A Day Spent in Queenstown
Glenorchy Back Country Ride, New Zealand
Got some spare time in Queenstown? If you’re booked on our über-popular Glenorchy Back Country Ride in New Zealand’s scenic South Island, you’ll be flying in and out of Queenstown, so we HIGHLY recommend exploring this beautiful place while you have the chance.
Surrounded by the Remarkables Mountain range and framed by the lazy inlets of Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown is a right show-off! There are so many things to see and do in Queenstown, so to make your life a little easier, we’ve listed out the top attractions, adventures, food and places to stay.
SIGHTS AND ACTIVITIES
Queenstown is a natural playground providing a perfect backdrop for a range of activities all year round. Known as the adventure capital of New Zealand (and quite possibly the world!), the city is home to a huge range of adrenaline-pumping activities including jet boating, bungy jumping, white water rafting and skydiving. But don’t worry, if you’re looking for a slightly slower pace there’s plenty of hiking and biking trails, boat cruises, scenic flights and spa and wellness centres. Whatever your adventure palette, Queenstown can cater to your needs.
Skyline Queenstown
Located an easy five minute walk from the city centre, Skyline Queenstown offers awe-inspiring views of the region. Take the journey on the gondola up Bob’s Peak to enjoy award-winning food in the very scenic Stratosfare Restaurant & Bar. You can take in some traditional Maori culture performances of the Haka, and enjoy the thrilling downhill ride of the Skyline Luge. But before you head back down the hill, make sure you venture along one of the many walking tracks in the Ben Lomond Reserve, or just take in the show-stopping scenic views from the observation deck. No matter the season, you won’t be disappointed!
Lake Wakatipu
Shaped like a cartoon lightning bolt, Lake Wakatipu is the third largest lake in New Zealand. This gorgeous lake has a 212km shoreline and an average depth of over 320m. The water is so clean, scientists have rated it as 99.9% pure! Believe it or not, you are better off dipping your glass in the lake than buying bottled water. Hire some bikes or take a leisurely stroll along the waterfront esplanade, or you could even hire some kayaks and venture out into the middle! But whatever you do, don’t fall in! It may look tempting to take a dip on a hot summer’s day, but the water hovers around just 10ºC all year round and is enough to send you gasping to the surface.
Shotover Jet
Home to the latest and greatest adventure activities, if you aren’t quite up to bungy jumping but want to feel the wind in your hair and a small adrenaline rush, you can’t go past jetboating in Queenstown. The scenery alone is spectacular, through dramatic and narrow canyons along the famous Shotover River. From the moment the accelerator hits the floor, your adrenaline hits the roof. Travelling at speeds up to 85km/h, your expert driver will whip past rocky outcrops, skim around crags and boulders, and speed through the canyons, sometimes on just 10cm deep water!
Day trip to Milford Sound
If you have a little bit left in your budget and perhaps an extra day up your sleeve, you can’t go past a day trip to Milford Sound, undoubtedly one of the world’s most spectacular natural phenomena. You’ll drive past snowy mountaintops and along glacier valleys, stopping at every turn to take photos of the postcard-perfect scenery. Don’t miss seeing the reflections at Mirror Lakes and walking over footbridges above gushing waterfalls at The Chasm… and you haven’t even arrived at your destination yet! When you do make it to Milford Sound, you’ll climb aboard for a scenic boat cruise, taking in truly breathtaking scenery including waterfalls, rainforest and, if you’re lucky, dolphins playing in the wake of the boats. Anyone who has been lucky enough to venture to Milford Sound comes back raving about this magnificent place.
Places to Eat
If you wander through Queenstown’s city centre you will be inundated with cafes and restaurants to choose from. Here are some of our favourites.
The Boatshed Café & Bistro
This is the perfect place to start your day with breakfast, enjoy a coffee taking in the views, or even a leisurely lunch. With waterfront views of Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables mountain range as a backdrop, it’s the perfect pit stop if you’re walking or cycling the lakeside trail.
Fergburger
Starting in 2001 as a ‘hole-in-the-wall’ burger joint, Fergburger has now become a tourist attraction in itself. Priced anywhere between $11-$19, the burgers are seriously tasty. Get there early – this place is so popular a 30-minute wait is common during peak times.
Fergbaker
For the sweet tooths among us, Fergburger’s sweeter sister bakes all manner of tempting treats. Goodies include meat pies, Danish pastries, banoffee tarts and more. And if you’re after mind-blowing gelato, stop in at Mrs Ferg’s next door!
Fishbone
Did you know nowhere in New Zealand is more than 125 kilometres from the ocean? If you are after some delicious seafood, look no further than Fishbone, who source some of the best NZ seafood in the region. Don’t miss some of the favourites including Sri Lankan fish curry, grilled octopus and prawns in XO sauce.
Accommodation
Since Queenstown is one of New Zealand’s most visited places, accommodation options abound. But we like Rydges and the Copthorne Hotel, which are both very well situated lakeside.
Image credits: vulcannowhere/Shutterstock.com, Pornmongkonp/Shutterstock.com, John Tilley/Shutterstock.com, danish4888/Shutterstock.com.