TravelNut8

We would like to do a day trip to visit wineries in Otago region by Queenstown with beautiful scenery and gardens and one with outdoor dining.

I researched some wineries that having outdoor dining for lunch and wondering what the most family friendly one is.

We will travel along Gibbston Hwy from Frankton towards Cromwell, up to Wanaka and back to Queenstown. From Cromwell, is Hwy 6 or 8 more scenic?

Some interesting stops along the way include:

• feeding goats in Arrow Junction
• Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge
• Goldfields Mining Centre
• farms to visit?
• playgrounds?
• other family friendly sites to visit?

thanks!

Diamantina

Maybe search through reviews for Mora Winery, beside Lake Hayes, which you'd pass on the way to Arrowtown, to see how often "kid-friendly" is mentioned. My neighbor went there recently with his wife and very active and highly vocal two-year old twin girls, and his parents who were visiting from overseas, and loved it. Mora is owned by the former owners of Bannockburn's Akarua winery, one of Central Otago's best wineries. Akarua now belongs to Edmond de Rothschild Heritage group.

The wonderful Amisfield Winery and Bistro is close to Mora. Reservations are required for the restaurant. This is an attractive winery in a lovely setting.

Also check out Brennan's in Gibbston Valley. It's on Gibbston's Back Road. It's in a pretty, quieter spot.
https://cuisinewine.co.nz/winery/brennan-wines/

I think the Wanaka lavender farm has alpacas.

TravelNut8

Hi Diamantina: those winery suggestions look great for families, thank you for recommending them.
Looking at their restaurants, Mora offers lunch only, and Amisfield offers both lunch and dinner and comes highly regarded as Michelin quality, not sure if I should bring my kids there for the pricy menus.

Our itinerary is becoming more refined. I wrote down some ideas, we can change things up based on weather, hunger, energy, etc. We have three days to explore Queenstown and region.

Day 1: Queenstown

• Garden walk
• Gondola/luge
• Mora for lunch
• Hanley's Park Playground
• Pool at hotel
• Jervois Steakhouse for dinner

Day 2: Milford Sound Tour/Cruise/Fly

Day 3: Explore Otago wineries along Gibbston Hwy (Hwy 6) and explore wineries (need recs on Gibbston family friendly wineries with nice big lawns and games, a playground, farm animals or other kid friendly things while we sip wine. So far I've researched:

1. Brennans
2. Kinross
3. Carrick

• Goldsfield Mining Centre for gold panning
• Lunch at a winery (need recs please)
• Cherry Picking
• Drive to another winery for dinner
• Loop back up to Wanaka or backtrack to Frankton?

Day 3: Explore Wanaka

• Wanaka Lavender Farm - need to check closer to date to see if they have blooms, the website mentions Dec-Feb as best times, we are going mid-March
• Red Bridge Strawberry Farm - strawberry picking
• Puzzling World
• Dinosaur Playground
• Big Fig if hungry

Diamantina

Carrick WInery is in Bannockburn, which is about 7 minute drive from Cromwell, or about 25 minute drive from Gibbston Valley. Very nice winery and great wines, particularly the pinot and riesling. I haven't been to Carrick since before the winery changed hands in 2021. But I remember a very nice restaurant and outdoor space.

Cherry season is already over. But there are still plenty of strawberries and they're as wonderful as the cherries. The best strawberries come from Waimate in Canterbury.

In this region, most wineries with restaurants just serve lunch.

There used to be a winery with a restaurant conveniently located at the Goldfield's Mining Centre, but it moved to Cromwell. I visited that winery at least a couple of times, but never visited the mining center. Kawarau Gorge is pretty and the road through there pretty winding. Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge (home to AJ Hackett Bungy) is at the start of Gibbston Valley right across from the road to Chard Farm Winery.

TravelNut8

We’ll plan for strawberry picking then near Wanaka. Thanks for the heads up on cherry season.


Day 1 - Queenstown

• 10AM Hanley’s Farm Playground
• 12PM Mora lunch
• 2PM Gondola
• 5PM Jervois steakhouse

Day 2 - Milford Sound

• 6:30AM Tour/cruise/fly
• 6PM Dinner?

Day 3 - Winery Trail

• 10AM Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge
• 11AM Brennans Wines
• 12PM Kinross lunch
• 1:30PM Goldfields Mining Center
• 3PM Mrs Jones Orchard for ice cream
• 4PM Carrick Winery for pizza dinner

​​​​Day 4 - Wanaka

• 10AM Lavender farm
• 12PM Hook salmon fishing
• 2PM Strawberry picking
• 4PM Puzzling World

On Day 1 in Queenstown, we will take the gondola. Not doing the luge after reading reviews about long lines, long walk, construction on the advanced track, and rude staff, I don’t think we’re gonna do that anymore.

TravelNut8

The I-site just informed me strawberry picking is over. I messaged Red Bridge Berries in Wanaka and they gave an affirmative ‘Yes’ when asked if strawberry picking is still going on in March. Hmm 🤔

Melnq8

Peak season for strawberries is Jan-Feb.

I'd think I'd believe Red Bridge Berries in this case.

Their website says:

Our strawberry patch will be open for you to pick your own super sweet home-grown strawberries from late spring through to mid autumn.

Mid autumn is April.

TravelNut8

This is the farms auto-message before they replied ‘yes’.

Hi, thanks for contacting us. We've received your message and appreciate you reaching out. Strawberries, real fruit ice creams, coffees will be available from the 18th of November till the 28th of April.(closed 20/22ndNov)
Our hours are 9:30am - 4:30pm.
Cost for PYO is $16/kg & a $3 per person Entry fee.
Please check our latest posts & stories for most recent updates around if our PYO is closed.We will only update if closed in the morning before we open.
Please remember to bring a container.

I just re-read the last line, we will bring some plastic tupperware or a basket to hold.

Diamantina

I think it'll depend on the weather, which will be different from place to place, and from day to day. You looked at this page, right? Says they'll have strawberries into autumn.
https://www.redbridgeberries.co.nz/pyo

I live in Dunedin and our Farmers' Market was bursting with strawberries from multiple vendors/growers this last weekend. For the first time this season, my favorite strawberry grower, who drives down from Waimate, had an abundance. Prior to this week, to get his strawberries, buyers had to show up as soon as the market opened at 7 a.m. or reserve punnets in advance. Rain storms in January affected supply. Every week, a Dunedin gelato maker reserves an order of 40 kilos from him! I'm pretty sure he told me he'd have strawberries through March, but Waimate has ideal conditions for growing strawberries.
https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/...e-strawberries

Waimate strawberry, as sweet as can be.

TravelNut8

Mm that’s a delicious looking strawberry
🍓😋

Growing up in the northern hemisphere I’ve always had an affinity of fruit from Earth’s lower half, especially pineapples from Africa. I can’t wait to taste NZ fruits. CA has abundant strawberry farms as well that are freshly picked for the farmers markets. Last year we picked in Japan and the year before in Korea. I hope they are ok with us sampling to check the bush we’re picking from is producing sweet fruit, of course 😉

Diamantina

Wooing Tree was nice, but I think they are building a new cellar door and a big development around it.
https://wooingtree.co.nz/visit/
https://www.wooingtreeestate.co.nz/?...SAAEgIQNfD_BwE

If you'll be driving from Wanaka to Queenstown, you should drive on Cardrona Valley Road and Crown Range Road (quite scenic). If you were to drive from Aoraki Mt. Cook or Twizel or Omarama to Wanaka or Cromwell, then you'd drive through Lindis Pass.

If you'd be driving from Wanaka to Cromwell, then SH8 and SH6 are equally scenic in my opinion. Though if the autumn leaves are already on show, SH8 might have better reflections of the autumn foliage on Lake Dunstan (I have a bad photo of this somewhere on my SD disks).You'll have wineries on both sides of Lake Dunstan, but I think there are more wineries on the SH8 side.

I was born and raised in SF, and lived for 23 years in Marin County before I moved to NZ. My husband and I would regularly buy organic strawberries from the Novato Farmers Market when they were in season. Waimate strawberries are better! I'd be very surprised if the Wanaka grower doesn't let you sample his fruit. While you're here, you should try a feijoa, which comes into season in March. This is South American fruit that has a big fan base in NZ. Kiwis will also start to appear in March, not just green flesh kiwis, but also gold and red. All these fruits--cherries, strawberries, feijoa, kiwis, are non-native species.

If you like oysters, Bluff oysters come into season in March, too.

Diamantina

Strange. When I posted yesterday I couldn't see posts #s 7& 8. I was mainly trying to correct out-of-date and erroneous information by a poster named Daniel, whose post now seems to have been removed. (And, of course, I wanted to send you that tempting strawberry photo.)

TravelNut8

Feijoa is now on my must try list in NZ!
I did not know kiwi’s are non-native to NZ and originated in China, also known as Chinese gooseberry because it’s a berry!

TravelNut8

Yes, Daniel’s post appears to have disappeared, it seemed like it was written with ChatGPT using my original post looking for family friendly things to do, hah.
If you subscribe to a thread, Fodor’s sends you an email with the post.

Diamantina

"His' post seemed like a chatbot to me, too. I googled his name and "his" travel blog was listed, which was probably created by a chatbot as well (I didn't click on it).

roberttoth5793

Here are some wineries with outdoor dining for lunch in the South Island:

Wild Earth Wines (Cromwell):
Wild Earth offers a beautiful outdoor patio overlooking their vineyard, perfect for enjoying a delicious lunch with a glass of their award-winning Pinot Noir. They are open daily from 12pm to 9pm.

Saint Clair Family Estate Vineyard Kitchen (Marlborough):
aint Clair Family Estate has a lovely courtyard setting where you can enjoy a relaxed lunch paired with their wines. They are open from 10am to 5pm Wednesday to Sunday.

Gibbston Valley Winery (Queenstown):
Gibbston Valley Winery boasts stunning views of the Gibbston Valley from their outdoor seating area. They offer a delicious lunch menu with a focus on fresh, local produce. They are open daily from 11am to 5pm.

Akarua Winery & Kitchen (Bannockburn):
Akarua Winery & Kitchen has a sunny outdoor terrace where you can enjoy lunch with breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. They are open daily from 11am to 5pm.

Marlborough Vines (Marlborough):
Marlborough Vines offers a relaxed atmosphere with outdoor seating overlooking the vines. They have a great selection of pizzas and other light bites to pair with their wines. They are open daily from 11am to 5pm.