Things to do in Queenstown

Things to do in Queenstown

Tours traveling to Queenstown, New Zealand, allow free days in this lakeside town. There's simply too much to do here. An overnight stop wouldn't do it justice. Everyone's taste is a little different when it comes to adventure activities.

Winter or summer, Queenstown is a hub for outdoor and adventure activities. Here are some suggestions to fill in two days in Queenstown.

Bungy
Queenstown is the home of the Bungy jump. good bridges and deep canyons surrounding Queenstown certainly create the natural requirements for those who like to jump off structures with a big rubber band around their legs. Choose from different jump locations and different heights.

Canyon Swing
Somewhat easy on paper, but not in execution. You still drop and then start swinging under the bridge across the canyon. Swing single or tandem, even with a rubbish bin on your head.

Paraglide
There can't be too many places in the world where you can ride a gondola up a hill and then fly back to town and land on a rugby field. paragliding in Queenstown lets you do this with licensed and safe instructors.

Jetboat
Lots of rivers around Queenstown means lots of different jet boat options:

The more popular are Dart River Safaris, Shotover Jet, Skippers Canyon Jet and Kawerau Jet.

Dart River Safaris - travels up the Dart River near Glenorchy at the head of Lake Wakatipu. Travel up the river valley where some of the Lord of The Rings film trilogy was shot.

Shotover Jet - The classic trip that takes you through the narrow canyon on the Shotover River.

Skippers Canyon Jet - The drive into Skippers Canyon is exciting enough down a narrow dirt road that descends into the canyon. You tear up the river with close shaves to the canyon walls here like the Shotover Jet.

Kawerau Jet - This trip leaves from downtown Queenstown lakefront

Gondola and luge or Ziptrek
Almost from the heart of town, the gondola takes you high above Queenstown for impressive views over the lake, town and surrounding mountains. At the top of the hill is a downhill luge course on a concrete track. While you could take the gondola back down the hill the other option is Ziptrek - be suspended on a zip-line and zig-zag your way down the hill.

Free (or almost free) stuff:

Bike ride
Ok, not entirely free if you don't have a bike. But it's got to be the most cost-effective fun you can have. Queenstown has a great network of purpose-built cycle trails that can take you all over the district. Cycle to Arrowtown or a winery. It's pretty much flat riding on formed trails. Take your time to get a better appreciation of the countryside.

Lakefront
Hang out on the beach downtown. On a hot day everyone is here and it's warm enough to swim. A great place to watch the sun go down.

Walk up Queenstown Hill
To get away from lake level, there are walks to do right from the heart of town up into the hills. The most accessible of these is the walk up Queenstown Hill behind Queenstown. You walk through the pine forest and then pop out above the tree line for grand views over the lake and town.

Walk up to the top of the Gondola (or if you are really keen to walk up Mt Ben Lomond)
Save some money to get to the view and activities mentioned above. if you are more of a walker and need a bigger challenge, carry on up past the gondola terminus to the summit of Mt Ben Lomond. you will have done 1000+ vertical meters over about 6-8 hours so go prepared with warm clothing, food, and water.

See the trout and eels at the lakefront
Attached to the wharf is an underwater observatory where you can see wild trout and eels. It's an impressive sight for $5. You can feed them for a few dollars too.

Play frisbee golf in the Queenstown Gardens
The frisbee golf course here was the first of its kind in New Zealand. You walk around the course throwing your frisbee toward the 'holes' as you would in golf. The person who takes the least number of throws to get their disc into each of the holes wins.

Tours to get you there