Queenstown and Vicinity
We spent a few days in Queenstown to recover from our long flights, get ready for our upcoming 5-day tramp (Kiwi-speak for hike), and explore the town and surrounding area.
Queenstown is a fairly small and compact vacation town sandwiched between the mountains and beautiful Lake Wakatipu. Lots of tourists from all around the world come there to partake in the activities designed (it seems) to separate them from their money. In the summer, there's lots of activities to fulfill the thrill seekers (bungee jumping, hang gliding, mountain biking, hiking, jet boat rides up rivers, helicopter flights, etc.) In the winter, there's 4 nearby ski areas, and perhaps other things, too. Plus lots of fancy restaurants and shopping! A little too touristy for our tastes, but we ignored a lot of it, and just enjoyed the beautiful location and yummy food.
On our first day, after driving 15 minutes to our hotel, we had a late lunch at the hotel and decided to walk the several kilometers to town ... to stretch our legs and avoid more driving on the "wrong" side of the road. We walked through Queenstown Gardens, and quickly felt the Northwest vibe via the huge Douglas Fir trees. We were kind of thinking it would be a bit more exotic. It ends up that the fir trees were imported, but have a tendency to squeeze out native forests. Once back at our hotel, the next task was to figure out dinner. We had a tip that Pedro's House of Lamb was top notch, but we really didn't want to drive. Ah, they deliver!!! And it was as good as advertised!
Over the next two days, we combined fun and exploring with getting groceries and hiking supplies. We went up the gondola on the edge of town, and had some stunning views of the surrounding area. At the top, we decided (based on a friend's recommendation) to ride the "luge". This involved riding up another chairlift, then driving down little windy pathways in a low plastic cart (with steering and brakes). Seemed kinda silly looking at it, but it was pretty fast and fun! Great views of the surrounding area from up at the top of the gondola. Plus, we got to watch some bungee jumpers and bungee swingers! Crazy!!
Lake Wakatipu is very large (about 50 miles long), and very deep (~1200 ft). The bottom is actually below sea level! It's also surrounded by mountains. This configuration can really funnel the wind, and we certainly felt it at times.
The Remarkables mountain range bounds Lake Wakatipu near Queenstown, and contains one of the region's 4 ski areas. There's also a very windy, narrow road that goes there, with fabulous views. And there's a pretty easy hike to a very nice alpine lake (Lake Alta) from the ski area. We actually attempted the road twice ... once in the morning, when we ended up in a white-out as we were nearing (we presumed) the ski area. We bailed out, went back down, and walked the Kelvin Peninsula Loop Track, which is across a little arm of Lake Wakatipu from Queenstown. Then, in the afternoon, we headed back up and successfully reached both the ski area and Lake Alta.
More Photos
Queenstown is a fairly small and compact vacation town sandwiched between the mountains and beautiful Lake Wakatipu. Lots of tourists from all around the world come there to partake in the activities designed (it seems) to separate them from their money. In the summer, there's lots of activities to fulfill the thrill seekers (bungee jumping, hang gliding, mountain biking, hiking, jet boat rides up rivers, helicopter flights, etc.) In the winter, there's 4 nearby ski areas, and perhaps other things, too. Plus lots of fancy restaurants and shopping! A little too touristy for our tastes, but we ignored a lot of it, and just enjoyed the beautiful location and yummy food.
On our first day, after driving 15 minutes to our hotel, we had a late lunch at the hotel and decided to walk the several kilometers to town ... to stretch our legs and avoid more driving on the "wrong" side of the road. We walked through Queenstown Gardens, and quickly felt the Northwest vibe via the huge Douglas Fir trees. We were kind of thinking it would be a bit more exotic. It ends up that the fir trees were imported, but have a tendency to squeeze out native forests. Once back at our hotel, the next task was to figure out dinner. We had a tip that Pedro's House of Lamb was top notch, but we really didn't want to drive. Ah, they deliver!!! And it was as good as advertised!
Over the next two days, we combined fun and exploring with getting groceries and hiking supplies. We went up the gondola on the edge of town, and had some stunning views of the surrounding area. At the top, we decided (based on a friend's recommendation) to ride the "luge". This involved riding up another chairlift, then driving down little windy pathways in a low plastic cart (with steering and brakes). Seemed kinda silly looking at it, but it was pretty fast and fun! Great views of the surrounding area from up at the top of the gondola. Plus, we got to watch some bungee jumpers and bungee swingers! Crazy!!
Lake Wakatipu is very large (about 50 miles long), and very deep (~1200 ft). The bottom is actually below sea level! It's also surrounded by mountains. This configuration can really funnel the wind, and we certainly felt it at times.
The Remarkables mountain range bounds Lake Wakatipu near Queenstown, and contains one of the region's 4 ski areas. There's also a very windy, narrow road that goes there, with fabulous views. And there's a pretty easy hike to a very nice alpine lake (Lake Alta) from the ski area. We actually attempted the road twice ... once in the morning, when we ended up in a white-out as we were nearing (we presumed) the ski area. We bailed out, went back down, and walked the Kelvin Peninsula Loop Track, which is across a little arm of Lake Wakatipu from Queenstown. Then, in the afternoon, we headed back up and successfully reached both the ski area and Lake Alta.
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| Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu, and the Remarkables from top of Gondola |
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| Lake Hayes |
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| Storm Clouds over Walter Peak and Lake Wakatipu |
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| Evening Clouds, Queenstown |
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| Evening Clouds, Queenstown |
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| Remarkables Clouds |
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| Remarkables from Kelvin Peninsula Track |
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| Steel Sculpture on Kelvin Peninsula Track |
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| Lake Alta |
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| Lake Hayes and Kawarau River from road to Remarkables Ski Area |
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Activities
- Walk to and around Queenstown from our lodging
- Queenstown Gondola (and Luge)
- Lake Hayes walk
- Hike on Kelvin Peninsula Loop Track
- Drive to Remarkables Ski Area (x 2)
- Hike on Alta Lake Track
5-Star Moments
- Grand views down from the road to the Remarkables ski area!
- Killer views of glaciated peaks on the drive to Glenorchy!
Random Scenes
- Looking for a cheap cooler in store after store, without luck (perhaps because it was the end of their summer season). After asking in a grocery store, the clerk pointed me to a styrofoam box used to transport seafood on ice. A little too flat and wide, but free is a very good price. And besides, we had no other options.
- On our first gas fill-up, getting an error message when trying the credit card, then another when trying the debit card. After driving over to the associated grocery store and talking with the manager, I discovered that these pumps were automated (like in the US), but they couldn't take "signature-required" credit cards, only those requiring PINs. They'd take debit cards, but you had to tell the machine that it was a credit card. Go figure. Fortunately, there weren't cars waiting behind me!
- After being convinced by one of our guide books that the Shotover jet-boat ride was a must-do, and after getting a bit lost on the drive to the starting point, we stood looking at the $140 per person price, and just couldn't pull the trigger. Unfortunately, it used to be more of a sightseeing trip, but switched to the thrill-ride model to (presumably) make more money (see videos here).
Random Questions
- Why are all those fir trees above that line up on the moutainside dead?
Tom's Daily Stress Points
- Driving on the "wrong" side of the road! Plus you gotta park? In a parking garage? (stress level = medium-high).
- Will the weather cooperate on our upcoming tramp? (stress level = medium)
Sleeps
- Sherwood Hotel (kinda granola, kinda new-agey, but very nice).
Notable Eats
- Queenstown: Fergbaker (superb pastries), Ivy and Lola's (excellent Brioche French toast), Pedro's House of Lamb (fantastic slow roast lamb shoulder with scalloped potatoes ... take out or delivery!), Sherwood Hotel (good lunch)
- Frankton: Thaitanium (respectable Thai food)
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