Beautiful lake. Beautiful blue, clear water…read more While we did not do a boat tour around the lake, we did walk around and really enjoyed the serenity of this lake. Beautiful mountains sit flush to the mountain and you really feel like you're living in a postcard.

Lake Wakatipu (try saying that 5 times fast) is a beautiful lake where Queenstown and other…read moresettlements sit. It's a glacial lake and the water is in pristine condition. New Zealand is the only place that I have ever seen water so clear you can see straight to the bottom. I highly recommend a visit to see it for yourself!

The weather was unfortunately not in our favor but Ray made the tour so fun that we enjoyed every…read moreminute of it ! On our way to Milford Sound, we stopped at various places with unbelievable beautiful scenary/ backdrop of the Fiordland National Park. Despite of the gloomy day (as the storm was coming), my camera was in for a treat. What I love most about this tour is: - Small group (no more than 15!) that it almost felt like a private tour - Ray partnered with a small business owner who made delicious scones and lunches and that is a personal touch for me :) - Lovely stop-over for morning tea - Ray explained a lot about the town Te Anau, history of Fiordland/ Milford Sound - Ray never really rushed us , though some of us took a bit longer as we were busy clicking our cameras away I would highly recommend anyone to join Ray on his Milford Sound tour :)

From the owner: Exceptional Milford Sound Tours & Guided Hikes from Te Anau…read more Discover the best of Fiordland National Park with Fiordland Tours. We offer daily, award-winning sightseeing tours to Milford Sound, along with guided walks on the famous Routeburn, Kepler, and Lake Marian tracks. For something extra special, try one of our adventure combos, including jetboat & hike or heli-hike experiences. With small groups of no more than 16, you’ll enjoy a personalised experience led by expert local guides. Our tours are designed at a relaxed pace so you can fully immerse yourself in Fiordland’s natural beauty.

After sailing for two days from Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, we first arrived in New Zealand to…read moreenjoy its UNESCO World Heritage Park, Fiordland National Park, located on the southwest coast of the South Island. Milford Sound/Piopiotahi was our first New Zealand destination, after which we cruised by the other Fiordland parks, the Doubtful Sound/Patea and Dusky Sound/Tamatea, for another full day before reaching the lovely and historic town of Dunedin. Because our arrival at the Fiordlands Constituency's Milford Sound was scheduled for early morning before sunrise, the captain of our cruise ship scheduled a 7:00 am passenger call to enjoy the approach from the bow of the ship. When we got to the bow, only four other couples were standing outside in the very brisk, cold sea air under the still-dark skies, where we also managed to stargaze until I felt like my eyelids were frozen to my eyes. Several other fellow passengers came out with cups of hot coffee, but huddled together with blankets from their cabins because they hadn't brought cold-weather gear other than light sweaters. We stood at the bow for over twenty minutes, enjoyed the sunrise, and watched a small boat come out from Milford Sound to guide our ship in. We returned to our cabin, then seated ourselves for breakfast onboard while our cruise ship made its way into Milford Sound, soaking in the gorgeous scenery. Along the way in and out, our ship's guest lecturer provided us with facts about the formation, Maori and Scottish discovery, and the inhabitation of Milford Sound. The highlights of the scenery were Mitre Peak, Stirling Falls, Lady Bowen Falls, and the remote village of Milford Sound at the head of Milford Sound. Milford Sound, the village, is noted for its hydroelectric power plant, which the Bowen River and Lady Bowen Falls feed. After finishing breakfast, we rushed out to our cabin's veranda to see if we could spot dolphins, penguins, or New Zealand fur seals, but unfortunately, no one saw any. Still, we managed to view and enjoy the awesome scenery, landmark waterfalls, and low-hanging, almost ethereal clouds over the Milford Sound during our cruise ship's entrance and exit. We were told that we had come into Milford Sound on a "sunnier" day, so we missed seeing hundreds of waterfalls along the sheer cliffs that appear after the frequent rainstorms. We'd love to return and sign up for a guided 5-day/4-night, 33-mile hiking tour of the Milford Track during the Southern Hemisphere's Summer or Fall season. But that'll be in a couple of years from now, after I get my other knee replaced.

Coming here was a bucket list experience for me and seeing IS believing!! The fjords are beyond…read moregorgeous in person IF you are lucky and have good weather when you visit. I would suggest staying in the Queenstown or Te Anau region for 2 consecutive days if you are able to just to maximize your chances for having a day of beautiful weather. Getting here + trip planning suggestions: Whew, okay so you will likely start initially in Queenstown and then take a tour bus or do what we did and use your rental car to drive down. What we did which is what I recommend bc you will simply be physically and mentally exhausted trying to go to see the Fjords from Queenstown and come back in one day is this: - Drive down from Queenstown with snacks + breakfast packed away in the afternoon and arrive to Te Anau at a hotel overnight. - the next morning, EARLY around ~5:30 am, wake up and drive to the Fjords to arrive ~7-7:30 am - take either the cruise to explore (I did not do this) OR what I recommend is: Go to Roscoe's Kayaks and make a tandem kayak reservation in advance to go on the open water and kayak at the fjords. You will feel close to the water as opposed to being up on a boat, bring sunscreen and possibly sandfly repellent, warm clothes and layer up!! But it is a magical experience I cannot recommend enough. The Fjords themselves are gorgeous and deserve the ability to be experienced up close.

5 STAR BACKPACKER PLACE…read more Located directly at the Lake it is a beautiful spot to be. Clean rooms big kitchen and a nice garden with a BBQ. Walking distance to the centre and Coach stop is about 10 min. cheap Supermarket 15 min. Very nice and helpful staff and a good place to stay. My room (4 bad dorm ensuite) was really big and hab also a small kitchen. I think this was a former motel which was turned into a hotel.

Great hostel, very clean, and everyone who works there is beyond friendly. Fair warning though, the…read morerooms do get a bit chilly and the wifi only really works in the main common room, but I'd absolutely stay here again!

Both the Milford Track (hike) and Milford Sound trips were absolutely great. A must do. Everything…read morewent well and as planned. Guides "Rew" and Katie were energetic, fun, and informative. Highly recommended.

We just returned from the Coach, Cruise, and Hike trip. It was great. Our guide, Douglas, was…read moreknowledgeable and friendly, and narrated just the right amount. He gave us great tips for the cruise to get excellent photos and avoid the rain. He also was great as a hiking guide. I'd book again!

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.

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.

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