Queenstown New Zealand is a spectacular place. Located on the shores of deep blue Lake Wakatipu, and surrounded by the 7,000-foot (2,300-meter) Remarkables, the scenery is breathtaking. Queenstown is a must-see for any New Zealand vacation.
We would like to share a day in Queenstown with you.
Out of bed around 8am, the day is bright and sunny, though cool, with a forecast high of 14 degrees Celsius today. We are in the middle of October and although today is a perfect alpine day, there is snow on the peaks and small falls are still possible, although less likely as the month progresses.
We start the day with a cooked breakfast in our apartment in Beacon, overlooking the lake. Incredible views, and it’s really worth paying the extra for a room with uninterrupted views of the lake. Lake Wakatipu is about 22 miles (40 kilometers) long and stretches between the small towns of Glenorchy and Kinston. The drive to either of these from Queenstown is a memorable experience as you follow the lakeside all the way. But that is not for us today.
Today we head to the beautiful lakeside township of Wanaka (Wan-a-ka), which is an hour’s drive from Queenstown. You can go through Cromwell Township, but a much more interesting drive is through the Crown Range. The road climbs above the Crown Range and is the highest major road in New Zealand. There are several viewpoints along the way, providing wonderful photo opportunities looking out over Queenstown (make sure you have plenty of film or, for digital users, a large memory card). Along the way, about 25 kilometers before Wanaka, we pass the historic Hotel Cardrona, which dates back to the 19th century. More on that later. Once in Wanaka, we stroll along the lake shore, and from the small pier in front of the tourist information center, you can see huge trout swimming just a few meters below you in the crystal clear waters of Lake Wanaka. Incredible. We took a walk through the town and as usual we were impressed by the cleanliness and presentation of the town centre. The locals really take a lot of pride. There are numerous cafes and gift shops for your kiwi souvenirs. If you have an hour or two to spare, visit the puzzling world. This place is great fun for children and adults and has a maze, several optical illusions and many brain teasers. It’s worth a visit.
But now it’s time to return to Queenstown. But not before visiting the Hotel Cardrona for lunch. As you enter the hotel, you’re greeted by examples of local historical bits and pieces, and in the bar area, look through a glass floor panel into the shaft of an old gold mine. The hotel has a menu full of hearty kiwi dishes and a selection of excellent wines and beers. If the day is cool, you have the option of sitting inside by the fireplace, but with such a perfect day, we decided to sit in the large, well-kept garden at one of the many wooden tables. Our table is on a beautiful grassy area and we are amazed at the distance between us and the closest diners (probably 15 meters or 50 feet). If you have children, there is plenty of room for them to explore safely. We sit in the sun and have a Speights (okay, I try two) and a local Sav Blanc, and eat our lunch, thinking how perfect the day is. Our food is well presented and very, very good. We’re even joined by the resident cat, who sits next to us on our bench and delicately takes a few pieces of chicken from me. The locals sure are friendly.
It’s time to head back to Queenstown and as we descend the Crown Range we are once again stunned by the sight and beauty of the Wakatipu Basin. When we reach the bottom of the ridge, we detour a few miles to the historic township of Arrowtown, a former gold mining town, now filled with charming cafes and shops selling local crafts.
It’s then a 20-minute drive back to Queenstown, where we set foot in our apartment, look out over the lake and watch the old steamboat, the TSS Earnslaw, as she sails on one of her regular cruises. We wonder what adventure tomorrow holds in this beautiful place.