5 Things to do in Queenstown – New Zealand

Queenstown is situated on the northeast shore of Lake Wakatipu and enjoys a scenic backdrop of the Remarkables Mountain Range. This gives the town a European feel and it would have to be one of the most beautiful settings in the world. Established during the 1860s gold rushes, Queenstown has kept pace with the demands of the tourist industry whilst also maintaining its small town feel and proudly its historical links to the days of the gold boom.

The Lonely Planet describes Queenstown as:

A small town with a big attitude, Queenstown is synonymous with the outdoors, and often crazy adventure such as bungy jumping, skydiving and jetboating. Then there’s the other Queenstown – the one with the cosmopolitan restaurant and arts scene, excellent vineyards and five world-class golf courses. For the best of both worlds, it’s hard to beat.

The Lonely Planet’s ‘New Zealand’s South Island Road Trips’ Guide (p. 53)

We spent 3 nights in Queenstown during our 2-week trip to New Zealand, from December 22, 2019 to January 5, 2020, and made this video which captures the essence of the extraordinary town. It presents a visual smorgasbord of the Queenstown experience focusing on some of the top things to do. We certainly could have stayed longer time permitting as it’s now one of our favourite vacation destinations to date.

Queenstown is an exciting place to visit over the Christmas and New Year season as it becomes a resort town full of visitors keen to enjoy the vibe over the festive season and to capture photographs of its breathtaking scenery. Some become so captivated by both the setting and the lifestyle that they don’t want to leave and decide to stay a while…such as the UK bar tender who told me she had lived there for 3 years. Queenstown is also known as the Adventure Capital of the World due to the range of outdoor activities on offer including white-water rafting on the Shotover River or taking a Shotover Jet boat ride.

We were truly blown away by Queenstown’s natural beauty and brilliance at welcoming so many visitors yet retaining a very quaint, peaceful, relaxed vibe at the same time.

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1. Visit Queenstown Gardens

Queenstown Gardens is the perfect place to escape the touristy hustle and bustle of the town centre and take a quiet, leisurely stroll to connect with nature. The gardens are particularly attractive in Autumn and are surrounded by large fir trees as well as broad lawns, rose beds and water features throughout. There’s a few different routes to take either passing through or walking around along the water front. Set on a 12 hectare peninsula, the gardens are a good size, making it a great location to work up an appetite before lunch or dinner whilst getting some beautiful photographs at the same time.

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2. Stroll along the waterfront to Steamer Wharf and enjoy a drink or a meal in the one of the many bars or restaurants

Steamer Wharf is in the heart of Queenstown on the waterfront and is ideally located for a romantic fine dining experience, a casual family meal or a quiet drink in a beautiful setting. We actually took a walk through and along Steamer Wharf and ate in a couple of restaurants back from the foreshore. We dined at an Indian restaurant called The Taj Indian Kitchen located at 75 Beach St, Queenstown. The Taj received glowing reviews on TripAdviser (4.4 stars). We are absolutely obsessed with trying Indian curries when we travel so much so that my next blog could well be titled, “Tasting Indian Curries all around the World” (ha ha).

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Then on another night we met up with our friends and fellow campers, Mark and Kathy, from Vancouver, Canada. We had a pre-dinner drink at a funky cocktail bar, Sardine Bar (pictured above) which boasts “it will see patrons packing in like Sardines.” This is where the inspiration for the name came from and the interior is decorated with colourful Sardine tin wallpaper. Lucky for us it wasn’t too busy when we were there and we could comfortably get seats for a quick catch up before heading to Flame Bar and Grill, a South African BBQ steak restaurant, for dinner. This restaurant also received glowing reviews on TripAdviser (4.5 stars). The meals, ambiance and service were superb. We were fortunate enough to be seated on the balcony with views overlooking the Remarkables Mountain Range where we observed the magic of a Queenstown sunset whilst savouring our tasty ribs and steaks.

3. Take the Queenstown Gondola Ride – Skyline Queenstown

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The Queenstown Gondola Ride up to Bob’s Peak rises 450 m (1,476 ft) in just 730 m (or 2,400 ft) and is the Southern Hemisphere’s steepest cable car. Skyline Queenstown, open daily, offers one-way or round trips (it’s possible to walk back down on one of the tracks if you prefer). The 220-degree panoramic views over Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Walter and Cecil Peak and Queenstown are spectacular, jaw dropping to say the least. Once you arrive at the summit you can visit the observation deck, enjoy a drink in the bar, visit one of the souvenir or sweet shops or even have a meal at the iconic Stratosfare Restaurant to soak up the scenery for some time.

A popular activity for families is to ride downhill on the luge, a short, raised toboggan. Sometimes once is not enough! The gondola ride is a must-do when visiting Queenstown. It’s centrally located on Brecon Street, is easy to find and is reasonably priced (an adult ticket is $44 return and a child $26 plus there are family prices available too). You can take away souvenir photographs for an additional cost to mark the occasion among your most memorable travel experiences.

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4. Do the Queenstown Hill Walk

After sampling so much delicious food and drink, we decided we were keen for some exercise, after all a balanced life is a good life, right? Even more so for a tourist with such a smorgasbord of temptation on offer at every turn! (haha). So we set out in our trusty campervan to locate the entrance to the Queenstown hill hike. Well, if a workout was what we were looking for, then this is what we found! Without a doubt the lovely walk through Douglas fir forest to the open grassland, sculpture, and stunning views was well worth the effort. We captured some postcard perfect pictures along the way too. The hike was recommended by some fellow campers we met at our campsite. They described it as a fairly easy walk if you’re reasonably fit. According to New Zealand.com:

Queenstown Hill – Time Walk is a 500m climb through pine forest to the summit of Te Papu-nui (mountain of intense sacredness). As you make your way along the track, you will walk by the popular ‘Basket of Dreams’ sculpture as well as six information plates that explain different epochs of Lake Wakatipu and Queenstown.

We did this hike at around 3.30pm in the afternoon and didn’t walk right up to the summit but rather to the Basket of Dreams mid-point on the map (see further down below). The two reasons for this were the extra time to walk right up to the summit as we had made dinner plans and also our physical fitness. We felt getting to this halfway point was a sufficient workout for the day however we are very keen to finish the walk next time we visit.

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The Basket of Dreams is a spiral sculpture made of steel by an artist called Caroline Robinson. It was built to commemorate the millennium. There is a plaque nearby which says:

The Basket’s spiral of steel
follows you

inward
to reflect
to draw inspiration from the
mountains, lake
and from those who are with you

outward
to dream
for the future

Time flies, eternity waits

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The walk to the Basket of Dreams point was intermediate level, as it’s all uphill, and took around 30-40 mins one way for us. According to the sign, the whole hike is 1.5 to 2.5 hours return, depending on fitness level, rest and photo stops, of course. We highly recommend this walk, (just don’t eat the colourful mushrooms) as it felt like a real adventure off the beaten tourist track. It felt like the locals choice for exercising even though there was a good mix of tourists and locals, it certainly wasn’t too busy.

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5. Experience the thrilling Shotover Jet Boat Ride!

Attention thrill seekers!! You have the opportunity to take the iconic Shotover Jet Boat Ride which has been operating since 1965. It’s world famous. British Royals, William and Kate even took this ride! Another highly recommended option is the Skippers Canyon Jet Boat ride. You have to drive down Skipper’s Canyon road, which due to it’s cliff hanging feeling, is all part of the fun. The actual jet boat ride lasts for 25 mins (same length as the Shotover Jet Boat Ride) however the tour, including the drive, is 3 hours. Then there is K-Jet Boat Ride which departs from the pier making it one of the most convenient and it lasts for a whole 60 mins. The cost is $150 if you book on the day, however there are cheaper tickets available if you pre-book. We made a video to capture the adrenaline rush you get as skilful drivers turn corners at impressive speeds through waters that are sometimes as shallow as 15cm deep.

For a small town, Queenstown certainly ‘packs a punch’ leaving you feeling on a natural high. “It wears it’s ‘Global Adventure Capital’ badge proudly!” (The Lonely Planet’s ‘New Zealand’s South Island Road Trips’ (p. 96). If you’re planning a trip to New Zealand in the future then I sincerely hope that this post will assist you to decide what to do when you arrive in Queenstown. After our visit we were certainly left hungry to see more of this wonderful town. So if you’ve visited, what did you enjoy most? Please post in the comments below because we’d just love to hear about your experiences.

Safe travels everyone!