Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown is a popular and secluded destination in the beautiful, mountainous shadow of the Southern Alps. The city occupies a special place on the edge of the glacial waters, close enough to the mountains to enjoy them and far enough from another city of any size to be secluded. Popular, enjoying a busy airport and accessible by road, Queenstown is a shining jewel in the treasure chest that is New Zealand.
The glacial flour coming off of the ice bound mountains creates a captivating turquoise color in the lakes and rivers that feed off the mountains, and the lush vegetation of the area is reminiscent, albeit not naturally, of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Though adding to the alpine feel and beauty of Queenstown, and much of New Zealand, the coniferous pine trees found in much of the country are actually introduced species, and are causing conservation, sustainability, environmental, and business issues. Though they are a commercial success and provide wood for the country as a whole, they are invasive and grow quickly, crowding out indigenous species as well as farmland. Enjoy them while they are there, but one day the hills may return to their pristine pinelesness due to the efforts of concerned Kiwis.
Beside hills, lakes, and rivers, a noticeable feature of the country is grapes. The staples crop in this part of the country, grapes are ubiquitous, followed closely by wineries. On certain stretches of road you will pass more wineries than you will drive kilometers, and it would be a real test of fortitude, and your schedule, to visit them all.
The city itself is touristy, not quite a tourist trap but it is where you will find all of the shops, restaurants, cafes, and booking companies, although you can find almost all of those online as well. With everything urban in the area in one place, it can be busy and crowded, and parking can be hard to find.
What to Do in Queenstown
If you have no plans yet, the first thing you want to do is learn what an isite is, and then use it! Isites are the official visitor centers of New Zealand, and there are two in Queenstown. They will have all of the info you need to make plans, and they will know where to make bookings for any potential adventures.
It pays to be ahead of the game in a place like Queenstown, so consider visiting their website first and making reservations where you can. The day of might be sold out, as Queenstown is a popular, world famous destination.
Biking
In the summer months take a spin on a bicycle, or test yourself a little further on a mountain bike. Biking is a great way to see many parts of New Zealand at a more leisurely pace than a car. It is hard to bring your own bicycle, but there are places to rent one for a day or longer.
Water Activities
Get in the water for a swim or take a jaunt around Lake Wakatipu on the TSS Earnslaw, a bespoke coal steamer kept around to show off how things used to be. If you want something more intimate, you can charter a boat for yourself and your party for a tour of Lake Wakatipu, or one of the further sounds, or even for more leisurely cruises.
If you want more of a workout, rent some kayaks and pump those arms up and down the lake. If that is too slow, jet boats give rides north, up the lake and then onto the Dart River. Jet boats are a popular social media activity, and you’ll rarely see a video on Queenstown without them being mentioned.
Air Activities
Take to the skies in a helicopter for a tour or a glacier adventure, where a guide will show you some of nature’s frozen wonders, and importantly, the safest way to walk on them. Do not hike a glacier alone, they are moving geographic features and can be exceedingly dangerous to the unguided. If you are not a helicopter fan, you can get in a plane for some skydiving, or again, for a tour of the surrounding area.
Want to stay in town? Take the gondola up the hills for some paragliding off of Bob’s Peak. You cannot miss the gondola if you are walking around downtown; look up on a sunny day and you may see some of the paragliders descending to earth, hanging from their orange parachutes.
Hiking
If you are looking for something without a price tag or want to keep your feet on the ground, hiking, or tramping as its called, is popular and ubiquitous. Walk the town and check out the shops, or take the loop up to the summit of Queenstown Hill to see the Basket of Dreams sculpture and take in the view from the summit. Bob’s Peak will give you another panoramic from Ben Lomond Scenic Reserve. Venture further out and the tracks and trails are practically endless.
Driving
Fancy a drive? Pick a direction, it won’t matter which, and the drive will be scenic. Few places can rival New Zealand’s beautiful countryside, and the area around Queenstown is some of the best in the country. North, toward Glenorchy and the Isengard Lookout is a great way to enjoy the Dart River and a picturesque drive. Milford Sound is a popular choice, but is about 4 hours from Queenstown, so is more of a day trip, or an overnight if not longer. If you do head to Milford Sound, we suggest booking a cruise or renting some kayaks. It is a beautiful place but it is less exciting if you can only stand on the shore in one place. Experiencing it from the water is much better.
Queenstown and the surrounding area offer a wealth of prospective activities, rain, snow, or shine. If you have any questions, or do not know where to make a booking or reservation, refer to one of the two isite locations in Queenstown for the most up to date and local knowledge
Food
Wine is an extremely popular beverage in these parts of New Zealand, so wine tasting and vineyard visiting are time honored activities. There are many vineyards here, and it is no exaggeration to say you will pass more wineries than kilometers for many stretches of road around Queenstown. There are about 75 in Queenstown, and if you are willing to drive 60-90 minutes in any direction, you can reach 200-300.
If you want to go winery hopping, we recommend starting in Queenstown and heading east toward Gibbston and Cromwell on SR6. If you haven’t been wine tasting in New Zealand before, look for the words “Cellar Door“. That’s where you want to be to get a taste or a bottle.
Looking for a place to eat? There are many, many choices, but we suggest the Boat Shed for breakfast, brunch, and as a cafe, and Fat Badger’s Pizza in Queenstown itself for lunch or dinner.
Astronomy/Star Gazing
Few places on Earth are as convenient for star gazing as New Zealand. The absence of large cities and large population centers means that there is much less light pollution, and the night sky is illuminated with countless stars. Around much of the Southern Island you will see signs for and be able to find without much difficulty sites set aside for just this activity. You can also find guided start walks and demonstrations in certain places, to highlight the constellations and heavenly bodies on which your eyes can feast.
Where to Stay in Queenstown
Popular, great to visit year round, and offering international flights, there are many options for places to stay in Queenstown. Hotels and motels abound, and simple search will find what you are looking for if a hotel is your speed.
We have had a great time with Airbnb in New Zealand, almost entirely from families and individuals offering their own accommodations. There are some adorable places available, and we suggest you check it out. In Gibbston, just east of Queenstown, we suggest Mount Rosa, where we stayed when last we were in town!
If you are camping, freedom camping is the way in New Zealand, though you will need to obey any and all laws pertaining to camping and look for posted signs forbidding it. That said, there are a lot of options in and around Queenstown, so you shouldn’t have a problem finding a place to park a campervan or pitch a tent. An extra note on camping: New Zealand has been considering adopting different laws when it comes to camping ,restricting freedom camping or levying a tax on campers, much like Iceland has done in recent years. The volume of foreign campers and the impact they have makes such a thing possible, perhaps likely, so be respectful when camping, follow the rules, and pack it out with you!