QUEENSTOWN 2018

MUST SEE EAT DO HITLIST

by CHEEKY WOMBAT 15 November 2020

Check out our MUST SEE EAT DO HITLIST video above for the highlights of our November 2018 trip to New Zealand’s adventure capital, Queenstown!

SUMMARY

First impression

In November 2018, we decided to run our first (and last!) full marathon and instead of picking somewhere close, flat and sensible, we instead decided to run the Queenstown International Marathon. Our self-inflicted pain was followed by an amazing 2-week Spring holiday across New Zealand’s south island which included trips to Tekapo, Wanaka and Te Anau. In total, we spent 5 nights in Queenstown during our New Zealand holiday.

Everyone we met in Queenstown from the moment we touched down at Queenstown Airport were friendly and fun. As expected, Queenstown was much colder than Sydney; so much colder in fact that it ended up snowing while we were there despite it being late Spring! The other thing we noticed during our taxi trip to our accommodation was the incredible scenery. Through drizzling rain, we enjoyed picturesque views of New Zealand’s landscape of lush green forests, snow capped peaks and Lake Wakatipu.

Our first impression of Queenstown definitely lived up to the hype despite being nervous about running our first marathon in less than 24 hours and fretting about whether it would be cancelled due to bad weather (or worse, whether we would be running in torrential rain!)

Accommodation: Oaks Queenstown Shores Resort

We chose to stay at the Oaks Queenstown Shores Resort (@oaks_hotels) for the first few nights because it was good value, in a great location with water views, close to the town centre and close to the finish line! The staff and other guests we met were lovely and the common areas were clean and modern with a gym, sauna, car park and ski equipment drying room facilities (though we didn’t end up using any of these). They also had a cafe and bar with a fireplace and a magnificent outlook over Lake Wakatipu and sprawling mountain ranges. A free shuttle service to Queenstown also ran throughout the day, which was extremely handy but required booking in advance to secure your spot.

Our room was somewhat small but more than adequate for what we needed. We had a king-sized bed, plenty of wardrobe space, a bathroom with heated tiles and free Wi-Fi. As always, we didn’t spend much time in our room as we were out and about exploring.

Upon arrival, we checked in early and left our luggage in the cloak room before catching an Uber into the Queenstown Memorial Centre (serving as the marathon base of operations next to the finish line) to collect our race bibs and check out the exhibition.

Queenstown International Marathon

Judgement day had come. While our training regime wasn’t perfect, we had invested a lot of hours and effort into preparing for the Queenstown International Marathon (@queenstownmarathon) and we were buzzing to get started. We woke up stupidly early to start our pre-race rituals of hydrating, eating carbs, stretching and filling up our squeeze packs with sports nutrition gel.

The plan was to catch an Uber or taxi into the Queenstown Recreational Reserve from where marathon participants would catch a 20-minute bus ride to the starting line at Arrowtown, about 16km northeast of Queenstown as the crow flies, to start the race at 9am.

Imagine the shock and embarrassment we felt when we opened the Uber app and realised that there were no available drivers at 5am on the morning of the Queenstown International Marathon? The first free hotel shuttle into Queenstown didn’t leave until 9am, which didn’t help us! We went out and waited roadside to attempt to hail a taxi but all of them were full (others had obviously booked an Uber, taxi or ride ahead of time!) We ended up walking to the closest bus stop and catching a bus into the city - thank goodness there was room on the bus! We realised while boarding that we didn’t have any coins for the bus driver but another runner we met at the bus stop paid our fare, which was super nice and the only reason we made it to the starting line on time!

While a first marathon is not the most enjoyable way to experience the natural beauty of New Zealand wilderness, there were some amazing moments and views on the track that will stay with us forever. We ran through forests, beside rivers and lakes, along cliffs and over mountains. It was breathtaking (literally).

The feeling of finishing and collapsing on the ground was indescribable, and I can’t imagine a more magnificent and inspiring place to cross the finish line than in Queenstown surrounded by such remarkable scenery.

After our marathon, we went straight to a thai massage parlour followed by a few celebratory drinks in Queenstown. We then returned to our room, collapsed on the bed, ordered room service and watched Netflix on our iPad until we fell asleep from exhaustion! For the next few days we wore the marathon shirts everywhere so people would know why we were walking funny...

Bespoke Kitchen

The day after the marathon, you better believe we were feeling it! Motivated by hunger, we somehow managed to trek up a pretty steep hill to Bespoke Kitchen on our way to the Kiwi Birdlife Park. Ruth enjoyed a delicious eggs benedict while I opted for some warm soup. The coffee and hot chocolates were to die for! 

Kiwi Birdlife Park 

I had never seen a kiwi bird before so you better believe I was keen to visit the Kiwi Birdlife Park (@kiwibirdlifepark)! The park is at the top of a very long, steep hill, so if you plan on walking, I’d recommend not running a marathon the day prior, like we did (we had booked a Milford Sound tour for this day which would have involved minimal walking but it was postponed due to poor weather). Unfortunately, there was no flash photography permitted in the kiwi bird enclosure, but the Kiwi Encounter guided session was pretty great. The kiwi bird is probably about as small and skittish as you’d expect, and never really stayed still for more than a few seconds. 

The entire Kiwi Birdlife Park was fun and full of fantastic animals and scenery. We paid a small fee to get some handheld devices for the self-guided tour which was super interesting and informative. The Conservation Show was also awesome; without giving too much away, it was highly interactive and featured all kinds of birds and other native animals.

After being smitten by adorable kiwi birds and other creatures, and being the pool enthusiasts that we are, we sought somewhere to have a drink and sink some balls! We were lucky enough to stumble across Harry’s Pool Bar which had a cool vibe and some good quality pool tables - just what we were looking for! 

Accommodation: Nomads Queenstown Backpackers

After I completely owned Ruth at pool (she tells a different story), we checked in at Nomads Queenstown Backpackers (@nomadshostels) which was right in the centre of town. We planned to drive to Tekapo the next day and our car hire was in the city, so we wanted to stay close by. We paid a little extra for our own private room but this was definitely worth it to have our own space and know that our belongings were more secure. The staff were extra nice and all of the other guests were extremely friendly and respectful. The biggest selling point for Ruth was a pool table in the middle of the common area (she’s a bit of a pool addict!)

Bardeaux

After storing our bags at the hostel, we went cocktail hunting and stumbled upon a quaint little cottage-looking cocktail bar in the middle of the town called Bardeaux. They had a fireplace and an impressive range of wines, spirits and beers. The venue was small and intimate and the cocktails we ordered were amazing. The bar staff were also really friendly and we had a great chat. Bardeaux is definitely a hidden gem in Queenstown that’s worth visiting.

Bella Cucina

Keen to refuel with pasta (as Ruth always is regardless of whether she’s just run a marathon or not), we found an authentic Italian restaurant called Bella Cucina (@bellacucinanz) about a 5-minute walk from Bardeaux. The food and wine were delicious, the staff were super nice and there was a really genuine vibe to the restaurant - we even left them a review on TripAdvisor because we enjoyed it so much!

MUST EAT: Reds Bar 

After dinner, we powered on to Reds Bar for further intoxication to alleviate our leg soreness. The bar is on the western side of Queenstown and had a spectacular view of Lake Wakatipu and snow capped mountains. Reds Bar is Ruth’s MUST EAT pick because we got to enjoy an amazing antipasto platter with cheese, crackers, cold meats, fresh honey, olives and dried apricots. They also had a wide selection of cocktails and the staff were really lovely. There was also a fireplace and a really modern vibe to the venue, decor and furniture. The bar is attached to the QT Hotel Queenstown, which looks like it has fantastic rooms and facilities.

Fergburger

Something extra strange happened the next morning when we awoke at the Nomads Queenstown Backpackers. I pulled back the curtains and couldn’t believe what I saw. Falling snow! In Spring! Our room had a private balcony, so we rugged up and went out on the balcony to enjoy the view before heading out to Fergburger for breakfast.

Lots of friends told us that we had to visit Fergburger, so we ventured out to their store in Queenstown and queued up in the snow to place an order. It was worth the wait; we managed to snag a seat inside and ordered a single burger for lunch between the two of us (it was massive). This place lived up to our expectations and we highly recommend any burger-lovers visiting Queenstown to pay them a visit. You won’t regret it! Sometimes it can be crazy busy so make sure to plan your visit and if you can, go at an off-peak time!

Hertz Hire Car

We booked a Toyota Corolla hire car from Hertz Queenstown for our road trip to Tekapo, Wanaka and Te Anu. Hertz had friendly staff and a great vehicle, though if we had known it would be snowing we may have gotten something a little more substantial like an SUV or FWD! Thankfully it came with a plastic snow scraper tool.

It was really useful having a hire car to get around since we were travelling beyond Queenstown and there were fair distances to cover between our different planned activities. The Toyota Corolla held up surprisingly well given the unexpected weather conditions!

MUST SEE: Milford Sound

Our Milford Sound fly-cruise-fly tour (@milfordsoundscenicflights) was postponed to the day after we had already planned to be in Te Anu, so on the morning of our tour, we had to wake up stupidly early to drive 2h from Te Anu to Queenstown for an 0800 departure! Despite the early start, this tour was the highlight of our trip and our MUST SEE pick for Queenstown. Milford Sound is a breathtaking water channel surrounded by enormous mountains, forests and waterfalls. Despite its popularity with tourists, Milford Sound is an unspoiled remote wilderness and a stunning natural wonder. Our fly-cruise-fly ticket included a 1h flight from Queenstown to Milford Sound, a 2h boat cruise weaving between the Milford Sound mountains and a 1h return flight back to Queenstown.

The scenery we enjoyed during our 1h flight from Queenstown to Milford Sound was STUNNING! From our tiny 7-passenger plane we looked down on the snow capped mountains, lush forests and crystal pools of Fiordland National Park before we finally touched down in Milford Sound.

On our cruise, we were rugged up head-to-toe so the bracing wind didn’t bother us! The scenery was absolutely breathtaking and during the cruise we passed some seals frolicking about in the crystal green water and chilling on some rocks!

There’s this one spot where the captain puts the nose of the boat right under one of the many waterfalls along Milford Sound. It would have been sensible to avoid getting sprayed but the roar of the waterfall was incredible and we couldn’t miss the photo opportunity!

Our fly-cruise-fly experience was incredible and we highly recommend anyone visiting Queenstown to consider a trip to Milford Sound to enjoy its pristine natural wonder.

Accommodation: Reavers Lodge

After the Milford Sound tour, we checked in to Reavers Lodge, another budget-style accommodation perched uphill overlooking Queenstown. Our room was very basic but we had free on-street parking, the staff were friendly and there was a cafe and common area games room that were nice to have. We noticed that there was also a communal BBQ and spa pool but we didn’t make use of these as they didn’t look very inviting! Since we weren’t in the room much, it was more than sufficient to store our luggage and a good location from which we could venture into Queenstown. However, being at the top of a hill, the evening walk home was rough!

MUST DO: Dart River Jet Boat

In the afternoon, we went on the Dart River Jet Boat (@dartriveradventures) ride which is our MUST DO pick for Queenstown. This was a crazy adrenalin rush and an extremely efficient way of seeing the amazing scenery along the Dart River near Queenstown.

The videos we watched beforehand did not prepare us for how fast this thing was. Our driver fanged it! He whipped us around corners, dodged debris and did 360s just to make sure everyone got wet!

The crazy thing was that the jet boat rises up out of the water when at speed, so most of the time we were motoring in water that was less than 30cm deep! I could look down and see river pebbles covered by a thin film of water that we were gliding across!

Despite going so fast, we still saw lots of amazing scenery since the mountains and forests surrounding the Dart River are so vast and huge. We stopped at a couple of secluded spots along the river to admire the crystal clear emerald-coloured water which the driver told us was so clean that we could scoop some up and drink it.

By the end of it, we were out of adrenalin and completely soaked but we couldn’t stop smiling and talking about it the whole drive back to Queenstown!

Attiqa Gin and Cocktail Bar & Winnies

After we got back to Queenstown, dried off and warmed up, we ventured out for something to eat. We came across a cosy little gin and cocktail bar called Attiqa (@attiqa_sundeck). We ordered drinks with some delicious gourmet skewers (haloumi, mushroom and lamb) and we also received some complimentary chips and olives!

Wanting a little more to nibble on, we ordered some take away from a cute Italian restaurant called Winnies, grabbed some Pimms from the liquor store and set up camp in the park in the centre of Queenstown to enjoy an outdoor dinner picnic! We were even lucky enough to have some dinner guests! 

Patagonia Chocolates

The next morning for breakfast we paid a visit to Patagonia Chocolates Queenstown. We ordered a white chocolate mocha and a flat white along with a few different chocolates to try. They were quite busy which was not at all surprising considering how decadent their chocolate creations are. Totally worth a visit if you’re in the area!

Ben Lomond Horse Trek

We then drove about 30 minutes out of Queenstown to go horse riding at Ben Lomond Horse Treks (@benlomondhorsetreks). Neither of us are adept horse riders but we really enjoyed the experience and scenery. Our tour guide refreshed us regarding the basics, helped us mount our steeds and led us on our trek. 

The fastest we went on the trek was a canter, but we were the limiting factor for that decision! The coolest part of the horse trek was when we crossed a river on horseback. The river was reasonably deep (about waist-high) but this didn’t seem to bother the horses at all and we crossed with relative ease.

During our horse trek we also witnessed a cow starting to give birth, but I think the horses startled it and it walked away, with the calf only half out! That part was a little weird but also hilarious.

Tanoshi Teppan and Sake Restaurant

Later that day while exploring Queenstown’s eat street, we stumbled upon Tanoshi (@tanoshiqueenstown), a small teppan and sake bar tucked away in an alley. Their ramen was absolutely delicious and the staff were also super friendly. They also had a wide variety of interesting sake and other Japanese liquor. We don’t often leave customer reviews but we made sure to leave them a good review online because we enjoyed it so much!

The Winery

In the afternoon, we visited The Winery (@thewinerynz), an energetic wine store in Queenstown stocked with comfy furniture, interesting coffee table books, amazing grazing platters and, of course, shelves stacked to the ceiling with an enormous variety of local and international wines. The staff helped us load credit onto little plastic cards that we then took around the store to different tasting stations and used our credit to order tastes, half-glasses or full glasses of whichever wines we liked. It was a fun experience and we took our time to explore all of the different tasting stations, discussing which ones each of us liked. We quickly burned through our credit but it was probably for the best that we didn’t drink too many different types of wine since we still had to find our way to our dinner reservation on the other side of town!

MUST EAT: Stratosfare Restaurant 

For our last night in Queenstown, we caught the Skyline Gondola (cable car) up to the Stratosfare Restaurant for dinner, which is perched on a mountainside overlooking Queenstown. The restaurant was really busy so we’re glad we booked in advance. We arrived early and enjoyed a glass of wine at the bar overlooking Queenstown before we were seated.

There was a huge variety of delicious food at the all-you-can eat buffet. The waitstaff were extremely friendly and provided excellent service. Despite being quite busy, we didn’t feel crowded and we took our time to enjoy our wine, meal and the view as the Queenstown slowly faded into twilight. The view was also spectacular at night when all of the lights illuminated Queenstown.

Reflection

We were sad to leave behind Queenstown and New Zealand at the end of our holiday. Ruth found Queenstown Airport so cold that she wore two jackets, which looked hilarious because she wore mine backwards so that she didn’t have to take off her backpack.

We played cards and flicked through photos while we waited for our flight home, remembering all of the fun and adventures that we had enjoyed over the past couple of weeks. We overcame the early onset holiday blues by agreeing that we would have to come back to New Zealand sometime soon to visit the North Island and enjoy New Zealand’s scenery, culture and people all over again