Queenstown is located in New Zealand’s South Island, around 1 hour south of Wanaka and 6 hours south of Christchurch. It is one of the most popular areas in New Zealand, receiving over 3 million tourists annually. The town is located on the shores of Lake Wakatipu (New Zealand’s 3rd largest lake) and is surrounded by the aptly named Remarkables mountain range. I would recommend spending about 3 days here to get everything done.
Queenstown is renowned as the ‘adventure capital of the world’, and was actually home to the world’s first commercial bungee jump site, which was launched in 1988. While Queenstown is renowned for its adrenaline activities, I am not! Therefore, this blog will not include any and instead will focus on all the other fun (cheaper) things Queenstown has to offer!
Camping information:
The Queenstown Lake District has strict rules regarding freedom camping. There are 4 free camping areas in the centre of town, totalling to 33 spaces. There are an additional 13 spaces in two separate areas in nearby Frankton, a 10 minute drive from the town centre. There are additional freedom camping spots in the wider area but these are your closest central options.
We stayed in the car park of the Queenstown Events Centre in Frankton which was really good and you can use their toilets and drinking water during their opening hours. It is open 6am-8pm during the weekdays and 8am-8pm on the weekends. Outside of the opening hours there are no toilets super close by. You can also pay $8.20 per adult to use their swimming pools and then shower which we really enjoyed! We felt like children again floating down the lazy river and bobbing out on floaties and it was very relaxing. You can also just pay $5 for a shower 🙂 Therefore if you don’t mind being a little bit further from town, this spot is a really good option.
We spent 2 nights in Lake View car park which is the most central free spot. The rules state you are not allowed to be in this spot before 6pm and must vacate by 8am. However, the spaces are so in demand you must be there by 2pm to secure a spot during the peak summer months. It is ideal to camp here because it is only a 5 minute walk into town, which is also where the closest toilets are which is slightly annoying. You also have to pay $2.10 per hour between 8am and 6pm after which it then becomes free, this goes for all car parks in Queenstown.
There are also 4 separate paid camping areas costing about $60-$70 per night for 2 adults. This is also a good option if you have the money and don’t want to move your car in the middle of the day! However, these spaces do fill up quickly during the summer so it is definitely worth booking in advance!
Now onto what to do while you’re in Queenstown!
1. Get a Ferg Burger
The famous Ferg Burger! Many argue it is the best burger in New Zealand… and some say in the world! This alone makes it a must-do activities in Queenstown. This popular spot originally opened in 2001, and moved to its current location in 2005 when it exploded with popularity. Its menu includes 20 different types of burgers, including 5 beef burgers, 4 chicken burgers, 2 kids burgers, 2 vegetarian burgers and 7 other weird and wonderful creations (they also offer gluten-free buns for an extra $3.50).
In addition to the burgers, they offer fries with your choice of sauce, onion rings and salt and pepper squid as side dishes. They also have a large range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Their average burger costs about NZ$19 (£8.40, US$11.40, €9.70) while their side of fries costs NZ$8.20 (£3.60, US$6.95, €4.20). This makes the total average meal NZ$27.20 (£12, US$16.30, €13.80) which I think is a pretty good deal!
As a vegetarian i had both of their options, a falafel burger and a tofu burger and both were delicious but my favourite was definitely the tofu burger. My friend had the Ferg deluxe (classic beef burger) and the Bombay chicken burger (spiced chicken) and enjoyed both but said that the chicken one was the best burger she’s ever had!! So high praise from the two of us, with Ferg burger definitely lives up to the hype.
Due to the popularity of this burger it does mean there is always a bit of a wait to receive it. If you go during the peak dinner rush on a summers day, be prepared to wait over an hour for your burger. We went during lunch one day and at about 8:30pm the other, and only had to wait around 15 minutes both times, so would recommend going outside of peak hours.
You join the queue to order and one of the Ferg staff gives you a menu, then after you order you wait for your number to be displayed to notify you your food is ready. There are a few tables inside and just outside of the restaurant but most people tend to eat them on the beach.
2. Pay disc golf
Disc golf involves throwing plastic frisbees into metal chain baskets with the goal to complete each hole with the lowest number of throws. Queenstown has an 18-hole course located in the Queenstown gardens which is free to play. There are various shops where you can hire frisbees and score cards from including the Ice Arena in the gardens and Small Planet Disc Sports in town. We used the latter option and paid $5 each for a disc and $3 for the score card, costing the two of us $13 (£5.70, US$7.80, €6.60) in total.
The gorgeous Queenstown gardens is right by the lake and the course takes you throughout the whole thing. It took us about 2 hours to play the 18 holes. There were a few other people playing but it wasn’t too busy in general. The shortest hole is 45m while the longest is a whopping 160m!
We really enjoyed playing and it is a great activity to do in any weather! We found it rather frustrating at times and both ended up with scores miles above par… but it was fun nonetheless, just don’t think there are any future disc golfers here!!
3. Take the paddle steamer around the lake
The most expensive thing on this list, the paddle steamer trip costs NZ$115 per person (£50.80,$69,€58). The historic TSS Earnslaw takes a lap around Lake Wakatipu, taking 90 minutes in total. The cruise shows beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and includes live commentary. Cruises run daily every 2 hours from 9am to 7pm.
You can watch the steam engine at work while onboard the ship and catch a glimpse into its history from 1912, which is really interesting. It is actually one of the world’s oldest and largest remaining coal-fired steam ships! You can also to choose to add a guided tour of Walter Peak High Country Farm, a gourmet BBQ lunch or dinner and a horse trek to your cruise, for an extra cost.
When my family were in New Zealand we really enjoyed this cruise and the views are stunning. If you are interested in history then i would definitely recommend taking this trip, however it is popular and spots can fill up quite quickly so it would be worth booking it in advance.
4. Go op-shopping
Queenstown has 3 great thrift shops a 15 minute walk away from the centre of town. There is a SPCA, Hospice and Salvation Army all located along Gorge road. Given that Queenstown is an expensive area we found there to be some great things hiding within the racks! If you need something relaxing to do for an afternoon then i would definitely recommend having a look during a wander around the town.
The hospice had 2 separate stores, one filled with clothes and another with household goods, a large room filled with books and another solely with ski gear! There were racks upon racks of boots, coats and skis so would be great to visit if you needed anything over the ski season.
5. Walk around the Queenstown gardens
Even if you don’t fancy playing a round of disc golf i would still recommend taking a walk around the Queenstown gardens. The walk is 1.6km (just over 1 mile) one way and took us just over an hour to walk there are back, with a few stops to admire the view! On the west coast of the headland you can look across the water and get a great view of Queenstown.
The pier on this side of the lake offers great photo opportunities if that’s your thing! Around the corner of the headland, you can see the beautiful Lake Wakatipu stretched out in front of you, and it is a great place for a swim on a hot day. It is very cold tho, only reaching 14°C to 16°C (57.2°F – 60.8°F) even during summer, so is very refreshing!
6. Have a drink on the lakefront
We had drinks out on 2 nights while were in Queenstown, once at The Boathouse which is on the far end of the beach, and the other on Perky’s Floating bar, which is parked all day long in the wharf. The Boat house is open 9am-9pm, 7 days a week and has tables right on the beach with lovely views of the lake. Although I haven’t eaten there, the menu and food we saw looked incredible. Perky’s floating bar is open 12pm-11pm every day and has an extensive wine, beer and cocktail menu. You can also bring your own food onto the boat to enjoy while you have some drinks which is great!
7. Walk the Queenstown hill track or take the gondola
From many places in Queenstown, you can look up and see the Skyline Complex above you. This building houses a restaurant and bar, cafe and beautiful viewing deck, as well as the famous luge ride. There are 2 ways you can get there: by walking the Queenstown Hill track or by taking the gondola!
The gondola is a 480m long ride with views across the town, surrounding mountains and lake. It costs NZ$66 per adult and NZ$46 per child for a return trip, with children under 6 going free.
It is open from 9:30am to 9pm every day and your ticket allows you flexibility to ride at whichever time. However, do be aware that the activities at the top have different opening hours so make sure you check them so you don’t miss out!
The other way to reach the skyline complex is by walking! A much cheaper, but slower, alternative to taking the gondola. The Queenstown hill walking track starts on Belfast terrace (a 5 minute drive or 15 minute walk from central Queenstown) and involves a 2.5km hike each way. It is classed as ‘moderate’ in difficulty as although it is a well maintained, easy to follow path, it is consistently quite steep.
The track passes through pine forests until you reach the ‘Basket of Dreams’ sculpture then winds on until you reach the summit. There you can reward yourself with breathtaking views and a bite to eat, before taking the same track down again to the bottom.
8. Visit a cafe on the lake front
There are so many great cafes in Queenstown and we visited one every morning of our 3 day stay! Beach St cafe is an adorable little cafe down by the wharf which serves great coffee and pastries for an affordable price. The Nutella croissant was amazing, if not very messy!
Patagonia chocolaterie and ice creamery is a local cafe chain with 4 locations around Queenstown but this one definitely has the best view! Located on Rees street, the 2nd floor of the store has large windows that overlook the pier and Lake Wakatipu and is a great place to spend a quiet morning.
Finally, Mrs Ferg is part of the Ferg empire and has 2 locations, one at 69 Beach Street, and the other next to Ferg burger on Shotover street. They serve great coffees, as well as sandwiches and a huge variety of delicious ice creams.
9. Spend a morning in Arrowtown
Arrowtown is a gorgeous little town located a 20 minute drive away from Queenstown, and is so worth the visit. It has a long history of gold mining and is now known for its location in the mountains and historic settlements. You probably only need 2-3 hours to spend here wandering the streets or having a drink in one of the many cafes or bars that line the high street.
We really enjoyed going in the Gold Nugget souvenir shop, having a look round the Lakes District Museum and Gallery, the sweet shop and the post office.
Sadly we had a rather gloomy day while we were here so my photos don’t really do it justice but it is lovely even on a rainy day! There are also 3 free camping spots in Hansen Place car park which looked nice although, like most spots in Queenstown, you would have to be there early to grab one.
10. Have a day out in Glenorchy
We had a free day so decided to make the 50 minute drive out to Glenorchy and were so glad we did, it ended up being one of the best days of our trip as there was so much to do there.
We visited Glenorchy on our last day in Queenstown and decided to camp overnight too. We stayed in the Glenorchy Domain car park which is free and has 3 spaces and we parked there at 4pm to secure our spot. There were toilets nearby as well as a drinking water tap so it was a great spot. The nearby Glacier Burns car park is also free, with space for about 6 cars so is a good back-up option.
The 46km drive was absolutely stunning and honestly worthwhile to do even if you don’t have time to do much in Glenorchy. There are loads of places to pull over to look at the sights, and we especially enjoyed the views of Lake Wakatipu from Bennetts Bluff lookout, which is shown in the third picture.
I would absolutely recommend visiting Mrs Woolley’s General Store and Cafe on the way into Glenorchy and starting your day with a drink and cake. The staff there were absolutely lovely and the hazelnut brownie and lemon and blueberry cupcake were divine. The store section was also really nice, with a range of clothes, food and souvenirs.
For beautiful views of the mountains looming over the lake, I would recommend doing the Glenorchy Lagoon scenic walkway. We parked at the Waterfront car park and did a 5km loop which took us 1 hour and 15 minutes on a flat easy-to-follow pathway. On a clear day the mountain casts a reflection in the water and makes for some stunning pictures!
Glenorchy was created out of the gold rush from the 1860’s like most of the areas in the region. The only real access to it was via steamboats that carried people to and fro from Queenstown to Glenorchy. The goods and cargos from these steamboats were stored in a goods shed that was also operated as the local station.
The current red shed was constructed in 1999 following significant damage caused my floods to the original. You can learn more about the history of the shed right inside it, as it now hosts boards of information!
As cool as the red shed is, I would also recommend having a walk around the area while you’re in the same car park as the views are stunning. There is lots of bird life around the lake and lovely spots to have a picnic. There is also a great souvenir shop and small Patagonia trailer to get an ice cream.
One of our favourite activities in the whole of New Zealand was the Glenorchy animal experience! Although they advertise mainly for families, I say this is fun for all ages! It costs NZ$25 an adult, $15 a child and is free for kids under 5 years old, and they are open Wednesday to Sunday from 10am-4pm. We also spent $5 for a bag of animal feed and spent over an hour visiting all the animals to pet and feed. The staff were all really kind and answered any questions we had.
Our favourite animals were Patrick the sheep, who greets you on the way in, the llama shown in the first picture and this very hungry pony in the second. It is such a well-managed area and the animals are cared for beautifully, and the mountains in the background create some gorgeous pictures! You can see a large variety of animals from sheep, alpacas, llamas, deer, dogs, goats, a cow and a range of birds. Our time here was so much fun and I would really recommend giving the animals a visit if you have the time!
Thank you for reading this blog!
If you are heading to Wanaka after Queenstown, then read this blog for some recommendations on how to spend your time there.
BellaGoesBackpacking 
Leave a comment