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.

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.

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.

Stu was a great host! He showed us the lake, educated us and we caught our limit of fish! This was…read morea great day, I would highly recommend a day with Stu!

From the owner: Stu Dever has operated guided fishing trips on Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown for over 20 years. Stu…read morecan show you the best spots to catch the local fish, using years of specialist knowledge. Stu is a Salmon fishing specialist and is the longest serving fishing guide on Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown. You can be sure of one of the best fishing experiences in Queenstown on our modern 34 foot launch and our fishing trips operate year round. On Lake Wakatipu we fish for Chinook Salmon, Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout and we provide you with all the equipment provided and prices include fishing licenses. We can cater for individuals, groups and children and prices start from $120 per adult for 2 hours. Give us a call today to ensure the best fishing experience Queenstown has to offer. Our boat departs from the Water Taxi Jetty on Beach Street in the centre of Queenstown, alongside Earnslaw Park within walking distance of all the central accommodation. We provide free shuttles from all the main accommodation within Queenstown. Call us on +64 (0)27 433 3052 or visit us at www.fishing-queenstown.co.nz to make an enquiry. Note : Our boat departs from the Water Taxi Jetty beside Beach Street in the centre of town at the piers, not at the registered business address.

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.

We stopped in this small town on our tour to Milford Sounds. I immediately ran to this lake to…read morecheck out its beauty. They appear to offer daily boat and helicopter rides around the lake and immediate areas. Around the area of the lake are a few hotels, restaurants and plenty of tour shops to accommodate your travel needs. There were a few benches for you to sit and enjoy the beauty of this lake. This is definitely a place I wish I had more time to enjoy and would return.

The town of Te Anau is a great place to stay and enjoy this BEAUTIFUL Lake with all its activities…read more Lake Te Anau is the largest of the southern glacial lakes. Most of the the Lake is within the boundaries of the Fiordland National Park and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. This is a pristine wilderness area that should not be missed. It is also a great place to stay if you are planning to visit Milford or Doubtful Sounds or do walk/hikes in the Fiordland National Park. There are plenty of restaurants, stores and a great other activities from this location. I would also recommend checking out the Fiordland Cinema and Bar - worth seeing "Ata Whenua - Shadowlands" which is a short film of the Fiordland Wilderness - definitely worth seeing.

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!