"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

This is a thrilling attraction I would definitely recommend if you are visiting Queenstown, New…read moreZealand. It is a fun way to get to enjoy the beauty of Shotover Canyon. This is literally an iconic NZ experience. The drivers are very experienced. They get really close to the canyon walls at high speeds and drift away last second. I sat in the front row on the edge and my adrenaline was sky rocketing, just being so close to the rocks. It rained extensively few days before, which flooded the Shotover Jet base and closed the attraction. Luckily, the water level receded, but was still higher than average. Apparently, the boats can operate over water as shallow as 10 cm. They provide a locker where you can place your belongings. They also give you a rain jacket and life vest to wear. You will get wet, especially when the drivers do 360-degree spins, but its super fun. As a precaution, if you do have pre-existing back or neck pain, just be careful. The ride gets pretty bumpy depending on the water level and I felt like mini "jolts" through my back and neck at some points.

We purchased the package with shuttle to & from boat site. After making our purchase in the shop we…read morewent to the return shuttle location & told we missed our shuttle. We were in the shop less than 15 minutes. We were told the next shuttle was full and that was it for the day so we needed to find our own transportation back to town. All staff we talked with was very rude and unhelpful. A sad end to my daughter's 21st birthday trip.

10/10 would do it again! Booked the experience at the dock which they have a map showing you the…read moreexact route with some key landmarks you'll get to see. They run trips every hour, on the hour so you'll very likely to get on at the top of the hour or that day, for sure. The guide (Charles), was fun and had a great sense of humor! You'll get spun around at high speeds so be prepared. They stop about 3-4 times for you to stand up and take pics, learn fun facts or for the path to clear since some of the route is tight. You can take pics but be aware that it is water that is underneath the boat lol! They offer a video and picture service as well where you can order memories of your experience. Overall I'd give this 10 stars if I could!

My husband and I had our Fijorland trip cancelled due to weird weather and we didn't have a backup…read moreplan. We decided to give this a try. It was fun and a nice way to learn some things about the area (like the houses that get more sunlight in the winter cost over 1 million dollars due to more time to air dry their clothes), as well as get a little closer to the Remarkables. They will notify you when they are about to pull a hard 360 turn, so you can hang on (the metal hand rails are heated- mmm). I can see young (not too young) kids and even grandparents enjoying this. If you aren't someone who like too big of adrenaline rushes- try this one out.

The. Very. Best…read more Highly recommend JUCY Cruise at Milford Sound. A new vessel. Great driver who took us in from Te Anau. Friendly staff on board. And the view. All in all a great once in a lifetime experience. The drive to and back had a lot of stops with value added spots to see, capture and remember for life. Do. Not. Miss. This.

We chose Jucy because we figured we'd take advantage of the half-priced driver promo…read more The cruise wasn't busy at all. We had originally booked the 9:45am departure but decided it was just too early. I actually emailed them and it was changed to 11:45am by their customer service rep (thanks again!). We paid the difference in price upon arrival at the ferry terminal. Since the rain was ongoing, we actually preferred a shorter trip. Some of the other companies offer a longer cruise at a slightly higher price. We were happy with what we got. The weather... It was rough. The views though, gorgeous. The waterfalls were probably at their maximum due to the rainfall. I stayed outside for most of the time on the second level where there was coverage. This was not a five star only because I think if they actually reached capacity (200 people) it really would not have been enjoyable. Under our conditions and circumstances, it was a solid 4 star experience. The captain was very friendly and I was able to chat with him for a bit. That was cool.

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.

This was one of the most fun things I've done. The premise is that you're in this boat with a big…read moreengine. The driver speeds along the river and does spins at full speed. Everyone gets wet and a good time is had by all.

We did the Dart River Wilderness Jet trip this morning and had an excellent experience! This is…read morewell worth the money! We did the 9:00am tour and enjoyed the 3 hour trip, which included a 4WD bus ride, pleasant nature walk, and most importantly, a jet boat journey up the Dart River with amazing views! The mountains, waterfalls, trees, and waters all made for incredible sights along our boat ride. Our boat driver, Ethan, shared useful information about the area and took us on a fun and memorable tour. And the boat is unique in that it can operate in 4 inch water depth - very cool! This is a fantastic trip that came recommended to us by a local - we are so glad we did it! Skip anything on the lake right near Queenstown and do this instead for a more unique experience and spectacular views.

Super fun first rafting trip for me!…read more I'll admit I was very anxious at first. I get very motion sick and I have a terror of the open water because of how sea sick I can get. BUT... my husband kept telling me that if his 60+ year old grandma could do it way back when... what am I supposed to be afraid of? This operation is very safe. They get you into a two piece wet suit, water shoes, a helmet and a lifevest on. Really, you're SUPER safe. Once you're in your gear, they take you on a drive through the canyon (about 45 minutes) and then set you up for a 1.5-2 hour rafting experience through Shotover Canyon! Our guide, Adam, was great. We didn't flip (thankfully, since I was terrified) and I had an overall great time. I did slightly roll on my ankle but that's more on my form than anything else. After 2 days, I'm on a quick road to recovery. Thanks for the first experience! I'll be doing this more in the future!

What is it with rafting guides? There must be a checkbox during their job interview that asks Rate…read moreyourself on an asshole scale of 1-10. They all seem so bitter to be taking care of tourists....But when you give it back, they get really butthurt.....I guess that happens when you live off Ramen and gut rot beer. Anyway, we were lucky enough to Grace as our boat guide and she was awesome! She asked loads of questions and seemed wholly interested in our boat of 6 but she was also no nonsense and stern when it came to our safety. She practiced with us over and over how to navigate the boat however I think we were all aware that she was doing the majority of the work. The whole set up was fine....board a bus from Queenstown. Get to a shop where you get your wetsuit, helmet, booties, and vest. This is the area where you just shake your head listening to many of these asshats berate their clients in their effort to be witty. Changing rooms with one locker for your valuables. Then another bus ride to the start of the river where you get an extensive safety talk...much appreciated. Hop in and you're off for 2 hours. Afterwards, there is a hot shower room before bussing it back to the city. Again...Grace the guide....made it great!

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!!!

This helicopter tour was truly a memorable experience and absolutely worth it. Even though it's a…read morelittle on the expensive side, the moment we lifted off, I knew it was going to be something special. The operator picked us up right on time, gave us a quick and clear safety briefing, and within minutes we were in the air. The pilot was fantastic -- friendly, skilled, and even took photos for us during the flight. The views from above Queenstown were breathtaking, with mountains, lakes, and landscapes that looked unreal from the sky. Landing on the snow was the highlight. We spent a few minutes taking photos, enjoying the crisp air, and soaking in the panoramic views from the top. It felt peaceful, surreal, and unforgettable. Overall, this tour delivered exactly what we hoped for: a once in a lifetime experience. Despite the price, it's absolutely worth it for the memories alone. We would definitely recommend this helicopter tour to anyone visiting Queenstown.

WOW! Fantastic helicopter ride to land on a glacier! Pilot was informative, friendly, and very…read morenice. The helicopter takes 6 people and we had a turn sitting in the front on the way back. The views even from the back, were spectacular. I would thoroughly recommend this company. They do pickups from hotels, or there are a few parking spaces right outside their building. It was a wonderful experience, lasted about an hour, and I'm so glad we did it!

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!