There is only so much beer and meat pies one can devour…read more.. So check out this charming Gardens. Really pretty area to just hang. Cool unique indigenous plants, trees, etc... They even have a redwood type of tree....thought that was only in Calif.

Queenstown Gardens is a must visit. You probably can't miss it if you're staying in a hotel along…read moreFrankton Road. There's also a very well kept walking/bike trail along Lake Wakatipu if you walk down from the main road, which does take you all the way to the gardens. You might feel like you're just by yourself, but no worries! You'll find a decent amount of people exercising--even in the rain. The botanic gardens is free to go in. Everything is well maintained, and very family friendly and wheelchair accessible. Pathways are wide. There are many beautiful, tall tress, and flowers. Love the fact you can enjoy the greenery while also enjoying the lake. Overall, it's definitely a must visit. You can easily walk through here to get to the Queenstown Mall, and other activities in that area.

The trail is beautiful and left me an unforgettable experience. I got the trail information from…read morethe tourist office at downtown, I was told the trail was pretty flat and no hiking shoes and trekking poles needed. So we went. It was a steep uphill approaching the trailhead. The trail is very wonderful and well maintained, I left my contribution at Fairy Meeting Place:), the overlook from the top was unbelievable, at brief moment a beam of sunlight shooting through clouds shines on Queenstown, it's like a dream. Later it started raining when we reached the top, and unfortunately my wife broke her ankle just 100 ft before back to trailhead. Queenstown's firefighters were super nice, they were right behind us, and helped us all the way to the hospital. The lesson: put on your hiking shoes or boots and bring your trekking poles if you can, be careful on rainy days. The rain makes the sand and gravel trail more slippery.

I think the most beautiful view of my life was on top of this hill…read more The vista is spectacular. There was even a FLIPPING RAINBOW in the distance. You might have to blink a couple times as you decide if you're already in heaven yet. It's a fantastic hike. It took us about two hours to get to the top. There was a basket-looking chair at the top that about four friends can load in and enjoy the view. Such a fun perk. It's a steep hike, so bring water. It's definitely doable for anyone though - the trail is very clear and obvious.

Must visit for us…read more Traveled North and South Island and never spotted a Kiwi Could not pass this up Remember that our ticket was part of a package w Tram and restaurant Also Remember that Fee includes conservation Solid 4 stars

We loved the kiwi encounter experience. The speaker seemed truly knowledgeable about the kiwis that…read morelive there and was able to provide visitors with interesting insights that go beyond things you can just google. We asked about their conservation and breeding programs and how they are actually involved in the entire process of helping these kiwis. We were able to ask questions and follow up questions since our kids are very curious and knowledgeable about animals. The guy at the front for conservation talk really sucked though. He gave a talk about various native animals that sounded very amateurish and ad hoc. We don't have a problem that he's not good at speaking but it felt like a waste of time gathering people on a stage and sucked like that while we sat in the wet and cold wintery wind of NZ weather. We were not impressed, what saved the show was they brought out some animals that we were able to see up close. There were also kids playing sport to our right and constructions going on in our left. The set up was very noisy. They could totally improve the set up. Didn't feel all that naturey. We also enjoyed seeing some native birds on the premise. The gift shop was nice and reasonably priced.

An absolutely perfect place to relax. Whether you are just passing by and need a moment, want a…read morebreak, sit down after a meal, just need a rest, etc....it's a perfect spot. The water puts you at ease and relaxes you. No one is playing sports, yelling, running around, whatever...everyone just has respect for each other. It is a wonderful atmosphere to just "be". Once upon a time the White Star Hotel stood here, but it burnt down in the early 70's. It became a carpark, then slowly it became a popular public space through transformation with Horne Creek in 1994 when a company was tasked to rebuild the area. But it wasn't until 2006 that the area was fully complete and is what you see today. It has historical panels, seating, lighting, the stream, trees, flowers...and don't forget the ducks!!! A far cry from just a carpark. Well done!

I needed a place to camp for the night and did not have a res, but the gal in the office was very…read morenice and hooked me up w/a nice tent site for $20NZ. The site was fine and though it was close to road, the noise was not bad in the night, in the morning however, you could hear the traffic. The bathrooms were clean and there was a hairdryer. They also had a TV lounge and wifi was available there. You could get up to 200MB per 24hrs free and pay for any additional. It was a nice, cheap stay for a night and with Lake Wanaka right across the street, a good location for the price!

Not the best! This…read moremay have a lake view but only for a few sites and then only way across a rugby field, road and through the trees into the distance! We were not aware of the work being done until we arrived, one toilet block for at least 30-40 peopled on top of that they changed the female block into unisex! REALLY! Small play area for size of site. Not very close to town. Internet a waste of time! No discount offered for all the work going on!