Journal Adventures About
New Zealand · South Island

Queenstown.

The adventure capital of New Zealand — and the best base for exploring everything around it.

The Launch Point

Everything you need
within easy reach.

Queenstown is small enough to feel like a town but has everything a city does — great food, world-class adventure, and a setting that makes you feel like you're inside a postcard. Base yourself here and day trip in every direction. Mt Cook, Milford Sound, Wanaka, Glenorchy — none of them are far.

I worked at Millbrook Resort here for six months. On days off, Pat and I used it as our personal base for adventures — sometimes short, sometimes all day, always worth it. It's also why I ended up in Jackson Hole — I was looking for a town in America that felt like Queenstown. Pretty darn close.

What's on this page
01Activities + Arrowtown↓ 02Golf↓ 03Wanaka↓ 04Glenorchy↓
Orientation

The region at a glance

Queenstown sits at the center — everything worth doing is within an hour or two.

Queenstown
Wanaka
Glenorchy
Arrowtown
Milford Sound
Mt Cook
Section 01

Activities

Queenstown is known as the adventure capital of New Zealand for a reason. These are the ones worth doing.

Downhill mountain biking Queenstown

Downhill Mountain Biking

Skyline Bike Park at the top of the gondola has trails for all levels. Take the gondola up, rip down. Bike hire available at the top. One of the better bike parks in the southern hemisphere.

↗ Skyline Queenstown Bike Park

Bungy Jumping

Queenstown is where commercial bungy jumping was invented. The Kawarau Bridge is the original — 43m over the river and you can watch others go before you commit. Nevis is higher, scarier, and more spectacular.

↗ AJ Hackett Bungy — the original

Jet boating Shotover River Queenstown

Jet Boating

Two great options depending on what you're after. Shotover Jet — through a narrow canyon at speed, inches from the rock walls. Intense, loud, and unforgettable. Dart River — less intense, more scenic, through the braided rivers near Glenorchy. Bonus option: take the jet boat up and paddle funyaks back down.

↗ Shotover Jet · Dart River Funyaks

Gondola Queenstown Skyline

Gondola Ride

Ride the gondola to the Skyline complex for a panoramic view over Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables. Worth going up even just for the view — one of the best easy vantage points in town. There's a luge track too — haven't done it personally but everyone who has seems to love it.

↗ Skyline Queenstown

Paragliding Queenstown New Zealand
Photo: Colin Watts / Unsplash

Skydiving + Paragliding

Haven't done either personally — but both are on the list for a reason. Skydiving over Lake Wakatipu with the Remarkables below you, or tandem paragliding from Bob's Peak over town. Hard to imagine better backdrops for either.

↗ NZONE Skydive · GForce Paragliding

Queenstown downtown lakefront New Zealand

Walk the Town

Start with a walk along the lakefront promenade right on Lake Wakatipu — it's a genuinely beautiful waterfront and one of those places you just want to linger. Then eat your way through town: Badger's Pizza for dinner, Bombay Palace for the garlic cheese naan. Dessert from Ferg Bakery (Boston cream donut — don't skip it), cookies from Cookie Time, and ice cream from Patagonia Chocolates. You'll hear Ferg Burger is the best burger in the world. I disagree — but try it and decide for yourself.

Badger's · Bombay Palace · Ferg Bakery · Cookie Time · Patagonia Chocolates

Arrowtown New Zealand historic village

Arrowtown Day Trip

20 minutes from Queenstown — a perfectly preserved gold rush town from the 1860s. Walk the main street, pop into the shops, and grab a meat pie. In April the trees along the Arrow River turn gold and it becomes one of the most photographed spots in New Zealand. Worth a half-day at any time of year.

↗ 20 min east · Best in April for autumn colour

Section 02

Golf

Three world-class courses within easy reach of Queenstown. If you play, don't leave without getting on at least one of them.

Millbrook Resort Golf Queenstown
Course 01 · My Pick

Millbrook Resort

A 27-hole resort course set against the Remarkables. Beautifully maintained, great service, and the mountain backdrop makes every hole feel cinematic. Worth every dollar.

millbrook.co.nz
Jack's Point Golf Course Queenstown
Course 02

Jack's Point

An 18-hole championship course right on the edge of Lake Wakatipu. The views are genuinely hard to focus on — you spend half the round just staring at the Remarkables.

jackspoint.com
The Hills Golf Club Queenstown
Course 03

The Hills

A private club that opened to visitors — New Zealand's top-ranked course. Dramatic elevated terrain, sculpture throughout the course, and a completely different feel from the other two.

thehills.co.nz
Section 03

The Wanaka Area

45 minutes north of Queenstown. Smaller, quieter, and equally beautiful — and surrounded by some of the best outdoor experiences in the region.

Drive to Wanaka New Zealand
The Drive to Wanaka

"Wanaka is what Queenstown was before it got famous. That's the best compliment I can give it."

The town itself is worth a wander — good cafés, a relaxed vibe, and the same incredible mountain-and-lake setting as Queenstown without the crowds. Walk the lakefront, find the That Wanaka Tree. But honestly, the real reason to come is what's around it.

From Queenstown
~45 min north via Crown Range (scenic) or ~1 hr via the lake road.
That Wanaka Tree
A lone willow growing out of the lake — walk south along the shore from town. Best when the water is calm for the reflection.
Stay the Night
Worth it. Sunrise over the lake and none of the day-trip crowd.
What to Do Around Wanaka
Rob Roy Glacier Wanaka New Zealand
Moderate
Must Do

Rob Roy Glacier

Mt Aspiring National Park · ~1.5 hrs from Wanaka

Distance
6.2 mi
Elevation
1,640 ft
Time
3–4 hrs
"Valley walk through beech forest, suspension bridges, and then a hanging glacier fills the entire end of the valley. One of the most accessible glaciers you'll ever walk to."
Mt Aspiring NP · New Zealand
AllTrails
Roy's Peak Wanaka New Zealand
Strenuous
The Big View

Roy's Peak

Wanaka · South Island

Distance
10 mi
Elevation
4,330 ft
Time
5–7 hrs
"Lake Wanaka laid out below you, Mt Aspiring in the distance. A serious climb but the payoff matches it — one of the best summit views in the South Island."
Wanaka · South Island
AllTrails
Breast Hill Track Wanaka New Zealand
Moderate
Hidden Gem

Breast Hill

Lake Hāwea · South Island

Distance
Varies
Elevation
3,600 ft
Tip
Go far as you like
"We hiked to the top of the switchbacks and stopped there — the views were already incredible. You don't have to go all the way to the summit to make this worth it."
Lake Hāwea · South Island
Open in Maps
Easy – Moderate
Easy Option

Diamond Lake

Diamond Lake Conservation Area · Wanaka

Distance
3–5 mi
Elevation
820 ft
Time
2–3 hrs
"A really cool area — the terrain is interesting and varied, the lake is beautiful, and if you push to Rocky Mountain above it you get great views over Wanaka and the surrounding peaks."
Wanaka · South Island
AllTrails
Section 04

Glenorchy & Beyond

45 minutes from Queenstown along the lake. Most people stop at Glenorchy. Don't. Keep driving.

Drive to Glenorchy Lake Wakatipu
The Drive — Short of Glenorchy
Paradise New Zealand road
The Drive Through Paradise
Paradise
Chinaman's Bluff end of the road
Chinaman's Bluff — End of the Road

"Pat and I drove this road constantly. It was so close and so good that it almost didn't feel like a trip — just what you do on a free afternoon."

The drive from Queenstown to Glenorchy along the lake is already stunning — Lake Wakatipu on your left the whole way, the Remarkables behind you, mountains ahead. But don't stop at Glenorchy. Keep going through a tiny settlement called Paradise — yes, that's actually its name, and yes, it earns it — and drive all the way to the end of the road.

The road ends at Chinaman's Bluff. Get out, jump on the trail, and explore. The path takes you toward the Dart River through some of the most dramatic braided river scenery in New Zealand. I honestly can't remember the trail name — we just walked until we felt like turning around. That's the whole philosophy for this one.

From Queenstown
~45 min to Glenorchy. Add another 20–30 min past Glenorchy through Paradise to Chinaman's Bluff.
The Drive
Queenstown → Glenorchy is gorgeous. Glenorchy → Paradise → Chinaman's Bluff is even better. Don't rush it.
At the End
Park at Chinaman's Bluff, pick up the trail toward the Dart River. Go as far as you like and turn around when you're ready.
Also Near Glenorchy
Glenorchy Lagoon — 5 min walk, perfect mountain reflection. Routeburn Track starts here too if you want a proper day hike.
Chinaman's Bluff    Paradise

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