Our first stop on the South Island was to New
Zealand’s adventure capital, Queenstown. Set alongside Lake Wakatipu
against the backdrop of the jagged Remarkables mountain range, it is
honestly one of the most beautiful places in the world! Renown as the
birthplace of bungy jumping, most visitors come to Queenstown to do all
sorts of crazy things. Timmy and I were no different. I think one could
easily spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars doing all of the
activities Queenstown has to offer. Being on (somewhat) of a budget, we
had to limit ourselves to the following.
Skydiving
As
Timmy and I were both celebrating our birthdays during our trip, we
decided that we would each treat the birthday person to a fun experience
of their choosing. Skydiving was his pick. The idea of bungy jumping
absolutely terrifies me! But jumping out of a plane…. No problem! I did a
bunch of research on the different companies and in the end I decided
to go with Skydive Paradise located in
Glenorchy, a small town approximately 46 km (28.5 mi) northwest of
Queenstown.
While both Timmy and I have both gone sky diving in the
past, this experience was incomparable. We started with a
15-minute scenic flight over Lake Wakatipu and the famous snow capped
mountains surrounding Glenorchy. It was so gorgeous that I barley felt
nervous at all! Then came the fun. We opted for the highest jump of
15,000 feet, go big or go home right? After 65 seconds of free fall at
maximum speeds of about 200 km/h (124 mph) we spent 5 minutes floating
above breath-taking alpine scenery. Skydiving doesn’t get any better
than this!
We also splurged and bought the photo and video package. I mean without it, what proof would I have to show you guys? Timmy took the video footage and edited an awesome video of our experience.
Jetboating
The
Shotover Jet was an unexpected highlight of the
trip. We booked this activity on a whim one afternoon, not really
knowing what to expect. From the moment the driver hit the accelerator
it was a non-stop thrill ride. The Big Red Jet boats can travel up to 85
km/h (53 mph) in as little as 10 cm of water. It was quite terrifying
how our driver skillfully maneuvered freakishly close to the sheer rocks. Our driver was by far the best doing multiple 360-degree spins right into the crevices of the Shotover
River Canyon! We watched a few other
groups after and they did not do nearly as many spins.
Timmy wore a GoPro and if he has time he will edit a cool video. Stay tuned! Until then you can watch this cheesy video from their website that shows you how exhilarating it is (Note: there was WAY less water in the river when we went, which I think made it seem even scarier).
Hiking
For the budget conscious don’t you fret! The great thing about Queenstown is you don’t have to spend money to take advantage of all it has to offer. Queenstown (and New Zealand really) offers a wide range of walking trails. If we had more time (and Timmy his way) we would have gone tramping on one of New Zealand’s nine Great Walks. I’m not entirely sure why it’s called tramping, but I decided it is because you trek and camp. Sort of like glamping, but less sexy and more vigorous. That being while most people opt to DIY hike and camp, there are companies that offer guided walks with warm huts and cooked meals. Should we return to do a tramp Timmy and I will have to roshambo to see which option we choose to endeavor.
As our time in New Zealand
was limited Timmy and I had to opt for shorter day-hikes. After a lot
of research, Timmy decided we should do a portion of the famous
Routeburn Nature track (one of NZ’s Great Walks). We somehow missed the turnoff and ended up driving at least 20 km
further, half the time on a dirt road. There were times I thought our
car would get stuck in a puddle or bottom out on the rocks! At the end
we found ourselves at a carpark by Chinamans Bluff and the start of the
Dart track.
It was here where we first encountered our soon-to-be
Public Enemy #1… the New Zealand sand fly, called namu in Māori. Early
Maori legend says that the god Tu-te-raki-whanoa had just finished
creating the landscape of Fiordland, but the landscape was so stunning
in beauty that it stopped people from working and they stood around
staring in awe. The goddess Hinenuitepo became so angry with these
unproductive people that she created the sand fly to bite them and get
them moving again.
The West Coast is infamous for these sand
flies. Well no body warned us! So let this be your warning, if you plan
on going outside anywhere along the whole West Coast of New Zealand’s
South Island, you will encounter sand flies. And these sand flies are
literally the devil’s spawn!
The minute we got out of our car they attacked us. We assumed they were just hanging out by the cars as we did not feel them along the hike. We were wrong… as soon as we stopped moving they would swarm and attack us with the most painful bites, which later caused swelling and immense itching. The simplest way to avoid bites is to cover up and keep moving, as the sand flies tend not to bite moving targets. We hiked first through grassy flats, then along a well-marked path through the forest to Sandy Bluff where we were then able to walk down to the Dart River. The hike actually stops there as a landslide from the previous winter blocked further access on the track.
I’m not sure how far we hiked, but I can tell you we were booking it (mainly because of the sand flies, ha!) and it took us about five hours round trip. So maybe 8 miles (13 km)? While I am sure the Routeburn track is beautiful, we were not disappointed by the hike we accidentally did. It was absolutely gorgeous! Later we learned that we had drive to a part of town called Paradise and that a few scenes from Lord of the Rings were shot here. Funny enough Timmy said the hike reminded him a lot of the movies*.
*I have to admit here that I had actually not seen any of the movies at this point. Timmy was shocked and immediately downloaded the first. I made it half way before falling asleep. In my defense he accidentally downloaded the director’s cut so I made it through a good 3+ hours. One day I will watch them and be happily reminded of New Zealand.
Eating/Drinking
The majority of Queenstown’s dining and nightlife is located within a compact grid bordered by the lake shore, Queenstown Gardens and the main thoroughfares of Stanley and Shotover Streets. The main roads offer your touristy eateries, shops backpackers and travel agencies. But make sure wander on the hidden arcades and alleys to find some of the best places to eat and drink. Here are some of the places we enjoyed.
Ferg Burger
Queenstown’s
Ferg Burger has become a tourist attraction in itself serving gourmet
burgers as big as your head all day/night. We braved the long lines and
got two burgers to go. I was pleasantly surprised how fast the line and
wait for our food went. While waiting we picked up a few beers at a
local bottle shop and took our feast down to the waterfront. It was
definitely a delicious burger. It’s not the best I have ever had, but I
think it’s worth it to say you have been. Otherwise you’d wonder what
all the hype was.
Ferg Baker
Next-door, run by the same owner, is Ferg Bakery. They had many delicious looking pastries but we opted for some of their savory pies, that is after all what they are famous for. And I understand why. These were honestly some of the most delicious pies I have ever eaten!
Mrs. Ferg Gelateria
To round up the Ferg trifecta, Mrs Ferg, located next-door to the baker, has some of the most delicious gelato! We went back two times. Not going to lie, if given the choice I’d take the baker and gelato over the burger any day.
Botswana Butchery
Set is a small historic cottage on the lakefront, Botswana Butchery is renown for its fine dining. We decided to check it out while walking around town on our day. Thank goodness we did, as it was completely booked. We returned with a reservation two nights later and had a fabulous feast. This is definitely a great restaurant. It is very well decorated, the food is absolutely delicious and the staff was very warm and helpful. It was definitely on the pricey side, but then again so is most of New Zealand. And when compared to a nice place in LA this is not bad. Definitely worth the treat!
Caribe Latin Kitchen
Latin American, Caribbean and Mexican Food in Queenstown. Being from Southern California (home of the best Mexican food, outside of Mexico that is) I was a little skeptical to try this restaurant. But the reviews looked good and we felt like mixing it up a bit, so we decided to go for lunch. I am glad we did as it was actually really good. This place gets busy and there is not a lot of seating, but it’s a good sign when people are willing to wait and stand to get their food.
Atlas Beer Cafe
Craft beer lovers should check out Atlas at the far end of the Steamer Wharf building. A great place to grab a beer and sit along the lake. We didn’t have any food as we weren’t hungry but it looked really good.
Zephyr
Indie-rock dive bar located in a grungy basement off a back lane – Searle Lane. It’s a cool place to hang out, have a craft cocktail and maybe play a round of pool or two. Supposedly there is often live music there as well.
Up Next: After three great days in Queenstown we departed for the Milford Sound and our South Island Road trip.
Skydiving
As
Timmy and I were both celebrating our birthdays during our trip, we
decided that we would each treat the birthday person to a fun experience
of their choosing. Skydiving was his pick. The idea of bungy jumping
absolutely terrifies me! But jumping out of a plane…. No problem! I did a
bunch of research on the different companies and in the end I decided
to go with Skydive Paradise located in
Glenorchy, a small town approximately 46 km (28.5 mi) northwest of
Queenstown.
While both Timmy and I have both gone sky diving in the
past, this experience was incomparable. We started with a
15-minute scenic flight over Lake Wakatipu and the famous snow capped
mountains surrounding Glenorchy. It was so gorgeous that I barley felt
nervous at all! Then came the fun. We opted for the highest jump of
15,000 feet, go big or go home right? After 65 seconds of free fall at
maximum speeds of about 200 km/h (124 mph) we spent 5 minutes floating
above breath-taking alpine scenery. Skydiving doesn’t get any better
than this!We also splurged and bought the photo and video package. I mean without it, what proof would I have to show you guys? Timmy took the video footage and edited an awesome video of our experience.
Jetboating
The
Shotover Jet was an unexpected highlight of the
trip. We booked this activity on a whim one afternoon, not really
knowing what to expect. From the moment the driver hit the accelerator
it was a non-stop thrill ride. The Big Red Jet boats can travel up to 85
km/h (53 mph) in as little as 10 cm of water. It was quite terrifying
how our driver skillfully maneuvered freakishly close to the sheer rocks. Our driver was by far the best doing multiple 360-degree spins right into the crevices of the Shotover
River Canyon! We watched a few other
groups after and they did not do nearly as many spins.Timmy wore a GoPro and if he has time he will edit a cool video. Stay tuned! Until then you can watch this cheesy video from their website that shows you how exhilarating it is (Note: there was WAY less water in the river when we went, which I think made it seem even scarier).
Hiking
For the budget conscious don’t you fret! The great thing about Queenstown is you don’t have to spend money to take advantage of all it has to offer. Queenstown (and New Zealand really) offers a wide range of walking trails. If we had more time (and Timmy his way) we would have gone tramping on one of New Zealand’s nine Great Walks. I’m not entirely sure why it’s called tramping, but I decided it is because you trek and camp. Sort of like glamping, but less sexy and more vigorous. That being while most people opt to DIY hike and camp, there are companies that offer guided walks with warm huts and cooked meals. Should we return to do a tramp Timmy and I will have to roshambo to see which option we choose to endeavor.
As our time in New Zealand
was limited Timmy and I had to opt for shorter day-hikes. After a lot
of research, Timmy decided we should do a portion of the famous
Routeburn Nature track (one of NZ’s Great Walks). We somehow missed the turnoff and ended up driving at least 20 km
further, half the time on a dirt road. There were times I thought our
car would get stuck in a puddle or bottom out on the rocks! At the end
we found ourselves at a carpark by Chinamans Bluff and the start of the
Dart track. 
It was here where we first encountered our soon-to-be
Public Enemy #1… the New Zealand sand fly, called namu in Māori. Early
Maori legend says that the god Tu-te-raki-whanoa had just finished
creating the landscape of Fiordland, but the landscape was so stunning
in beauty that it stopped people from working and they stood around
staring in awe. The goddess Hinenuitepo became so angry with these
unproductive people that she created the sand fly to bite them and get
them moving again.
The West Coast is infamous for these sand
flies. Well no body warned us! So let this be your warning, if you plan
on going outside anywhere along the whole West Coast of New Zealand’s
South Island, you will encounter sand flies. And these sand flies are
literally the devil’s spawn!The minute we got out of our car they attacked us. We assumed they were just hanging out by the cars as we did not feel them along the hike. We were wrong… as soon as we stopped moving they would swarm and attack us with the most painful bites, which later caused swelling and immense itching. The simplest way to avoid bites is to cover up and keep moving, as the sand flies tend not to bite moving targets. We hiked first through grassy flats, then along a well-marked path through the forest to Sandy Bluff where we were then able to walk down to the Dart River. The hike actually stops there as a landslide from the previous winter blocked further access on the track.
I’m not sure how far we hiked, but I can tell you we were booking it (mainly because of the sand flies, ha!) and it took us about five hours round trip. So maybe 8 miles (13 km)? While I am sure the Routeburn track is beautiful, we were not disappointed by the hike we accidentally did. It was absolutely gorgeous! Later we learned that we had drive to a part of town called Paradise and that a few scenes from Lord of the Rings were shot here. Funny enough Timmy said the hike reminded him a lot of the movies*.
*I have to admit here that I had actually not seen any of the movies at this point. Timmy was shocked and immediately downloaded the first. I made it half way before falling asleep. In my defense he accidentally downloaded the director’s cut so I made it through a good 3+ hours. One day I will watch them and be happily reminded of New Zealand.
Eating/Drinking
The majority of Queenstown’s dining and nightlife is located within a compact grid bordered by the lake shore, Queenstown Gardens and the main thoroughfares of Stanley and Shotover Streets. The main roads offer your touristy eateries, shops backpackers and travel agencies. But make sure wander on the hidden arcades and alleys to find some of the best places to eat and drink. Here are some of the places we enjoyed.
Ferg Burger
Queenstown’s
Ferg Burger has become a tourist attraction in itself serving gourmet
burgers as big as your head all day/night. We braved the long lines and
got two burgers to go. I was pleasantly surprised how fast the line and
wait for our food went. While waiting we picked up a few beers at a
local bottle shop and took our feast down to the waterfront. It was
definitely a delicious burger. It’s not the best I have ever had, but I
think it’s worth it to say you have been. Otherwise you’d wonder what
all the hype was.Ferg Baker
Next-door, run by the same owner, is Ferg Bakery. They had many delicious looking pastries but we opted for some of their savory pies, that is after all what they are famous for. And I understand why. These were honestly some of the most delicious pies I have ever eaten!
Mrs. Ferg Gelateria
To round up the Ferg trifecta, Mrs Ferg, located next-door to the baker, has some of the most delicious gelato! We went back two times. Not going to lie, if given the choice I’d take the baker and gelato over the burger any day.
Botswana Butchery
Set is a small historic cottage on the lakefront, Botswana Butchery is renown for its fine dining. We decided to check it out while walking around town on our day. Thank goodness we did, as it was completely booked. We returned with a reservation two nights later and had a fabulous feast. This is definitely a great restaurant. It is very well decorated, the food is absolutely delicious and the staff was very warm and helpful. It was definitely on the pricey side, but then again so is most of New Zealand. And when compared to a nice place in LA this is not bad. Definitely worth the treat!
Caribe Latin Kitchen
Latin American, Caribbean and Mexican Food in Queenstown. Being from Southern California (home of the best Mexican food, outside of Mexico that is) I was a little skeptical to try this restaurant. But the reviews looked good and we felt like mixing it up a bit, so we decided to go for lunch. I am glad we did as it was actually really good. This place gets busy and there is not a lot of seating, but it’s a good sign when people are willing to wait and stand to get their food.
Atlas Beer Cafe
Craft beer lovers should check out Atlas at the far end of the Steamer Wharf building. A great place to grab a beer and sit along the lake. We didn’t have any food as we weren’t hungry but it looked really good.
Zephyr
Indie-rock dive bar located in a grungy basement off a back lane – Searle Lane. It’s a cool place to hang out, have a craft cocktail and maybe play a round of pool or two. Supposedly there is often live music there as well.
Up Next: After three great days in Queenstown we departed for the Milford Sound and our South Island Road trip.
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