We did not plan much for our time in Queenstown, intending to improvise with what the weather gave us. The forecast looked good so we decided to rent electric mountain bikes for half a day and ride out of Queenstown East towards Shotover and Lake Hayes.
Neither of us had ridden electric bikes before so we didn’t quite know what to expect. These were pedal-assist with 3 modes: eco, normal, and full. Depending on the mode you’ll get more power out of your pedaling, up to a max powered speed of 30km/hr. Boy, are they fun! Cruising and climbing hills effortlessly is a an incredible feeling. I don’t know how I’ll go back to my mountain bike - I can see why people pay a lot of money for these things.
We chose a mellow route along the Queenstown trail, ending up at the Hayes Cafe for a pint before turning around and heading back to Queenstown. We had nice views of the Remarkables and the rivers all along the ride.
After dropping off the bikes we wandered around Queenstown and grabbed some lunch. It’s remarkable how busy the town is mid-week in the shoulder season - i can’t imagine what it’s like during peak summer or winter!
We had a dinner reservation at Sherwood, a local resort/restaurant that focuses on sustainability. We both had lovely meals - I broke my 30 day no-beef streak for a wagyu bavette.
An early night tonight after dinner, I’m hoping for good weather in the morning to squeeze one more hike in.