Four Days in Queenstown
I’ve done a fair bit of travel, but nothing sets my soul singing like Central Otago. The wonders of Queenstown are hardly a secret, but the whole region is overflowing with treasures. I was lucky enough to spend my 25th birthday down south on what might have been my 4th or 5th trip (cannae keep this girl away!) Here’s what we filled our four days with, plus some highlights from previous trips which I would also recommend!
Day 1
We stepped off the plane, picked up our rental car and headed straight for Rātā. I’ve been to Josh Emmett’s restaurant for both dinner and lunch on different occasions.
HOT TIP: While the lunchtime menu has less choice, you can set a 2 course or 3 course meal for $38 and $48 respectively, which is a steal for the beautiful food you get.
HOT TIP 2: PLEASE try the line-caught kingfish crudo: I’m not usually one for raw fish but the flavours were unreal, every bite was heavenly. Alex would recommend the cheese roll (bless him, he hasn’t had many chances to try this southern delicacy).
After a stroll around the Queenstown shops, we checked in at our amazing accommodation: Moonlight Lodge. I can’t wait until these guys have a website and Instagram up and running, but here’s their AirBnB listing for now. This place and our hosts were PHENOMENAL. The lodge is nestled on the hillside just above the Shotover river. If you have a car, Arthurs Point is a super handy location and is close to Queenstown one way and Arrowtown the other. Juliet and David (our hosts) were so lovely and were always going above and beyond to make sure our stay was enjoyable. The rooms were spacious and comfortable, there was outdoor seating, and we spent one night star-gazing in the hot tub just by the house!
Honestly, can’t recommend enough - it was damn good.
Day 2
Fun little fact - my mum worked on the TSS Earnslaw the summer after her first year at university. Took me a wee while to see it myself, but it was so fun journeying to Walter Peak farm on the last operating steam-powered boat in the Southern Hemisphere. It was a beautiful day, so we spent the trip there on the front deck enjoying the stunning scenery on Lake Wakatipu, and the trip back inside with a mulled wine. Walter Peak farm was a beautiful place to stop to watch a sheepdog display (I thought it was going to be a bit naff but it was actually cool as!) and wander around the historic station.
We spent the afternoon strolling the lakefront back in Queenstown, and doing a short walk along the river near our accommodation (not a bad activity if you’re in Arthur’s Point but probably not worth venturing too far for).
We finished the day with my first ever Fergburger experience! I wasn’t going to buy into the hype but the burger was actually mean and they’ve got a great system for waiting for your order - we popped into a local pub for a drink and could check online to see when our burgers were ready!
Day 3
Bungy jumping isn’t really my thing, but I cannae go past a jet boat! Every breath you take going that fast on the open water is magic. I love them.
This trip, we went on the Goldfields jet just outside of Cromwell (if you want something closer to Queenstown, try the Shotover or KJet). It was a crew of six young kiwis on the boat, so the driver didn’t hold back with those 360 spins! Hearing the gold mining history of the area in between those spins was great too.
After that, we headed off to Clyde for lunch at the iconic Olivers. We sat right by the fire and had a huge ol’ plate of pasta and a glass of local white. We walked (waddled, tbh) down to the river and skimmed stones (I lost) and had a stone throwing competition (I won!!! I couldn’t believe it either, shame Alex).
To wrap up our venture into Central Otago, we stopped at Cromwell’s historic precinct. Sadly not much was open (potentially because it was Sunday afternoon), but it was still lovely to look over the lake.
Day 4
We started the day another beautiful breakfast at our accommodation, followed by a trip up the Queenstown Gondola for views over the town, lake and mountains.
After that, we were off to one of the cutest towns in New Zealand: Arrowtown! We popped into a few places on the main street before grabbing a coffee at Provisions to take with us as we walked along the river.
Then, it was time for some birthday winery hopping. Sadly two on my list were closed (Amisfield and Chard Farm), but that’s just another reason to go back isn’t it! The two we did visit were excellent. Alex and I enjoyed two different pinots in a lovely garden spot at Akarua. After soaking up the sun there for an hour or so, we visited Gibbston Valley winery - a classic spot with great food and platter options too!
We rounded off the night at Kobe restaurant, onsite at Millbrook resort. The food was amazing and you watched things grilled up in front of you, teppanyaki style. It was a very lavish wine and food day - perfect to bring in my first quarter-century I reckon.
Other recommendations
Dart River Jets
I absolutely love Dart River in Glenorchy. Do the full day jet boat + funyak if you can, but the jet boat itself is amazing! Not only is it a scenic drive out there from Queenstown, but the views of Mt Aspiring national park from the boat was breathtaking. We can’t wait to visit Dart River again once they’re back in action!
Biking in Arrowtown
A great summer activity, you can hire bikes from Arrowtown Bike Hire and take them for a spin around the countryside. My favourite route is going along the river in Arrowtown, past the AJ Hackett bungy and ending up at Gibbston Valley winery for a well deserved vino. HOT TIP: if you have a few more vinos than you thought you might, or you just can’t be arsed biking back, the bike company offers pick-up to bring you and the bike back to Arrowtown!
Walks
While we didn’t do many big walks on this occasion, Central Otago has heaps of goodies! In Glenorchy, try the scenic lagoon walkway, the beginning of the Routeburn track, or Bob’s Cove. Go along the river in Arrowtown, or around the lakeside in Queenstown.
Paragliding
The first time I ever visited Queenstown (17 with my mum and sister), we saw paragliders jumping from the top of the gondola, and made a snap decision to give it a go! Thankfully, weather conditions were perfect and all three of us could go at the same time. It was an amazing experience, and I'm keen to do it again one day. Check it out here.
Hopefully this article has helped you plan your trip to Queenstown, or even just inspired some future travel!
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