Visitors to our wee little New Zealand will without a doubt put Queenstown on the top of their list when they’re heading down to our end of the world. The epic roads, the delicious wine, tasty food, nifty plane landing and the stunning panoramas are up there, but the pictures you would have seen before you arrive probably don’t do the place justice. You should probably tick it off the list and just come and see it for yourselves. This is what we did on just one of our visits.
Where we Stayed
Queenstown town centre is pretty central to everything and the starting point for any day trip, but we were keen to get out of the tourist town and discover a few more of the highlights in our own way. This meant breaking up the time we spent in the south in a couple of different locations, finding fab (and very different) accommodation in each.
Mercure Queenstown
So, it’s not 5 Star, but it’s a tidy 4 and more than adequate for a two night stay in Queenstown. It’s about a two minute drive or 10 minute walk out of town, up on a hill, hosting a decent view. There’s a myriad of options in Queenstown so we ended up here mainly based on the price vs value equation. We booked as per on booking.com, paying $278 for the pleasure ($139 per night). There’s an ok bar with a stunning outlook and the staff were plenty pleasant.
www.mercure.com/Queenstown Sainsbury Road, Queenstown 9300
Cardrona Hotel
The Cardrona Hotel is pretty much an institution in this part of the world and it’s no surprise why. The place is full of history, full of charm and ideal for a night out away from the hustle and bustle of Queenstown (there’s not that much hustle and bustle). If you’re planning on staying here (which we’d recommend) you’ll need to have a rental car as it’s pretty much half way between Wanaka and Queenstown, plonked right in the middle of the Crowne Range road (which is an adventure in itself) and the middle of pretty much nowhere. We booked for two nights for the privilege of $270 ($135 a night) on booking.com and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It’s not a big place and the accommodation is pretty secondary to the bar and restaurant at the front of the property but lovely all the same. After a glorious dinner enjoy some time either by the outside fire place if it’s warm enough, or snuggled up on a Chesterfield with a glass of Baileys inside if it’s a little cooler out.
Cardronahotel.co.nz Cardrona Valley Rd, Cardrona 9381
Milford Sound Lodge
As the only accommodation at Milford Sound itself, we would thoroughly recommend avoiding the day trips from Queenstown, hire a car (decent drivers only please) and drive here and stay the night at the lodge. I think you’ll be surprised when you get here and realise there’s literally nothing here apart from the lodge. The lodge has options for everyone, campervan sites and budget backpacker rooms right through to flashy chalets for the rich people. There’s a kitchen where you can make your own food if you’re feeling thrifty, or a basic cafe/restaurant which is quite adequate if you’d prefer someone took the hassle out of the evening meal and cooked it for you. The place gets busy, so suggest you book a bit in advance.
www.milfordlodge.com Milford Sound Hwy, Fiordland National Park 9679
How we got around
Unless you’re strapped for cash, we would seriously recommend a rental car when you head down south. All the attractions are pretty spread out and there’s not really public transport to get around. We usually book through Go Rentals because they offer a shuttle pick up from the Airport, are pretty well priced and offer a decent standard of car for getting a round. Some of the roads are pretty gnarly and depending on the weather, can be risky if you’re not used to the conditions. Mike gets to do the driving in Queenstown.
All the activities
Where to even start. If you want activities, then Queenstown and the surrounding area have them. We’re so not adrenalin junkies so avoided the usual Bungee Jumping, Shotover jet and skiing activities and instead soaked up the scenes, the daytrips and the wine. For a little R&R head to Onsen Hotpools for a hot tub with a view. To taste all the delicious wines of the region spend a day winery hopping, namely Amisfield, Mt Difficulty, Chard Farm and Gibbston Valley for an added slice of cheese. We took daytrips to the quaint and beautiful Arrowtown, Wanaka, Glenorchy and stayed overnight at the stunning Milford Sound, stopping at all the photo stops on the way. More details and hyperbole here for you.
Where we ate all the food
It wouldn’t be one of our trips without checking out the best places to eat. We go into all the guff here, but the long and short of it is, you should breakfast at Fergs Bakery, lunch at Amisfield, Dinner at Madam Woo and then perform the same steps the next day with breakfast at Vudu Café, lunch at Fat Badger Pizza and dinner at Farelli’s Trattatoria down by the waterfront. For a delicious breaky, Toro Kitchen and Bar is an all-day gem. If you’re into pies (and you should be) have a pie at Arrowtown Café & Bakery and dinner at The Chop Shop if you’re sticking in Arrowtown for the day. Oh, and just by the way, Ivy & Lola’s on the wharf at Queenstown do a decent mulled cider to warm your cockles, perfect for a chilly day. You should be full by now. Details here