A Week in Queenstown | New Zealand
Adventure capital of the world, Queenstown is probably the top location for most tourists visiting New Zealand. I’m not really an adrenaline junkie and I’m terrified of heights, so that ruled out a lot of activities as far as I was concerned. But I knew I had to at least check out Queenstown during my summer trip around the South Island. I opted to spend New Year’s Eve and Day here, partly since I knew there would be fireworks and celebrations. And because, like I did with Christmas in Wānaka the week before, I had days off work for the public holidays. Which meant more free time for the abundance of activities on offer here! I found plenty of activities that appealed to me that weren’t adrenaline-fuelled as well. Instead, I focused my week in Queenstown on the stunning scenery of the Southern Lakes and Mount Aspiring National Park.
Queenstown
Throughout the week, I wandered through the town itself to get a feel for the place. It actually sprawls along the shores of Lake Wakatipu, with most of the tourism centred around the bay to the south. I assume the northern part of town that the bus drove through to get here has more local residents. It definitely felt quite modern, with lots of shopping streets filled with big brand names. As well as lots of tourist information points and activity booking offices.
As one of, if not the most popular tourist hubs in New Zealand, it was easily the busiest town on my South Island trip so far. Presumably even more so, being New Year. I found it a bit too crowded, to be honest! Since my hostel was next to a busy park and there’s more nightlife options here than many other towns, it was also pretty noisy, especially late at night. While the surrounding scenery is absolutely stunning, the town itself wasn’t that interesting to me.
Lake Wakatipu Cruise
As the bus entered Queenstown, I could immediately understand why people rave about its breathtaking landscape. The vast, deep blue Lake Wakatipu sits nestled between towering mountain ranges. Of the three Southern Lakes towns I visited (Te Anau still to come), these mountains seemed the steepest! The next morning, I headed out on the water to see them up close, taking a cruise along the lake with RealNZ. The most famous lake cruise is the TSS Earnslaw, a beautiful 100-year-old vessel. But being a coal-fired steamship, my ecological conscience doesn’t love the smoke it produces. The catamaran voyage I took instead also goes faster, allowing us to sail further up the lake.
It was a somewhat overcast day for my sailing, with white cloudy skies and an overall moody, dramatic atmosphere. It was also freezing out on the water, in a bracing wind, even in the height of summer! I didn’t last long on the top deck, quickly retreating inside. But I found a seat near the foredeck to pop outside for photos every so often. The craggy, steep mountains are impenetrable along the lake shore, allowing you to understand why so much of this country is unpopulated. The lake bends in a zig-zag shape, revealing more of the land as you sail along it. We got as far as the first bend, which afforded a glimpse of the snow-capped peaks of Mount Aspiring National Park. More on that to come! The return voyage was no less impressive either, as we sailed towards the Remarkables, one of Queenstown’s winter ski hills.
Tiki Trail to Skyline Queenstown
That afternoon, I returned to dry land to tackle my first hike in the Queenstown area. The Skyline Gondola is a popular attraction in town, taking you to the top of Bob’s Peak. As well as offering views across the town and lake from the Skyline’s restaurant and bar, the peak also offers mountain bike trails, zip lining and luges. My fear of heights means gondolas aren’t my favourite thing – I skipped every single one that my parents did in Canada last year. So instead, I decided to hike up the hill instead, via the Tiki Trail (I made a similar choice in Cape Town to reach the top of Table Mountain – that was a much tougher hike!).
The trail is entirely within the forest covering the slopes of Bob’s Peak, so there aren’t many views along the way. The trail is quite narrow and steep in places, so do watch your step! It’s a fairly peaceful trail though, as I didn’t pass too many other people. The exception being the zip liners, who occasionally went whizzing past overhead, which was quite fun to see! The view of the gondolas from below was quite cool too. Given how steep the mountain is, I was pretty tired by the time I reached the top, but it was certainly a good leg stretch.
The only way to see the view is from the Skyline building, passing by the gondola station. I browsed the shop, checked out the roof terrace and stopped for a drink. The vast windows at the bar overlook the town, with views of the lake and the Remarkables. It was still a bit overcast, but I could still see everything clearly, luckily. Then I retraced my route, picking my way back down the trail to the town again.
Dart River Jetboat
The following morning was pouring with rain, but thankfully I had nothing booked or planned! I spent a very lazy morning reading in the hostel instead. But for the afternoon, I had booked a jetboating activity. Jetboats were invented in New Zealand, designed to be able to fly across the shallow waters of their braided rivers. They have practical applications for people who live here, but for tourists in Queenstown, they’re a thrilling adventure ride, spinning across the water’s surface. You have lots of options to choose from, including right here in the town’s bay. I decided on Dart River Adventures, which take you up the river departing from Glenorchy to explore the landscape.
A coach transfer took me from Queenstown to Glenorchy, tracing a winding road by the lake shore. I ended up traversing this road three times during my week in Queenstown, soaking up the stunning lake and mountain scenery. I didn’t get to see much of Glenorchy today, but would later in the week. Boarding the jetboat, we did a few spins at the top of Lake Wakatipu, before leaving it behind to travel up the Dart River.
The weather was quite cloudy and there were a few rain showers along the way. This coated the landscape in a fine mist, making the scenery less dazzling but moody and intimidating instead. Steep mountains surround the river, some with waterfalls cascading down the slopes in the rain. The river rushes along fast, but is littered with pebbled islands and shallow channels, hallmarks of braided rivers. Their courses change regularly, making them even trickier to navigate! Despite the weather, it was still a gorgeous journey. We got plenty of fast spins during the ride, while getting to enjoy the natural scenery from a different angle.
Sunshine Bay Track
I did have one workday during my week in Queenstown, so I only headed out for a wander in the evening. A few of the walking trails in the area are full-day affairs, like the Ben Lomond track. I was after something a bit shorter, and after scaling Bob’s Peak, something lower in altitude too. I settle on the Sunshine Bay Track, a trail that runs inbetween the Glenorchy Road and the lakeshore.
There is a bit of up and downhill, over the bumps around the shore, but nothing too difficult. Much of the trail is under tree cover too but there are a few open viewpoints looking out across the lake. It was still a bit cloudy but it stayed dry at least, thankfully. The trail leads to Sunshine Bay, with a small pebbled beach, about 40 minutes out of town. A few people were leaving as I arrived, which left me the whole bay to myself. I sat on the shore and enjoyed the peace and the views for a while, before retracing my route back to town. For a short, low-level walk, it’s a pretty route to explore.
Routeburn Track
New Year’s Eve brought sunshine at last and I made the most of it! New Zealand has several multi-day long-distance trails, known as ‘Great Tracks’. I didn’t have time around work to complete any of them in full. However, around Queenstown and Te Anau, Fiordland Outdoors offer suggestions and transport for 1-day partial hikes. I booked their 1-day Routeburn Track, with an early morning start to travel past Glenorchy to the start point at the Routeburn Shelter. The 1-day option goes as far as the Routeburn Flats Hut and back again, all within Mount Aspiring National Park.
The trail took me into thick, native forest cloaking the mountainside. I steadily headed uphill, crossing rivers and waterfalls along the way. The water comes from glaciers, dazzling in shades of blue, green and turquoise. There were occasional gaps in the foliage, offering wide views of the valley behind, clear and bright in the sunshine. The trail crosses a mountain pass, following the Route Burn as it tumbles through a steep, rocky canyon. On the other side, still surrounded by forest, there was a slight descent before the final, level stretch past open field on the Routeburn Flats.
The Flats are a lush, grassy valley tucked between the mountains, with towering peaks in all directions and the river snaking through. Near the hut, I sat by the riverside, soaking up the sun and enjoying the stunning scenery. It was idyllic and even though it’s a fairly busy trail, I felt so far from civilisation out here. I had to head back in time for my return bus, but first I stopped for a late lunch by another riverbank. I even dipped my feet in the chilly glacial water – I wasn’t hardy enough for a full swim! The sunshine probably helped, but being somewhere so pretty and peaceful, away from the Queenstown crowds, made this my favourite day of this week!
New Year’s Eve in Queenstown
I arrived back in Queenstown by late afternoon, and things were definitely looking busy as the evening approached. I hadn’t made any plans for going out drinking, dancing or the like, and so many months of travel had me feeling tired quite often! The hostel was next door to Earnslaw Park, which had a concert of local cover bands performing, and there was no soundproofing whatsoever. At least I could enjoy the music while chilling on a comfy bed instead of having to stand outside! God, I sound like I’m getting old, don’t I?
I didn’t stay in all evening, though! About an hour before midnight, I ventured out to catch a bit of the concert in person and took a stroll along the waterfront. Everywhere was swarming with crowds, many people having claimed their spot for the fireworks hours ago! It was impossible to find a decent place here, but I’d scoped out another spot earlier, on the other side of Steamer Wharf.
Midnight and the New Year arrived, with fireworks bursting into the sky over Queenstown Bay. The display went on for about 10-15 minutes I think, with lots of colours and shapes lighting up the sky. I haven’t had New Year fireworks for a couple of years now (although last year was highly memorable in a different way!) so I was happy to get to experience them again this time. It was also cool to think that I was in one of the first countries to enter 2025, hours ahead of my family and friends around the rest of the world! I headed back inside afterwards, listening to another hour of the cover bands before they finished up for the night.
Queenstown Bay Beach & Gardens
I was up well before the rest of the dorm on New Year’s morning! I hadn’t booked any early activities, but headed out for a wander around town instead. Having paddled my feet in Lakes Tekapo and Wānaka, Lake Wakatipu wasn’t to be left out, but I had saved it for this morning. A New Year’s morning cold plunge is traditional in Scotland, not that I usually participate – last year was an exception! I headed down to St Omer Park and waded into the shallows. It was absolutely freezing! Seriously, it might have been colder than Antarctica. This quickly dispelled any notion of a full-on swim, but I paddled for a bit longer before calling it quits.
I picked up an iced coffee and wandered along to Queenstown Bay Beach, the main beach for the town. The lake forms a small bay in its shore here, tucked into the town. It’s not a particularly stunning beach, but it’s a nice spot to hang out on a sunny day, and close to the town’s amenities. You get a pretty decent view of the gondola going up Bob’s Peak as well. A small outcrop of land sits on the far side of the beach, which has been turned into Queenstown Gardens. This park has a few walking trails, both inside the forest and along the shoreline. The tip of the peninsula has a great view looking down the lake! There are also lots of flower beds and a small pond and bandstand. It was a lovely place to stroll through for an hour or so.
Glenorchy Half Day Trip
That afternoon, I headed to the meeting point for my last activity in Queenstown, a half day trip to Glenorchy and Mount Aspiring National Park with Altitude Tours. Our first stop was actually halfway along the lakeside road to Glenorchy, at the Bennet’s Bluff Lookout. A short trail leads from the car park to the viewpoint, which offers a panorama up and down the lake. Like yesterday, the sun was out, making this a great day to be out looking at the scenery, as the lake was a dazzling turquoise colour! I’d been along this road a few times now, so it was nice to get to stop for photos for a change.
Arriving in Glenorchy, we had some time to look around the town, mainly down by the waterfront. It’s a small town, which can only be reached by this one road through Queenstown. As the name might suggest, it has Scottish origins! We drove past the smallest library in New Zealand, and the almost-as-small church beside it. They were really quite adorable! Down by the waterfront, I popped inside the Red Shed, which is an old steamship depot that now houses a small exhibit. I took a wander along the wharf and the nearby sandbanks, watching the jetboats spin and plenty of people out swimming. It really was a beautiful day for it! Glenorchy is definitely a small place to live, but it was very scenic and relaxing to pass a bit of time.
Mount Aspiring National Park
Then we headed into the National Park, swapping the paved road for a rough, dirt track (take note: most rental car insurance won’t cover you on these roads). The area we were heading to is popularly known as Paradise Valley, where many people stop to take photos with the sign. I was less interested in that and more so in the actual scenery! We drove through a lush green valley surrounded by mountains, and small lakes and patches of native forest dot the land. In every direction, it’s a dramatic, breathtaking landscape!
We stopped near the Dart River, at the place used as Isengard in the second Lord of the Rings movie. As a fan of the films (and having been to the Wētā Workshop and Hobbiton this year already) this was a definite fun bonus for me! Our guide had also pointed out the forest clearing along the way where (spoiler!) Boromir’s death was filmed. But even if you’re not a fan, it’s an incredible view, with the snowy peaks along the horizon and the blue, glacial river roaring through the valley. Our guide served up afternoon tea and snacks here, a staple of many New Zealand day tours. This was as far as the drive took us – partly because the road ends entirely not much further from here! Leaving the park behind, we made the long return journey back to Queenstown for the evening.
A Week in Queenstown
The following morning, I woke at the crack of dawn to board my next bus onward, continuing south yet again. After hearing about Queenstown for so long, being the most popular tourist spot in New Zealand, I can now see why. The town itself wasn’t my cup of tea – I’m glad I didn’t pick it to live in – and I steered clear of the adrenaline-fuelled activities. But the surrounding landscapes are simply stunning!
From Lake Wakatipu down to Glenorchy and up the Dart River. Into Mount Aspiring National Park and along the Route Burn. I roamed through forests, paddled in the lake, cruised the river and marvelled at the mountains. Even on the misty, grey days, you could tell it was a beautiful area. But when the sun came out, it was dazzling! I think I might still prefer some other places in New Zealand, where the towns weren’t as crowded, but it was still a memorable week spent in Queenstown.
