Queenstown is a wee town located at the bottom of the South Island of New Zealand, but don't underestimate it by its size, it packs a punch.
Known as the Adventure Capital of the World, Queenstown is home to all the activities your mum won't want to know about. From the tame, yet super fun, luging at the peak of the Gondola, to the adrenaline pumping 15,000 ft skydive over Lake Wakatipu. If you find yourself bored here, your doing it wrong.
Even better, when the colder temperatures come in, the town doesn't shy away. It is home to two very popular ski and snowboard mountains, a maximum of a 40 minutes bus ride away. You can choose either "Coronet Peak", good for beginners and people who like to stick to the piste, or head over to the Lord of the Rings fans favourites, "The Remarkables". This one you will endure a 40 min bus ride up the steep mountain roads, but it is all worth it when you reach the peak and are welcomed with the epic views. The Remarkables was popular with the more experienced riders, as there are options of hiking for better tracks, and it also has a pretty cool park. NZSki who are the owners of these mountains run buses from the centre of town departing every 15 minutes, just remember first thing in the morning, it might get a little busy, so don't get rowdy, wait patiently and the queues will clear sooner than you think.
Even though Queenstown is a tiny town hiding amongst an array of mountains, you can still spend a fair amount of time here. There are heaps of places to eat out, and cool places to catch an afternoon drink.........or a night time binge, whatever you prefer. Plus since its a popular location for investors, there are often new restaurants and bars popping up all over the place. Nothing will ever drive out the infamous Ferg family. Now with a total of three specialties, you can choose between a Ferg Burger, Ferg Pie and finish them off with a dollop of Ferg Ice Cream. Ferg is still renowned mainly for its massive burgers, and if you stand outside you can often spot a group of tourists taking selfies with them.......I'm not even joking. They are delicious though.
““Adventure Capital of the World””
Whether you plan a two week trip to Queenstown or a stint joining in with the Working Holiday goers, its an absolutely magical place to spend your time, and I can guarantee if you don't go with a closed mind, you too, will have an amazing experience.
For accomodation, check out Adventure Queenstown Hostel. I worked here for 10 months and without being bias, it is genuinely the best place you can choose to stay whilst in Queenstown. It has recently won a heap of awards including: Best Hostel Oceania, Best Hostel New Zealand, Best Location Worldwide and Best Facilities Worldwide. Sounds amazing right, and with those awards your probably thinking expensive too ? Think again, you stay here for just as little as $29NZ per night (terms and conditions apply, also dependant on dates). I cannot recommend it enough. Click on the blue highlighted link above to check out there website and book up for your next trip.
If you have any question about Queenstown or what to prioritise whilst your there, don't hesitate to contact me with questions using the contact button in the navigation. But before I go, Ive created another Top Tips for this cool little place:
Skydive - Book up to do your skydive with NZONE. They fly up over Lake Wakatipu which is a glacier fed lake, surrounded by a sea of mountain tops. You sore down with the best of views (not that your paying attention half the time), and it is even better in winter as you get snowcapped mountain tops to make those photos even cooler.
Canyon Swing - The Shotover Canyon Swing is basically a mix between a Bungy and a childs swing located on the side of a clif, except you don't bounce back up and you free fall for about 60m before swinging out a further 140. So maybe its nothing like a bungy or a childs swing, but its epic either way.
Bungy Jump - So unfortunately I never go to try this when I was in Queenstown, I don't know how this happened, but I will be back to do it for sure. But its no question that it is one of the most popular things to do down here. AJ Hackett are the company that will take you out to whichever one you choose. Choose from "The Nevis" - NZ's highest at 134m, "The Kawarau Bridge" - The Worlds first commercial bungy jump, or the "The Ledge" - located 400 metres above Queenstown amongst the trees. Whichever one you choose, scream your hearts out as you dive out into the obis.
Canyoning - I had never heard of this activity before arriving here, but its extremely popular throughout the world, and now I know why. You basically chuck on a wetsuit, and a helmet, then start making your way down a canyon. Abseiling to jumping into rock pools, you will cover it all. I was fortunate enough to have the experience of doing a full day down the Routeburn Canyon (there are two other options for a half day, and now a new canyon that is more extreme - the more extreme comes with an age restriction of 18+ with good reason). A must do !! - http://canyoning.co.nz/
White Water Rafting or River Surfing - Whether you like being in the comforts of a Raft, or your more adventurous and want to be in where the action is, Queenstown has it all. You can choose between the Classic, and still thrilling, white water rafting in which you have the choice to experience up to grade 5 rapids. Or for a little bit of a twist you can choose to manoeuvre through the rapids on top of a body board. You pass through maximum grade 3 rapids, which is pretty big for being in there literally without a paddle. It's inevitable you have to be a pretty strong swimmer, but if this sounds like its for you, your definitely going to enjoy it - http://www.raft.co.nz/ and http://www.riverboarding.co.nz/
Milford Sound - There are literally no words good enough to describe Milford Sound, but I will try my best with "Mind Blow-inly Beautiful". Take a day trip from Queenstown centre, and drive through the stunning landscape to this magical Fiordland. Sail out on one of the chartered boats and explore what brings Milford Sound to life. The waterfalls upon waterfalls, the adorable sea lion cubs and the resident dolphins. If your budget can stretch a little further, enjoy a Kayak Trip instead to really immerse yourself in its beauty.
Luging - Have you ever thought, I want to reinact Super Mario Kart ? I know I have. And when in Queenstown you can. At the top of the Gondola Hill, you have the chance to battle it out with friends along a windy and loopy track, racing in Luge style Go Karts. Its not an expensive excursion, and it fills up a good hour of your day with a good laugh - http://www.skyline.co.nz/queenstown/luge/
Skippers Canyon Jet Boat - Enjoy a thrilling jet boat ride down in the beautiful skippers canyon. The skipper will throw the boat around, trying his best to soak you with the ice cold water. The one thing that stand out for Skippers Canyon is that for the same price as the other Jet Boat companies, you also get to ride down Skippers Canyon Road which is one of New Zealand's most dangerous. For the small fee of $139 you get 3 hours of spectacular scenery and an adrenaline filled activity - http://www.skipperscanyonjet.co.nz/experiences/jet-boat-tour/
The Remarkables - Like I spoke about above, "The Remarkables" is a famous mountain range used in the Lord of the Rings movies, and one of only two mountain ranges in the world to run from North to South. My memories of The Remarkables are the amazing ambience they give the town when the sun shines on them at sunset or sunrise, a spectacular sight that you luckily get to see often. In the winter months, they turn in to a bustling ski resort, that is incredibly diverse and great for the more confident skier or snowboarder. There are options of hiking out with the piste (at your own risk), and also making use of the park equipment on offer - https://www.nzski.com/queenstown
Coronet Peak - If you prefer sticking to the piste, anda few more tracks on offer. Head to Coronet Peak for the day. You can get there in around 20 minutes, so it's a little more accessible and time consuming if you just want to ride for the morning or afternoon. Coronet Peak is also home to dome night skiing, you can even spot the flood lights back in town on a clear night - https://www.nzski.com/queenstown
I didn't include any in my Top 10 as there are too many to choose from, but Hiking is something not to be missed out on down in Queenstown. Start with a stroll up Queenstown hill to get a beautiful view stretching up along Lake Wakatipu, or set out for a multiple day hike along the breath taking Routeburn Track. I will be making a post shortly on hikes to do in New Zealand, but for now, take a peak at http://www.doc.govt.nz/. This site will give you all the information you need on Hikes in Queenstown and all over New Zealand.
There are many more activities in Queenstown to enjoy, head over to Queenstown's official site to have a peak at what else is on offer - http://www.queenstownnz.co.nz/. For a good deal on some of the smaller activities, jump on to - https://www.bookme.co.nz/bookings/queenstown/home.