Affectionately dubbed the adventure capital of New Zealand, Queenstown is the perfect combination of nature and adrenaline. More than just a place to be active, take your car rental and head out to explore stunning Queenstown.
Right from the moment you step into Queenstown airport, indulge your tastebuds with a visit to The Remarkable Sweet Shop. True to its name, the store caries a vast range of confectionaries, all stored in old school glass jars. Cavity-inducing but so worth it, channel your inner Willy Wonka and fuel up on sugar before your adventure begins. Grab your rental car at Queenstown Airport and let’s go!
First order of business: visit Bob’s Peak. Not a place to be missed, it lies 17km away from Queenstown Airport by rental car, but expect the distance to fly by as you admire the sweeping seascape. Hike to the top via the Tiki Trail and get a front seat view of the panoramas so often seen plastered on postcards. One hundred percent a photo-op, we promise you won’t be disappointed with the summit landscape.
For our nature aficionados, lake Wakatipu is the place for you. As New Zealand’s largest inland lake with a length of 80km, it’s only 15 minutes away from Queenstown city centre by rental car. A myriad of activities, from walking to cycling to picnicking awaits visitors as they drink in the sublime scenery along the lake’s elongated shores. If you want to get chilly, head on up the Remarkables mountain range. Silhouetted against the cerulean skies, the Remarkables create the most serene backdrop against Lake Wakatipu and is a prime destination for skiers and snowboarders.
Head on over to Marine Parade for some fun in the sun, especially in the summer months. Take your rental car down to the idyllic Queenstown Beach and catch events like the annual Winter Festival’s opening night fireworks (not a spectacle to be missed, we assure you). Don’t skip the iconic Bathhouse Café, which boasts the most perfect brews, and best of all, their crème brulee of the day. No flavour is the same so your tastebuds will spin and so will your head (in good ways, of course).
In need of some heart pumping activity? Take your rental car down to Queenstown’s Kawarau River, famed for its rapid currents and narrow stretches. A prime location for riverboarding, jet boating and white water rafting, rest assured that your adrenaline needs will be fulfilled. Craving for more? The Kawarau River Suspension Bridge is also the birthplace of commercial bungee jumping. How’s that for an adrenaline rush?
Of course, no trip is complete without good wine. Gibbston Valley Winery is just the place we need. Only 29km away from Queenstown Airport, take your rental car down to the rugged schist mountains of Kawarau Gorge. You won’t be disappointed by the Pinot Noir varieties you’ll get to enjoy.
It’s no surprise that Queenstown, New Zealand, this once sleepy little village tucked away in the mountains has evolved into the ultimate tourist destination. You’ll know what the hype’s about when you can enjoy adrenaline and adventure all while hanging out in one of the most beautiful places in the Southern Hemisphere.