Travel & Holidays Queenstown New Zealand trip. Need help.

We're heading off to Singapore and KL in December but our first stop is in NZ Queenstown and we only have 5 days there. We will have a hire car so travel is no issue. I need recommendations to places to visit and small road trips say up to 100km from QT. Our first trip to NZ we went to Auckland and drove up to Rotorua and loved the drive plus the destination.

We are into the whole Leura/café/boutique shops as well as countryside/mountain/natural gardens scene....Any recommendations on places/activities for 5 days that would take those preferences into account? We only have 5 days.

@ellejay @Joynz and anyone else.

Thanks guys

 

If you feel like driving, Glenorchy-Queenstown Road is awesome for the scenery. It takes you out to a little town called Glenorchy. There's not much there (there's a cafe you may like).
Takes roughly 1 hour drive each way (Google maps will say 45mins, but there are slow tourists and delivery trucks).



Depending on the wallet, I'd go a plane tour. They fly you over the mountains and stuff. I've been told its pretty epic.

 

One day drive to Wanaka. Drive up over the Crown range, zig zag Road and great views and through historic Cardrona, drive back through the Kawarua Gorge. Or vice versa. Visit Rippon Kea winery. Drive past Glenda Bay and as far into the mountains as you want.

The half day trip into Skippers Canyon is great. Can't take hire cars, you will know why when you see the single lane road! Can be combined with a river raft.

There is a Tastes oF NZ dinner at the Skyline restaurant. Very touristy but you get the cable car ride and great views, plus quite a few NZ dishes on a buffet.

I worked at the hotel in Wanaka for a year back in the late 1960s! A beautiful part of the world.

Make sure you book your accommodation, especially if it is during nz school holidays.
Marg

 

There's a really nice boardwalk you can do there. Nice food at the pub or one of the cafes.

 

The Cardrona pub is lovely and has nice food too.

 

5 days of glacial heli-skiing?

 

On a sunny day the jet boat is really good. I think you can combine it with a heli ride and rafting.

TSS Earnslaw ferry trip across the lake is good.

The botanic gardens are lovely.

 

Bungee!!!!

 

Hi @Leo2413 I can second Wanaka. May even be worth spending 2 nights there and 3 in Queenstown if you haven't already booked accommodation. Rob Roy Glacier is a good day hike that you can do for nothing and you don't need any special gear. If you are into the boutique shopping i can recommend Arrowtown which is 20 minutes out of Queesntown. Not really my scene but I have mates who really love it there.

 

OK so far I have this

1. Glenorchy-Queenstown Road drive (plane tour)
2. Drive to Wanaka. Crown range through historic Cardrona, drive back through the Kawarua Gorge. Visit Rippon Kea winery. Drive past Glenda Bay
3. Trip into Skippers Canyon (possibly river raft)
4. Botanic Gardens and Heli ride
5. Bungee (but I think not...would be cruelly ironic if we died before we get to see Brisbane boom)

Anymore suggestions please... any place like Rotorua to drive to?

 

Is Wanaka a town? Would like to do Roy Roy but not sure the wife can... how hard is the hike? Is Aarowtown a small place or something bigger? i'll do some googling on those places mentioned.

 

@Mick Butterfield looking at the pics Aarowtown does look like a nice little town tbh

 

If she can't do Rob Roy, maybe settle into a bottle of Rob Roy.

 

Wanaka is a town. Still touristy but nothing like Queenstown. Has some great restaurants and bars. It is a stunning spot and quite relaxed. We went there for a week this year and only stopped in Queenstown overnight. Arrowtown is akin to something like Berry on the South Coast. Rob Roy Glacier is quite easy. It is all path up and down and there are rest stops along the way. I would say you would only need to be some what fit to do the trek. Just pack a sandwich for lunch when you get to the top. It is a great view up there.

 

It is very pretty and only really needs half a day from Queenstown.

 

I was too scared to bungee but did sky dive at Wanaka. Now that is a great way to see the place.

 

Awesome, thanks so much, it makes it a lot clearer for me. I am not the best at planning trips so this helps a lot. Any more places?

 

so from Queenstown I can drive to Aarowtown then to Wanaka.. does that make sense?

 

RoyRoy looks awesome actually. What's the weather like then... I hate the heat...

 

You certainly can. That is how I would do it.