Queenstown – delivering magic

With Australian and New Zealand borders having remained closed now for more a year, it was with great excitement (and a little disbelief) that I accepted an invitation to experience the delights of Queenstown, courtesy of Destination Queenstown and Air New Zealand. The anxiety of waiting to see if the borders would stay open long enough for us to leave was almost too much, but on the appointed day the gods were smiling and off to Sydney International airport we went.

Queenstown is just a short 2.5 hour flight from Sydney and checking into the Air NZ lounge at Sydney Airport felt like the start of the holiday – friendly staff and great coffee, wines and food, it’s a small taste of the Kiwi hospitality awaiting you on the other side of the ditch. If you’re lucky enough to have a window seat on the flight into Queenstown, then the view of the rugged snow capped mountain ranges below will set your heart racing and it won’t stop again until you leave.

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Queenstown sits on the beautiful S shaped Lake Wakatipu, meaning ‘hollow of the sleeping giant’ in Maori. What’s unusual about this lake is that the water level rises and falls by approx. 12 cm every 5 minutes, a phenomenon that has baffled scientists . It’s explained by a Maori legend that, like all good legends, involves a beautiful girl, a handsome warrior and a demon.

When the Taniwha, Matau kidnaps Manata, her father promises that whoever rescues her can have her hand in marriage. Matakauri realises that this is his chance to prove himself and rescues his beloved Manata. He realises though, that for Manata to be safe he has to kill Matau so he sets fire to him and the heat of the flames melts the body of Matau, filling the hole with melted snow – this is how Lake Wakatipu was formed and the water rises and falls because Matau’s heart still beats beneath the lake.

Back to the present and we were lucky enough to stay lakeside at the beautiful Rees Hotel, arriving in the late afternoon as the sun set over the lake, bathing everything in a golden glow. Entering the lobby is like walking into a sumptuous living room, replete with a well stocked bar and lounges arranged around a huge open fire. This is one of the things I love about Queenstown, the open fires in hotels, bars and restaurants – it makes coming in from the cold delicious!

Nomad Safaris collected us early the next morning and took us to our first adventure, breakfast at Kiwi Birdlife Park.

This is a very special place, 5 acres of rubbish tip turned refuge in the heart of Queenstown, in operation since 1986 and home to over 20 native species of wildlife – all here on breed for release programs or in rehab due to injury. The Kiwi enclosures are the highlight and it was exciting to see them running around foraging for food right in front of us. You aren’t allowed to take pics of the Kiwis so you’ll have to go and see them for yourself 🙂

Heading out of Queenstown, again with Nomad Safaris, we were taken on an exhilarating drive through beautiful Arrowtown and into Skippers Canyon.

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Skippers Canyon was for a time the gold mining capital of the world and is accessed via Skippers Road, today one of New Zealand’s best known scenic roads and one where rental car insurance is not honoured due to it being mostly one-way, narrow and with sheer drops of several hundred metres. Definitely not for the faint hearted but the scenery is spectacular and it’s a photographers dream.

Gibbston Valley Lodge and Winery is set amongst Central Otago’s oldest founding vineyards and surrounded by rugged schist mountains. This is a wonderful property featuring fine wines (naturally), superb food and 24 private villas overlooking the vineyards and enjoying five star concierge services. I’m not doing it justice with my pics but go to the website and you’ll get a real sense of how magical this place is. We toured the winery and had a delicious lunch – this would be an excellent place to base yourself for a few days while you explore the area.

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Next stop was Cargo Brewery at Waitiri Creek for a beer and wine sampling with Altitude Tours. Located in a lovely old wooden church dating from 1894, Cargo offers a restaurant, tasting room and beer garden and is growing a reputation as an open air music venue, hosting local and international bands. Obviously this has been on hold during Covid, but keep an eye on the calendar for future gigs.

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What better way to shake us up after all that eating and drinking than with a with a visit to Oxbow Adventure Co, home of EPIC adrenaline filled experiences.

Their 4WD, 4-wheel steer off-roaders have an extremely low centre of gravity that allows them to go almost anywhere including rock climbing, cliff dropping and drifting around a custom built muddy course of steep gullies, boulders and at ridiculous angles – ensuring a ride that’s both hair raising and exhilarating.

Their Jet Sprint Boat accelerates from zero to 100 kms in an incredible 2.5 seconds, so you’ve done a lap of the custom-built course before you’ve even have the chance to take a breath – we screamed for the entire ride and it took some time to wipe the grins off our faces afterwards. EPIC fun indeed Oxbow !

A visit to Queenstown wouldn’t be complete without spending some time on Lake Wakatipu and we headed out for a breakfast cruise the next morning on the beautiful Pacific Jemm. Owned by the Imperium Collection (Eichardts Hotel, No 5 Church Lane, The Grille ), Pacific Jemm is available for hire by the hour for individual or group excursions on the lake. You’ll be looked after by a very friendly crew and chatty, very knowledgeable captain, all while enjoying 5 star dining and sensational views of Queenstown from the Lake.

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Back on the dry land, we dropped into K Jet Time tripper. K Jet is the company best known for their exhilarating jet boat rides on the Shotover river but this is a very different experience. Travel back 90 million years in time with this state-of-the-art animated show telling the Maori Legend of the Lake and the story of the creation of the Wakatipu region and its evolution to modern day Queenstown. It’s a very cool experience and I recommend it for kids of all ages.

We then set off with Queenstown Expeditions for an all-terrain vehicle ride around Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy, famous after scenes from Lord of the Rings were filmed here. The drive is incredibly scenic with heart stopping lake views around every corner and intermittent commentary recounting Maori Legend and local history, including the story of a lovelorn hermit who escaped from the word here…

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Just on from Glenorchy is the starting point for many of New Zealand’s famed walks including the Milford and Routeburn Tracks, and Kinloch Wilderness Lodge is where hikers stay before or after a hike – or just stop for a coffee and some delicious New Zealand home cooking

Offering accommodation to suit every budget, including luxury eco cabins, a Heritage Lodge and youth hostel, all in a spectacular setting, Kinloch is a slice of rural paradise.

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Why drive back to Queenstown when you can fly? We were lucky the weather was perfect for a visit to the Earnslaw Burn. This is (apparently) a fairly challenging 23km walking track that climbs through wilderness forest and includes a waterfall and breath taking views of the glacier. Hiking it takes about 10 hours to complete the round trip journey – or as we did, have Heli Glenorchy drop you there. We had breathtaking aerial views of the snow capped mountains, glacier and waterfalls and later landed on a snowy peak for a glass of champagne. It’s a very special thing to do and I bet there have been a few proposals up there!

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Now I have to tell you about Sherwood. I’d been told by a friend to visit and we went the next morning for breakfast and a site tour. In the 1980s Sherwood was a motor inn and the current owners have created a serene and homely space by adding beautiful touches and textures, all while embracing the inherited ‘motor inn genes’.

This is as much a community centre for locals as it is a hotel and their environmental credentials are impressive. From the refurbishment using carbon negative recycled and upcycled products, to solar power, free electric car charging for guests, a high percentage of the food grown in their own gardens; to the Yoga, Pilates and meditation classes – if it was a cult, I think I’d sign up!

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We had time for one last stop before heading to the airport and this was to visit the guys at iFly and experience skydiving the easy way – indoors! They have an amazing set up located in the centre of town and it’s huge fun for kids from 6 to 90! After a couple of turns I loved it so much that I committed to going back and trying the real thing .. while this seemed like a good idea at the time, I’m hoping my companions have forgotten me saying that. I think I’ll stick to iFly

Now I’ve only told you about the adventures we had and the places we went to on this short visit, but there is just so much more to see and do in Queenstown – we visited just before the start of the ski season but with all of the different activities, Queenstown is a destination for all seasons .

Lets just hope this craziness passes soon and we can return to open borders and the freedom to travel that we’ve always enjoyed. And when that happens, make sure Queenstown is at the top of your list.