On the shores of Lake Wakatipu, with the towering snow-capped peaks of The Remarkables as a backdrop, Queenstown is part action, part relaxation… 
and totally addictive.

Three yoga-lovers are stretching their supple limbs on a grassy patch of Queenstown’s Village Green, the babbling of Horne Creek keeping the beat. They move effortlessly from upward “warrior” to “downward dog,” drawing admiring looks from those gathered around the park. It’s not quite the pace you expect from New Zealand’s so-called adrenalin capital, famed for its high-octane skiing and adventure pursuits.

But truth be told, this South Island city – so named because of its incredible beauty and a consensus that it really is fit for a queen – caters for more than daredevils, offering white-knuckle activities hand-in-hand with gourmet pursuits and arty escapades. Here, the lowdown on the city’s hottest attractions, and where to unwind between outings.

What to do
If dangling from a thick rubber cord over a deep gorge complete with running water appeals, this is the place to take that leap. Queenstown is the home of bungy jumping and thousands of adventure-seekers have thrown themselves over the 44-metre drop at Kawarau Suspension Bridge and come up smiling. If you think that sounds tame, try the 400-metre leap over Queenstown’s rooftops at The Ledge Urban Bungy. The latest innovation is the Nevis Swing, the world’s highest swing – expect to be thrown in a 300-metre arc at mindblowing speeds.

Those who feel the need for speed may also want to try their hand at jet-boating – skimming through narrow canyons along the Shotover River – whitewater rafting, paragliding, canyoning and sky diving.

In the winter months, skiers and snowboarders can hit the slopes at world-class resorts including Coronet Peak and The Remarkables and, farther afield, Treble Cone and Cardrona near Wanaka. Heli-skiing is also an option for those wanting to make fresh tracks through the region’s reliably good snow.

For a bird’s-eye view over the city, venture to the top of Bob’s Peak on the Skyline gondola, then test your skills hurtling down hairpin bends on the nearby Skyline Luge.

You can’t leave Queenstown without heading out on the jade-coloured waters of Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand’s third-largest lake. Learn about the region’s history, and its residents, with the Million Dollar Cruise around the lake. The TSS Earnslaw also chugs across Wakatipu to Walter Peak High Country Farm on the western shore, where you can commune with farm animals, watch sheep being mustered and shorn, see wool being spun, and enjoy a barbeque lunch or carvery-style evening buffet and agri-themed show.

Queenstown is an ideal base for hiking, with the surrounding trails ranging in difficulty from easy to intrepid. You don’t have to venture far to get off the beaten track but if you’re looking for serious trekking options, you might want to look slightly farther afield and explore the tracks at Milford, Hollyford and Greenstone.

Channel your inner Picasso and gain an appreciation for New Zealand art with Art Adventures. Experienced guides offer half- and full-day tours around the town’s top galleries. If you’re after something more hands-on, there are also sketching and painting classes on offer – book the helicopter tour and you’ll be dropped into the setting you’ll be painting.
 
Black ZQN also offers exclusive art tours around Queenstown, but the company’s tastiest offering is its food and wine excursions. Cruise through the Gibbston Valley and Bannockburn wine areas in a luxury car before dropping in on a handful of cellar doors where private tastings include fine local wines, cheeses and other produce.

Where to sleep
The 178-room Hilton Queenstown is among the newest accommodations in town, located on the shores of Lake Wakatipu just a short water-taxi ride from Queenstown proper. Light-filled rooms come with niceties such as gas schist fireplaces, floor-to-ceiling windows, separate lounge areas decorated with New Zealand artwork and private balconies; book one of the 12 Relaxation Rooms and you’ll be able to stargaze from the jacuzzi on your deck.

Right next door, the boutique Kawarau Hotel, managed by Hilton, is also freshly minted, offering 98 sleek waterside rooms, all with well-equipped kitchenettes. Like its adjoining sister, Kawarau enjoys stunning views of the lake and the nearby mountain range, The Remarkables.

Less than a 10-minute drive from the heart of town lies Matakauri Lodge, its 11 suites and villas hugging the shore of Wakatipu. The alpine retreat comes courtesy of the owners of Kauri Cliffs and The Farm at Cape Kidnappers on New Zealand’s North Island, and bears the signature décor of New Zealand’s acclaimed interior designer, Virginia Fisher.

Chef Dale Gartland cooks fresh local produce in the on-site restaurant, paired with the finest New Zealand wine, and there’s a pared-back spa offering hot-stone massage and facials incorporating organic buriti oil and butterfly bush extract.

Enjoying a lakefront perch, The Rees Hotel and Luxury Apartments Queenstown channels a Swiss ski lodge with vaulted ceilings and handcrafted wood and stone furnishings. Named after antipodean explorer William Gilbert Rees, the property’s hotel rooms and apartments boast magnificent views of Wakatipu and The Remarkables; equally enticing is the fare that head chef Ben Batterbury dishes up in the hotel’s True South Dining Room – a real culinary adventure.

Framed by the Remarkables mountain range on the outskirts of Queenstown, Millbrook is home to a 27-hole golf course set alongside a 175-room boutique hotel. Millbrook Resort’s recently refurbished rooms, suites and villas are designed with a French provincial feel. You can look forward to deep baths, huge beds, fireplaces and outdoor dining areas, among other niceties. The resort is also home to a number of restaurants, so there really is no need to venture further than the 18th hole.




Where to eat
There’s plenty of choice when it comes to wining and dining – Queenstown has more than 150 restaurants and cafés and there are 177 wineries in the region. The place du jour is Wakatipu Grill at the Hilton, overseen by chef Peter Thornley. Food is focused on local produce – try the King Cole duck with preserved figs, honey, spiced-wine jus and glazed Brussels sprouts – and the dining room comes with open kitchen, two magnificent circular fireplaces and an outdoor area known as the Pinot Pit. Pastry chef Brian Campbell creates droolworthy desserts, so make sure you leave room for his creations.

With outlets in Queenstown and nearby Wanaka, the Botswana Butchery restaurants have a reputation for serving great cuts of meat paired with wild and organic produce. The Queenstown incarnation has an impressive wine cellar, home to 1,800 bottles including superb Central Otago vintages. Featuring lake views, the restaurant is sited in an historic villa with private rooms, cosy nooks and an outdoor patio.

Located in one of the region’s oldest buildings in the heart of Queenstown’s pedestrian-only mall, Tatler specialises in char-grilled steak, game and seafood dishes. Order platters of green-lip mussels or a rack of Southland lamb while watching the sun sink from the balcony.

Nearby, Fergburger deserves its reputation as the holy grail of hamburger joints, the hole-in-the-wall eatery drawing crowds with gourmet creations such as the Bombay Chicken (chicken marinated in a chilli, ginger and coriander yogurt served with cucumber raita, tomato aeoli and mango chutney) as well as hand-cut potato wedges and crispy onion rings. The best bit? It’s so popular that it’s open every day from 8.30 a.m. until 5 a.m.

Occupying an historic stone building just outside town, the bistro at Amisfield Wine Company features a regularly changing menu that might offer highland beef or pork belly or west coast whitebait at any given time. The winery produces pinot noir, aromatic whites and Methode Traditionelle vintages in small batches, based on a “grown, not made” philosophy.

Also a short drive away in Arrowtown is Saffron, featuring a seasonal menu highlighted by local ingredients. Don’t miss the roasted quail stuffed with preserved Central Otago cherries and pickled walnuts, and the melt-in-your-mouth Fiordland venison backstrap with beetroot spaetzle and cannelloni of wild mushrooms – paired with Otago wines, of course.



Where to drink
From upscale lounge-bars to heaving pubs, the après-adventure options in Queenstown are near endless. Begin your evening at The Ballarat Trading Co., a themed gastro-pub inspired by an 1850s trading emporium. Dips and local fish are served in cosy booths or, when the weather permits, on a sun-drenched patio.

Just back from the water, Searle Lane & Social entices with a roaring fire in winter; other reasons to come here are for the fun atmosphere and well-priced drinks.

Hidden down a back alley, the Bunker Bar has a swish upstairs cocktail bar and rooftop deck, where you can enjoy seriously good martinis – try the pear and saffron – and a selection of old-school drinks. In a similar vein, Barmuda has a great outdoor area with a roaring fire – cocktails aside, the cheese platters come highly recommended.

The bar at exclusive Eichardt’s Private Hotel may be small (there are just five tables), but what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in well-mixed cocktails and upscale pub fare including wild-pork pies and crab-and-scallop cakes.

Where to Spa
The Eforea Spa in the Hilton Queenstown, features 10 treatment rooms over three levels. The facial offerings are extensive and there are also various rituals – jet-lag body remedy, after-sun rescue – designed to target specific conditions.

LeSpa at Sofitel Queenstown has an interesting menu of traditional Maori rituals and signature European massage and beauty treatments, and there’s a hammam (Turkish bath and steam room) for added indulgence.

It’s a 20-minute drive from Queenstown, but The Spa at Millbrook – one of New Zealand’s premier golf courses – is worth the journey. Be warned: most of the treatments here last upwards of two hours and the Day Dream – an aromatic steam body-wrap, facial and manicure or pedicure – will consume half a day.

Also set on a golf course, just around the corner from Millbrook, The Hills Day Spa offers pampering treatments using products from Snowberry, which bills itself as New Zealand’s newest premium skincare brand. •

Photography by Sue Wallace and courtesy of respective establishments.

Airlines offering direct flights to Queenstown from several Australian cities include:
• Air New Zealand. 132-476; airnewzealand.com.au
• Jetstar. 131-538; jetstar.com
• Qantas. 131-313; qantas.com.au
• Virgin Australia. 136-789; virginaustralia.com

when to go
There’s never a bad time to visit Queenstown – peak seasons are from late December to March and July through August.

where to stay
• Hilton Queenstown. queenstownhilton.com
• Kawarau Hotel. kawarauhotelbyhilton.com
• Matakauri Lodge. matakaurilodge.com
• Millbrook. millbrook.co.nz
• The Rees Hotel and Luxury Apartments Queenstown. therees.co.nz

where to eat
• Amisfield Winery. 10 Lake Hayes Rd., Queenstown; 64-3/442-0556; amisfield.co.nz
• Botswana Butchery. Archers Cottage, 17 Marine Pde., Queenstown; 64-3/442-6994; goodbars.co.nz
• Fergburger. 42 Shotover St., Queenstown; 64-3/441-1232; fergburger.com
• Saffron. 18 Buckingham St., Arrowtown; 64-3/442-0131; saffronrestaurant.co.nz
• Tatler. 5 The Mall Lower Ballarat St., Queenstown; 64-3/442-8372; tatler.co.nz
• Wakatipu Grill at Hilton Queenstown. Kawarau Village, Peninsula Rd., Queenstown; 64-3/450-9400; queenstown.hilton.com

where to drink
• The Ballarat Trading Co. 7–9 The Mall; 64-3/442-4222; ballarattradingco.co.nz
• Barmuda Bar. Searle Lane; goodbars.co.nz
• Bunker Bar. Cow Lane; 64-3/441-8030; thebunker.co.nz
• Eichardt’s House Bar. Ground floor, Eichardt’s Private Hotel, Marine Parade; 64-3/442-0450; eichardtshotel.co.nz
• Searle Lane & Social. 11 Church St; 64-3/441-3934

what to do
• AJ Hackett’s Bungy and Nevis Swing. bungy.co.nz
• Art Adventures. artadventures.co.nz
• ArtBay Gallery. artbay.co.nz
• Black ZQN exclusive tours. blackzqn.co.nz
• Million Dollar Cruise. milliondollarcruise.co.nz
• Shotover Jet. shotoverjet.co.nz
• Skyline (gondola and luge). skyline.co.nz
• TSS Earnslaw Cruises. zqn.co.nz/earnslaw

where to spa
• Eforea Spa at Hilton. queenstownhilton.com
• The Hills Day Spa. thehills.co.nz
• Sofitel LeSpa. sofitelqueenstown.co.nz
• The Spa at Millbrook. millbrook.co.nz

further information
Contact Tourism New Zealand or Destination Queenstown for additional information on travelling to Queenstown. newzealand.com or queenstownnz.co.nz