spend our last day in historic Arrowtown, walking easy trails along the Arrow River, browsing the excellent Lakes District Museum, and admiring buildings that have survived since gold lured settlers to the region in the 1860s. The relaxed ambience contrasts well with busy Queenstown, making it a great place to wind down after an action-packed few days.
GETTING THERE
Air New Zealand has daily flights from Auckland. Online fares start at $119 one way. See www.airnz.co.nz.
WHERE TO STAY
Queenstown Park Hotel, 21 Robins Road. Phone 03 441 8441; queenstownparkhotel.co.nz.
Rooms range from $450 (Gondola view) to $695 (two-bedroom suite). Tariff includes hosted pre-dinner drinks and canapés.
Breakfast $20 per person.Check for specials.
WHAT TO DO
Sunrise Balloons, Phone 0800 468 247; 03 442 0781; www.balloningnz.com. Flights cost $345 (adult), $225 (Child 12 and under).
Nomad 4WD Safaris, 03 442 6699, www.nomadsafaris.co.nz.
The Glenorchy Safari of the Scenes costs $140 (adult) $70 (child).
MORE INFORMATION
Visit www.queenstown-nz.co.nz
Heather Ramsay was a guest of Queenstown Park Hotel and Destination Queenstown.
On the web: queenstownparkhotel.co.nz
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