As told by DIWYY reader, Kylie, who has traveled to Queenstown from her native Australia in 2005, 2006, and 2008
Where she stayed: On the first visit we stayed a hotel, Crowne Plaza Queenstown. On the next two occasions we stayed at The Glebe Apartments, a five star apartment. The apartment is the best option as it gives you the opportunity to have separate bedrooms, kitchen facilities to save on eating out constantly, laundry facilities to do washing and is much more comfortable then a hotel. For 10 nights we paid approximately NZ$700 each (3 people). There are much cheaper options for houses, units, apartments, hotels, hostels and backpacker lodges.
Kylie’s recommendations for things to do: We were in New Zealand to enjoy the skiing and snowboarding. The main mountains close to Queenstown are Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Cardrona. There are buses that leave from Queenstown to each mountain everyday for a cost of about $20 round-trip.
Ski hire is simple and is found both in town and on the mountain. If you hire in town, you will find that you can negotiate rates depending on the number in your group and also the period of time you are looking to hire for. You can also hire on the mountains, but we always find it better in town – they will usually throw other stuff in.
There is so much more to do in New Zealand then ski. We managed to fit in the few times we have been there:
1. Canyon Swing: This takes bunjee jumping to a new level. It is a 109 metre drop and then a 200 metre swing up a canyon over the Shotover River. Not for the faint hearted.
2. Shotover Jetboating: A high speed power boat race that takes you through the canyons of the Shotover River at speeds of approximately 85km per hour.
3. Winery Tour in Central Otago: This was a 5 hour trip which took us to wineries in the area, which is famous for its Pinot Noir. The trip we opted for catered for a small group only, was informative, fun and included lunch at a winery. There are multiple tour companies.
4. Onsen Hot Pools: A relatively new addition to Queenstown. Perfect for a day after skiing. They are situated on a ridge looking over the Shotover River. They have a retractable roof so you can enjoy the views and snow whilst relaxing in the pools.
5. Old Cromwell Town: A historic town about an hour from Queenstown. Not an exciting town and probably not worth the trip unless you are already out there on a winery tour.
6. Arrowtown: Another historic town, which is a little more appealing than Old Cromwell Town. Cute gift shops and cafes.
7. Wanaka: Second, smaller ski town in the area. It is about 1.5 hour drive from Queenstown. Not much to do there. Home of Treble Cone and the more serious skiers.
8. Skyline gondola and luge: On top of the mountain looking over the town. There are great views of the town, there is a restaurant and the most fun is the luge! A race track for those seeking a rush of adrenaline.
9. Coronet paragliding: This is absolutely amazing. A 5,400ft take off from the snow peaks! Literally takes you breath away not only seeing the views from this height, but also the trip down itself.
10. Endless nightlife options: the best include Winnies, Bardeaux, Pig and Whistle, and Barup. There are also bars which kickstart at 2am including Tardis and Debargo.
11. Ferburger Restaurant: This biggest must in Queenstown, the biggest and best burgers in the whole world. The crowd can be about three deep at the counter, even at 4am, but it is worth the wait.
Getting around Queenstown: The first time we visited Queenstown, we hired a car for one day only. The following visits we did not even bother. There are buses to each mountain each day leaving from the main part of town. The average cost is about $25 round-trip. Each other activity that we enjoyed included a shuttle to pick you up and take you to the location of the adventure.
Queenstown itself is quiet small and you can get everywhere in town on foot. On the colder nights, you can easily find a cab and given the small size of Queenstown can get home from $5-$10.
One final word from Kylie: Go with a very open mind and ready to have the extreme sport time of you life!
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Queenstown is such a beautiful place everyone will appreciate. Another thing that people should try is riding the Steam boat in Lake Wakatipu. Though our timing wasnt good when we rode the boat, because it was raining and freezing at the same time, we managed to brighten the mood by singing by the piano, and later danced under the cold raindrops singing I'm on a Boat, haha. The boat will take you to Walter Peak, where in a classic big house waiting are free tea and sweets to enjoy.
That experience was just simply amazing.
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