In November, my friend Elizabeth and I ventured to New Zealand, or Aotearoa as the local language calls it. I think she would agree with me when I say it was everything we were hoping for and more. We started our month-long trip in Queenstown, well-known as the adventure capital of the world. And lucky for us, we had a couple more days there while we were traveling the South Island in a camper van. Here’s what we got up to, and what I would recommend if you are planning a trip to the islands.
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Where to Stay
Elizabeth and I stayed at a great VRBO that you can see HERE. This was the perfect place for us because it was right outside of Queenstown. Plus, it gave us amazing access to the wineries in the area. The drive into Queenstown is a quick 15 minutes, and we saw more outside of the city because of this stay. The hosts are really great – I even left my tripod there and was able to come pick it up a week later!
Backtracking a little bit. You definitely want to rent a car while in New Zealand or you will have a hard time getting around. Even better, go the camper van route! I’m so glad we did a bit of both and got to explore much more of the country in the van. While we were in the van in Queenstown, we stayed at Queenstown Holiday Park Creeksyde. This was a great spot because it was so quick to walk to the downtown area since parking isn’t the easiest in the big rig.
If you’re looking for something more affordable and in the city, here is a great option that will make walking around town easy! There are also quite a few super affordable hostels. Queenstown does have quite a few parking garages and lots, but having a smaller car makes that easier – also keep in mind that New Zealanders drive on the left side of the road like in the UK. It was a little bit scary at first, but you will adjust don’t worry!
Things to do
There are endless options on things to do while in Queenstown, and it can all depend on when you are there. Since New Zealand is in the southern hemisphere, their warmer months are November to April, while the cooler time is May to October. Queenstown is a great place to go skiing, there are many resorts in the area to do just that. However, I was there in November and December, so there wasn’t much snow except on the high mountain peaks. The summer months have plenty to offer too!
Go Canyoning
If you are into adventure this is definitely something you should try doing! There are tons of canyons around Queenstown, so if you’ve done it before you might be able to find one in your preferred difficulty level. This one was tough I thought for a beginner course, but I would absolutely do it again!
You want to have some comfort being in the water and being able to swim a little bit. We could touch the ground throughout the tour, but there were some deep spots. Plus, sliding down waterfalls always puts the head under water. So be prepared for that! Between rappelling, climbing, sliding, and skirting, we got a little bit of everything. Our guide, Stephen was excellent and kept us safe throughout the tour (even when Elizabeth’s knee popped out of place!) If you’re interested, this is the tour we did. 10/10 recommend!
Go White Water Rafting
Specifically on the Shooter River! The drive to the launch site is a bit intense, so if you get car sick/are afraid of heights, be warned and take meds ahead of time. I absolutely loved it though and thought it was such a cool place! The views are amazing, and the river was the most fun white water rafting experiences I’ve done so far! I highly recommend getting this tour – it was a 10/10 experience.
Another warning, the last drop on the river is a pretty decent one. We did have one person fall out of the raft on our journey, but were properly prepared to help him back in to the raft and it was completely fine. However, there is always a risk when you do adventure sports, so make sure you are comfortable with that possibility!
Bungee Jumping
We didn’t go bungee jumping, but it is one of the top things to do while in Queenstown. If it’s something you’ve wanted to do, this is the spot! Check out Kawarau Bridge Bungy for one of the best in the world. Also a good spot to stop for gorgeous views and to watch people jump if you don’t want to do it yourself.
Tandem Paragliding
Ok so this was unfortunately not as smooth as we would have liked. We booked this tour, but the weather was too windy the night we were going to go. We got rescheduled for the next morning though. Sadly, there was poor communication, and we didn’t make it to the pickup spot on time. So I drove us to the top of the mountain where Elizabeth was able to go paragliding, but I didn’t. And they did not provide a refund. However, she did have an incredible time! So if paragliding is on your list, Queenstown might be the place to do it! Just make sure to verify the time you need to be at the meeting point. Or try a different tour company.
Hiking
There is an abundance of hikes in Queenstown and so many that I wanted to do, but didn’t have time (or energy) for! One that we did as a group is up at The Remarkables ski area. There was still snow here and the big lake was fully frozen. This meant we were able to do a quick cold plunge in the small pool to the side. It was so cold my legs were blue when I got out! This was a fun hike off any sort of real trail after the first half mile. Just keep an eye out for the small signs that point you in the right direction. You can save to your All Trails here.
It cost 7 NZD to enter The Remarkables ski area, but you 100% have to drive up to this trail. I advise if you are going with a group to try to take less vehicles than what my group did.
One I would absolutely do when I go back to Queenstown is Ben Lomond Trail to Arthur’s Point. Not one for the faint of heart, I couldn’t do it because I hiked Roy’s Peak in Wanaka the day before. This was one of the hardest hikes I’ve ever done. I was so sore and stiff there was no way I could’ve done Ben Lomond the next day. Just means I have to go back!
Wine Tasting
New Zealand is well-known for wine if you didn’t know. So of course we went to a couple of wineries in the Queenstown area. This is something you could spend an entire week on and not visit them all. We went to Arybyn Winery, a recommendation from our hosts and were not disappointed! The wines here were all so good. Elizabeth and I decided to share both the white and red tasting flights so we could try all 8 without being unable to drive home! Definitely stop by here and enjoy the venue. They also have a couple of restaurants to try if you want food.
Spend a Day in Arrowtown
Arrowtown is a super cute town with a small downtown where you can shop, eat, and take a nice walk along the river with the lupines. We did eat at Postmaster’s Kitchen and Bar. I ate pork dumplings and broccoli with a local beer, Elizabeth had the barbecue beef brisket with a local white wine.
We spent the afternoon walking the river and getting some sunshine and steps in. The path here is super smooth, with small incline/declines throughout, so an easy one for most people. There are quite a few shops in Arrowtown, which was fun for some window shopping, and Elizabeth and I also both bought some soap. A little local candy shop is in the middle of town as well, so you know I ended up in there to try some of their sweets.
Where to Eat
I won’t lie, Elizabeth and I were both being budget conscious and both like to cook/eat healthier so we did a decent amount of cooking at our place. However, we did try the famous Ferg Burger one night, and we also stopped into Mrs. Fergs for some gelato when we went back in the van! The burgers and sandwiches at Ferg Burger are SO huge – you’ve been warned! We also had a milkshake which was, of course, delicious.
There is a cute breakfast/lunch place called Balls and Bangles that I would also totally recommend. It’s right on their Main Street area and was reasonably priced and a good amount of food. They have really yummy looking donuts if you are into that, however, we both had bagel sandwiches and shared some fries. I tried their chicken and cranberry bagel sandwich and it was really really good!
Returning to Queenstown
As I finish writing this blog I feel like there is so much to be seen still just in this small part of New Zealand. I can’t wait to go back someday, maybe in their winter months so I can try skiing! Where else should I go next time?
