VISIT: end of February 2020 TOUR: Bike the Bridges -…read moreArrowtown to Gibbston Supported Tour VIEWS: 5 stars HELP FROM TOUR GUIDE: 5 stars SUITABLE FOR ALL ENDURANCE LEVELS: 4 stars DEALS: I found them through Chase Ultimate Rewards and several other sites MEETING SPOT: close to Fergburger and Fergbaker This tour was an honest pleasant surprise for us. The videos online looked cool, but mostly we got to experience so much that I don't think we would have seen. I would have never made a special trip to Arrowtown or Gibbston just based on the research I did, but what a beautiful way to view this amazing country! You meet at their meeting spot where the tour guide will drive you to your starting point. The tour guide stayed with everyone until they were comfortable on which path they were following and made sure that bikes and helmets were all sized appropriately. Our tour guide even gave special care to someone in our group that didn't speak English. You can leave items in the van, if you'd like, but my husband and I just had everything in our backpacks as the van is only there during certain check points. After that you are pretty much on your own with the bike tour, which was refreshing that you could go at your own pace. You see your tour guide at regular intervals along your track and that's always refreshing, in case you get tired you can always hop in the van. Along the way, you ride by the AJ Hackett bungee jumpers which was a nice stop to watch and use the restrooms and grab snacks, if you need. Then our tour ended at the Gibbston Winery which was just a nice treat after a good workout. ACTIVITY LEVEL: one of my biggest tenets is that the company dubs the Bike the Bridges tour a relatively easy ride and although it was, I was personally surprised at how much of a workout was. There was a good amount of inclines/declines and I workout regularly and have an active job, so I was relatively surprised. However, I realized after being in New Zealand that many of their residents are so active that I'm sure this would be an easy ride. For those on the fence, they do have electric bikes for rent, so that might be the way to go. NAVIGATION: the navigation is very easy and the trails are clearly marked. As mentioned above, your tour guide also makes sure he's waiting at regular intervals along your trail, so I wouldn't let that deter you I WOULD 100% DO THIS AGAIN: I am not a typical tourist that would return to do things again, but I cannot begin to explain how magical this was. Plus the tour was a half day, so we actually booked this the afternoon of our first full day in New Zealand to give us time to adjust to jet lag and the long tour the day before

As I was planning activities to do while in Queenstown, I stumbled upon this place that offers bike…read moretours that had really positive reviews. However, since I have never really done long distance biking before, I was hesitant to sign up for one of the tours that takes you further in and you bike back to the shop in downtown Queenstown. I decided to just rent an e-bike for half a day which would allow me to go at my own pace and return when I wanted to. Honestly, it was one of the best days of my life-the breathtaking scenery of Queenstown and the comfort of my own solitude exploring the bike paths overlooking Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown trail, Shotover bridge/river, Kawarau River... The person helping me at the shop was really friendly-helped walked me through how to use an e-bike (it was my first time using an e-bike but thought it would be the safest option in case I tired myself out later) and helped to adjust the seat as well when I had some trouble. The e-bike had different levels of support (eco, medium, and high)-I used eco mode for most of the time but used medium and high on my way back and it hardly used any of the battery life at all (there is a level usage on the screen). They provide you with a map which I used along with my phone to ensure I was on the right path but there are also many signs along the way, so I would say it would be hard to get lost. I would totally recommend this bike shop if you want a little adventure during your stay in Queenstown -something not as crazy as bungee jumping but will give you a thrill and some amazing views.

Heli Tours is probably one of the greatest ways to see Milford Sound, beautiful Queenstown, and…read moreglaciers so quickly! It is a bit pricey, but definitely worth the $$$$! We booked our tour through Happy Travels in downtown Queenstown for the fly+cruise+fly package! Our tour details: 9am - We called ahead to make sure the weather was good to fly and our trip was not going to get canceled. There was a Heli Tours van that picked us up from our hotel in Queenstown! 9:15am - We got to the Heli Tours office and waited for 2 more people to arrive. 9:30am - Our tour was suppose to start at 9:30am sharp, but the other folks never showed up. 9:45am - Only 4 of us, including the pilot (Ben)! It was so awesome!! There was a quick safety briefing. We got on the heli and we were all super excited to be in a heli for the very first time! Ben did some commentary, but it was honestly difficult to hear everything he was saying. Also the window had our reflections so it was a bit difficult to take pictures through the window clearly. We flew over many beautiful rivers and mountains. 10:25am - When we landed in Milford, Ben escorted us onto the bus that took us to where the boats were. We hopped onto a small boat for our 10:45am departure with about 20 other people and they had a sectioned off area for the Heli Tours group inside the boat!! There was free tea/coffee and chocolate cookies. I really enjoyed the cruise through Milford Sound and because we were on a smaller boat, we got to go up close to the waterfalls!! Got a free shower too! LOL! 11:45am - After the cruise, Ben escorted us back onto the bus heading back towards the helipads! 12:30pm - Landed on a glacier! Took a bunch of photos! It was quite the experience! The fluffiest powder of snow I've ever felt and stepped in! It was so fresh!!! Unbelievable! 1:00pm - Headed back and flew over towards Queenstown 1:30pm - Arrived back at the Heli Tours office by the airport 1:45pm - Got a van ride back to our hotels 2:00pm - Arrived at our hotel It was definitely one of the greatest experiences ever. If you can afford a helicopter ride to see Queenstown/Milford, it's by far the best way to see so much in a short amount of time! This tour was really great because we got escorted throughout our tour and we were well taken care of! Ben was a great pilot and he made everyone get a chance to sit up front! I only wished they somehow had a Milford/Doubtful Sound tour! That would be so worth it since I haven't seen any tour group have both in one day! TIPS: - If you do book this tour, I recommend booking it thru Happy Travels. - Wear sunscreen and apply frequently (I got sunburned) and bring sunglasses! Wear appropriate shoes for the wet boat ride and the snowy glacier. Layer because it gets hot inside the helicopter and then it's quite cold outside the boat and on the glacier!

"Sheepdog Standing in the rain"…read more(The Beatles) Q: What do you get when you mix an evening with working dog and sheep shearing demonstrations plus a gourmet dinner? A: The Walter Peak High Country Farm! The Farm is a historic, operational sheep and cattle station on the western shores of Lake Wakatipu in New Zealand, accessible only by water from Queenstown. We took the TSS Earnslaw steamship over. The only other way to get to the Farm is by a catamaran. At its peak, the station was one of New Zealand's most famous, with 170,000 acres, 40,000 sheep and up to 50 full-time employees. When our steamship docked, we were struck by the beautiful flowers and landscaping at the Farm. They present quite a few gorgeous photo ops, which we took advantage of. We had a feast of a BBQ buffet dinner- half a dozen roast meats, seafood, salads, and desserts of every description. After dinner we walked to their amphitheater and saw a sheep shearing demonstration and a sheep herding demonstration by Mia, an 11-year old Border Collie.

Walter Peak Farm is a unique New Zealand farm experience that is only accessible via the TSS…read moreEarnslaw cruise, so you must book the cruise to be able to partake on the different tours and activities the farm has to offer, but I do highly recommend it! You can choose from the guided farm tour with afternoon tea, garden tour, gourmet BBQ dinner, and other activities based on the season. We chose the guided farm tour with afternoon tea. After disembarking the ship, a guide will direct you where to go depending on what you booked. Our first stop was the afternoon tea, and wow, I suggest you don't fill up on the ship because there was a very nice variety of scones, sandwiches, baked items, coffee, tea, and etc. Definitely enough for a meal! Everything was good. Coffee was good! After the meal, you had some time to walk around until the tour starts. The tour was fantastic. Our guide was really informative and upbeat. We had opportunities to meet and feed many farm animals--cattle, sheep, alpacas, goats, and pigs. But not too sure about putting your entire hand into the cattle's mouth to feed it. Wish I was a kid, so I'd find it fun and interesting rather than weird and disgusting lol. The farm is maintained quite well. Even the animals seemed cleaner than what I've experienced. Next was the Sheep Show where you got to see farm dogs herd sheep, and a live demonstration of sheep sheering. Fresh wool anyone? Yes, you can take it with you if you want. The whole tour was roughly 3.5 hours, and you'll have time to visit the gift shop before the ship arrives. You'll hear the horn when it's time to board. Overall, this was an interesting experience, and definitely recommended and a fun addition your TSS Earnslaw cruise. The staff is really friendly and upbeat. Where else can you stick your hand into the mouth of a cattle, and take home super fresh off the sheep wool?

"You live you life like a canary in a coalmine You get so…read moredizzy even walking in a straight line" (The Police) Built in 1921, The TSS Earnslaw is the oldest commercial passenger-carrying steamship and the only remaining commercial coal-fired steamship in the Southern Hemisphere. It's a big ship! It measures 168 feet (51.2 meters) long and has a 24-foot (7.3-meters) beam. You nautical aficionados know that beam means "across" and can hold up to 389 passengers and 11 crew members. We jumped aboard at the Queenstown docks' Steamer Wharf and rode to the western shores of Lake Wakatipu to have dinner at the Walter Peak Farm. It's around a 90-minute ride, The ship's engine room has a viewing gallery where passengers can watch stokers shovel coal into the firebox throughout the trips. We learned the ship burns one ton of coal per hour. On the way home from dinner, a piano player led a sing-along on vintage tunes from the 1920's. It was a fun and relaxing ride. The ship had a Promenade Café and Bar and watching the workers shoveling that coal into the firebox was very awesome. I bet half of the passengers took videos of that. I know I did. TSS Earnslaw Trivia The ship was named after Mount Earnslaw, a 9, 478 foot (2,889-meter) tall peak at the head of Lake Wakatipu.

Great Experience! Cruise ride, buffet, show and farm animals!…read more We did they evening bbq dinner (not Texas bbq, don't expect bbq sauce, they mean grilled meats) Cruise: the was relaxing, they had a bar areas with snacks, drinks and food options to buy Dinner: There are a wide variety of food (salads, bread cheese, appetizers, meats and desserts) you'll find something you'll like. It was a buffet style, the meats were lamb, chicken and venison Show: they sheer a sheep in front you and give you background knowledge Animals: once the show is done you can head to the gift shop or see the animals Overall great evening dinner experience HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

The staff was extremely helpful and planned our entire trip! We went there as soon as we arrived,…read moresuitcases and all. They even went out of their way to book additional day trips that they didn't own (we highly suggest the Boutique Wine Tour, Vikki was an amazing guide!). We also did a lake cruise with the farm tour (go at 9AM before the crowds!) and a jet boat ride. We opted for their locally owned jet boat as it is a lot more scenic and were not disappointed. Overall, very satisfied with the value and service received.

Did the Milford Sound cruise with charter from Queenstown. It was unbelievable!!! 11/10!! Yoda was…read morethe driver and very good at it. Ellie was the tour guide and provided the best commentary along the drive to the cruise. You get the chance to stop at the most iconic, picturesque stops along the way. They also give you upgrade options for the commute back, like small plane or helicopter. I decided last minute to try the helicopter return tour and Ellie scrambled to make it happen as you need at least four others to join. Turned out that another bus had some interested passengers and I was pleasantly surprised when I returned from the cruise that she had it lined up!!! Wow, epic trip especially for those wanting to experience the country side outside of Queenstown. HIGHLY recommend!!!

We had a wonderful day with Sam Kuprus doing an out and back hike on the Routeburn Track. He was…read moredelightful and very knowledgeable! We are American and he taught us so much about the unique flora and fauna of NZ, discussed conservation and anti predation efforts. He also answered many questions we had about this beautiful and welcoming country. What an amazing and gorgeous forest walk, with epic waterfalls at the top, the azure waters of the Routeburn accompanying us most of the way!

Paula and Phil planned out a fantastic day of wine touring during our visit to Queenstown. We had…read morenever been to New Zealand prior to our trip and they did a wonderful job of recommending places to visit and eat and we took their advice on several stops. They were wonderful hosts and we enjoyed our day with them!! Thanks again from the guys from Austin, Texas!!

We used Go orange for our tour to the Milford sounds. Our tour guide was Grant and he was a…read moresweetheart. He was informative and very knowledgable on New Zealand history. The long 5 hour bus ride was broken up into several stops either for bathroom breaks, shopping and the best sightseeing and photo opportunities of New Zealands beautiful landscape. Even in the rain on some stops the scenery was gorgeous and worth getting a little wet. I would recommend this tour for your travel needs in Queenstown. Trust me you will have hundreds to choose from with 4 to 5 tour companies on every street, lol.

6:30 am. Too early for a meal, maybe you've had enough time to sneek in a hot tea or coffee. It's…read morefreezing cold out and you have layered as much as you can to try and stay warm enough to keep your fingers and toes from becoming frozen. It's dark, you struggle to find your way to the meeting point for pickup, scared that if you aren't there in time, your tour bus will leave you and you'd have lost your money invested in today. You wait in the cold, checking the time, looking out for others who look just as tired and lost as you do. Some people show up. Suddenly a massive tour bus rolls up to your bus stop. Out pops a average height gentleman, he seems as though he's already full of energy, maybe he's already had his coffee. He is wearing a cowboy hat. We've just met, Jason, the Cowboy who will take us from Queenstown and into Fjordland National Park to Milford Sound. After taking a seat on the bus, grabbing a warm orange blanket from the above compartment, we make a few more stops along our way to pickup others. Jason, or the Cowboy has welcomed us and explains that we are now his family, he's going to look after us and take care of us, just as you do with family. I never felt so welcomed. Riding alongside the massive lake, he noted things to look out for, explained the little towns we went by, gave suggestions and was filled with local knowledge and stories. For what would be a boring 3 plus hour journey, he can take all of the credit for making this day a entertaining one.

We had a nice leisurely & not overly crowded cruise around the lake. Beautiful scenery,…read moreKnowledgable & funny skipper. There is snacks + drink on board. Plenty of opportunities for photo ops & history of the city. We really enjoyed this tour!

My niece and her husband flew from Wellington to join us on Million Dollar Cruise, which sails Lake…read moreWakatipu. They had paid for it but surprised us when they told us what they had planned! I hadn't seen my niece since 1996! We had excellent weather, considering it was late October. Prior to boarding we saw the captain feeding Brown and Rainbow trouts and it was interesting in how the fish quickly surfaced to feed. We saw the Remarkables towering above, tranquil Willow Island, Million Dollar lakeside homes and golf course, and the Kawarau Falls Dam. All in all, it was a great cruise and we enjoyed it - not crowded and beautiful scenery and lots of great photo ops. Nice 90-minute tour.