My favourite destination
Queenstown is fantastic. You could say there the whole time and not run out of things to do.
Musts:
Check out the view from your window seat on the flight into Queenstown, it's magical
Fergburger ...a local institution with the most amazing and huge hamburgers
Great pubs with good food, too many to mention
Up the gondala awe inspiring view, walk up if you don't have a heart condition
Arrowtown - take the bus it's easy and cheap
Jetboat - there's plenty to choose from
Cruise the lake - on the Earslaw (been doing the same trip for something like 50 years, it's a restored steam ship)
Other great things to do:
The luge - it's up the top of the gondala hill
Day trip to wanaka and out to glenorchy
Heaps of walks to do too - try the zig zag track and queenstown hill or for the more sedate the botanical gardens in town or walk around the shore of lake wakatipu.
Hire a bike and cruise around town/the lake or do the "downhill' tracks if you are game!
For the more adventurous there's plenty of bungy, swinging, paragliding and zipline activities. All are quite pricey even when converted to Aussie dollars.
For the real estate minded you could own a piece of paradise for something like NZ$200,000 for a run down house that never sees the sun in winter to a luxury pad with fabulous north facing lake views for a couple of million.
Got a bit excited about the idea of holiday rental....plenty of those options around! I always check out the Real estate guides when I go anywhere!!
We stayed at St Moritz hotel, got upgraded to a suite with magical lake view. Staff and service were excellent. Plenty of apartments and hotels. Good value will be had in May as its before the ski season. If you stay in an apartment and cook your own food note that the supermarket in queenstown is horrendously expensive. Go where the locals shop which is near the airport.
Could not fault the local hospitality. Put the service we got in Sydney prior to leaving and on previous holidays in Australia to shame. Would go back in a heartbeat.
Pack your winter woolies and them some. It will be cold. (Or check out the various outdoor shops when you get there).
PS if you get sick pretend you are a kiwi or they will charge you $160 for a doctor's appointment (and no there is no medicare rebate).
