Queenstown-is it worth it?

Old Feb 20th, 2017, 03:30 PM
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Queenstown-is it worth it?

My daughter and husband are meeting on the South Island next month for two weeks. She has been working in the Southern Ocean and they will be meeting in Christchurch and getting a rental car, then heading south. Their plans are a two nights at Mt cook,three nights at Queenstown,two nights at Te Anau and three nights north of Dunedin on the beach with a couple nights still up in the air.
She has been to the South Island three years ago but has never been to Queenstown or Te Anau/Milford Sound. I am trying to help them plan this trip as she has no access to any internet on her research vessel.

Would it be better to skip Queenstown and add the days in Wanaka instead on the way down from Mt Cook?
( They are not really interested in stopping in Queenstown if it is more like a Wisconsin Dells atmosphere with the bungee jumping,sky diving,rapids boats,etc.) Quite a few of the hotels in the major cities and towns are completely full so don't want to cancel anything until I hear your opinions.

Where would you stop for one night before you have to leave out of Christchurch the next day rather than at an airport hotel?

Thanks for any imput!
dutyfree is offline  
Old Feb 20th, 2017, 03:38 PM
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Yes, I would spend time in Queenstown. It's a nice town, and the scenery is gorgeous. They could go to Glenorchy for part of their time (we did and had fun), or Arrowtown, or do other things which we didn't get to do.

Depending on what time the flight leaves, I would spend the night in Christchurch. It's pretty interesting to see how the city center is being rebuilt if there is time in their schedule, and it's easy to get to the airport.

Lee Ann
ElendilPickle is offline  
Old Feb 20th, 2017, 05:57 PM
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I can assure you Queenstown is nothing like Wisconsin Dells. It has charm, character and history. I have not been to WD but I have now added it to the 'non bucket' list of places I never want to visit.
New Zealand is far too small to support the OTT and in your face tourist hot spots. Queenstown is touristy but in a quaint small way. The Earnslaw steam ship built in 1912 sails over to Walter Peak several times a day. The Remarkables with their jagged peaks tower over the town. The gondola swings up the hill and the luge and one bungey jump are there discreetly as part of the whole experience of going up Bob's Peak.
To get away from it all you can get the catamaran trip down the lake to Mt Nicholas. From there you can look back down the lake and the only sign of anything man made is the Glenorchy Road and a few power lines. Just lake, mountains and sky.
Arrowtown has lots of history and worth a look. The AJ Hackett bungey at Kawarau River is well out of town so does not spoil anything.
Food in New Zealand is high quality and a huge variety. Queenstown has many restaurants and cafes. Have a pizza in 'The Cow' a tiny but cute restaurant in a restored 140 year old cow shed. Try some fudge, or gelato or a famous burger from Ferg's.
The 'worth it' question is always subjective however. They may not like it at all but there are worse places in New Zealand to spend a couple of days.
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Old Feb 20th, 2017, 09:10 PM
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What kind of environment are they looking for and what kind of activities are they hoping to do?

If they are looking for a quieter, less crowded environment, then Wanaka would be a better choice. The hiking tracks are distributed all around. You can enjoy the lake from different bays. There's not such a focus on the town centre, though it has motels, hostels, restaurants, shops, a supermarket, tourist services, a lakefront with a large parking lot and toilets. It seems people tend to spread out more in Wanaka, with many people fanning out to the hiking tracks, bays, and other attractions all around. Track info:
http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/par...s-brochure.pdf
http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/par...s-brochure.pdf

Traffic isn't as much of an issue in Wanaka. There are several main roads into central Wanaka. SH6 that comes from the West Coast and Haast Pass (SH6): SH6 that comes from the southeast (Cromwell, Dunedin, Lindis Pass, Mt. Cook Village, etc.); and Crown Range-Cardrona Valley Road from Queenstown. I'm not including Wanaka-Mt. Aspiring Road (that goes to Glendhu Bay, Mt. Aspiring National Park, Matukituki Valley) among the main roads because it's kind of a cul de sac.

To get into central Queenstown, there is one main road, SH 6A. So this one main road handles most of the traffic going into Q'town, becoming a bottleneck. There are also two smaller roads that go into central Q'town, the Glenorchy-Queenstown Road and Gorge Road (that goes to the Shotover Jet, Arthur's Point and is another way of getting into Arrowtown). So if you want go to Glenorchy, you'll have to go straight through the centre of Queenstown. If you're coming from the east and want to go the Shotover Jet, then you'd also likely drive through the centre of town (or go around through Arrowtown). As you can imagine, this one main road into Q'town gets really busy (though they're working to alleviate congestion). Many Q'town accommodations are also along this main road. The Q'town suburb of Frankton, home to the airport and the Remarkables shopping centre, is also busy.

Like central Wanaka, central Q'town is home to motels, hotels, hostels, restaurants, shops, tourist services, only more so. Central Q'town is also home to the Skyline Gondola (views over Queenstown and access to the Ben Lomond Track), Steamer Wharf on the waterfront for cruises onto Lake Wakitipu, and the Botanic Garden. "The Station" in Central Queenstown is also the pick-up point for the Shotover Jet (for those who don't have their own transport), bungy jumps, trips into historic Skipper's Canyon, and more.

I had to google Wisconsin Dells. It linked me to the "U.S.'s largest waterpark." From what I could tell, WD looks largely artificial and overly commercial. I also looked up Dells of Wisconsin. This natural watercourse looks lovely, but is quite different from Lake Wakitipu with its backdrop of the Remarkables Mountain Range. In addition to being scenic in and of itself, Queenstown is surrounded by impressive scenery.

Wanaka is not as busy as Q'town but also popular and getting more so as tourists seek a quieter and cheaper alternative to Q'town, where they can also hike (tramp), enjoy a lake, take scenic helicopter flights, skydive, etc. Last month, the Otago Daily Times reported more than 150 cars in the parking area for Wanaka's Roy's Peak Track. See:
https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/wanaka...m-popular-hike
During Chinese New Year, many Chinese visitors shunned more expensive Q'town for Wanaka:
https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/wanaka...oo-high-prices
Oprah Winfrey and Resse Witherspoon are filming there now. Last month former All Blacks captain/NZ rugby legend got married in Wanaka. So it's a happening place, too.

If quiet and remoteness is what your daughter and husband seek, maybe consider Glenorchy (population: 363) or Kinloch Lodge, which is beyond Glenorchy. Glenorchy offers many outdoor activities, such kayaking, jet boat ride, horseback riding, hiking (tramping), off-road 4WD drive excursions, birdwatching. No supermarkets, and not many restaurants, but loads of natural beauty. I've read there are many sandflies here, but haven't found that to be the case (I've probably just been lucky).
http://www.glenorchyinfocentre.co.nz/aboutgy.html
http://www.kinlochlodge.co.nz
http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/par...e-wakatipu.pdf
Diamantina is offline  
Old Feb 21st, 2017, 07:13 AM
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I agree with what everyone said. NZ touristy is not the same as the rest of the western world's touristy. You can't go wrong with either QT or Wanaka. Both have plenty of activities, both natural and man-made, though QT has a few more options.
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Old Feb 22nd, 2017, 09:56 AM
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I think that I compared Queenstown to the Wisconsin Dells because of being a place known at one time for natural beauty and then the tourists came in droves. Suddenly, there had to be more than just enjoying the natural beauty of the area such as water parks,skydiving,bungee jumping,etc.
I have also heard that Queenstown is a fav place for the autumn breakers and for hen/bachelor parties so just didn't want it to be an overcrowded tourist mecca?
I appreciate the tips-love New Zealand and its beauty,people and food/wine! There is a reason that its a fav with so many folks!
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Old Feb 22nd, 2017, 11:00 AM
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It gets really busy in the Winter Festival(last week of June)so then 'overcrowded tourist mecca' would be correct but in March it should be fine.
At any one time there is about 5 million people in New Zealand, most of us in the Auckland area. I'm not sure what state your family live in but if it's a biggie like California, New York, Florida or Texas, New Zealand is far from overcrowded.
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Old Feb 22nd, 2017, 02:16 PM
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Queenstown does get quite busy, but it's not a big town, and it's easy enough to flee the crowds by just leaving the town center.

If they stay on the fringe, and walk to and from town (if possible) they'll avoid the major hassle of finding a place to park, which can be a PITA in Queenstown.

Having said that, there are car parks where you can park for hours for a song, but they tend to fill up during the day, especially in season.
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Old Feb 22nd, 2017, 03:00 PM
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Tasmangirl, I was in Queenstown for the Winter Festival June 2014 (I wasn't there for the festival but for another event). It was quiet and less crowded compared to when I last visited in March and April. I think because it was fairly early in the ski season and there wasn't yet much snow (the ski resort was relying on snowmaking machines). I got a bargain rate for a penthouse apartment with great views right by the lake, signed up for the Skippers Canyon tour a couple of days beforehand, but the tour it wasn't even full. It was nice.

Dutyfree, you mentioned wine. If your husband and daughter are also interested in wine, there are wineries in pretty Gibbston Valley (also home to the Kawarau Bridge bungy) and beyond Gibbston Valley through pretty Kawarau Gorge to Cromwell and Bannockburn. Bannockburn is home to some of Central Otago's best and most scenic wineries and the landscape is reminiscent of high desert (desert with vineyards and probably some early autumn leaves). Amisfield Winery is even closer to Q'town and has a great bistro (reservations suggested).
http://amisfield.co.nz

In Wanaka, Rippon Winery has great views over the lake.

Again, what kind of environment are your husband and daughter looking for and what kind of activities are they hoping to do?
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