Lakes, Mountains, Rivers
by naturalmystic82
Queenstown is good for almost every type of holiday, Very nice skiing, very famous hiking areas, adventure sports, wineries and good fishing - the town though is small and more expensive than other parts of New Zealand so you may want to bring some of your own food. - Don't worry about drinks though the local beers Speights, CD and Mac's are very good.. Probably the mountains - both Australia and Denmark aren't renowned for their mountains, so to be surrounded by snowy peaks was very different, but the mountain atmosphere has such an energy and active feel to it that it is really special.
KIWI'S
by balhannah
Lake Wakatipu, and for a lovely walk we went. located right beside the water's edge when walking around the lakeside, we came across the giant Kiwi statue, ....the Kiwi is New Zealand's national bird.
You may find a few other Kiwi statues on your journey around New Zealand!
Good photo opportunity!
Hard Work
by grets
It is all really quite hard work. We hit the rocks alongside the river a few times. When we go through the rapids, the raft bends and buckles, gets filled with water and the "jump" out the other end. There are a few tricky sections where there are people standing on the bank (read: rocks) with safety ropes ready to throw at anybody who has fallen overboard. We are the only raft who doesn't lose any of its crew over the side of the raft. Good team!
Skippers Canyon
by Robmj
This rugged canyon is off the road upto the Coronet Skifield.
An old mining area, the Skippers Road is certainly an adventure along a narrow gorge road, but its not as bad as the rental car company warning signs indicate at the saddle. However, there are certainly parts where you or the oncoming driver will be backing up, as there's only room for one in places. You probably need a head for heights!. Other bits are steep and extreme caution is needed in wet or icy conditions. You will need a 4WD in winter / early spring.
Despite being rugged and "remote', tourism finds its way in here with mini vans plying punters into the huge bungy bridge jump or into the Canyon for white water rafting.
The road takes around 1.5 hours to drive from Queenstown into Skippers. There is a camping area as its a magic place to visit. Mountain biking is also permitted in this area.
You can however escape this and set off on some walks, either the Skippers - Pleasant Terrace walk 1-2 hours) or the more demanding Skippers - Bullendale track.
Skippers Canyon
by robertgaz
Nomad Safaris have a number of 4WD adventures including the Skippers Canyon tour which departs from Queenstown.
The tour heads out towards Coronet Peak and as you drive up the mountainside towards the entrance you will stop at The Plane Table, which gives a stunning view of the Wakatipu Basin.
After entering Skippers Canyon along a narrow 4WD track with a sheer drop down the mountain, you will travel to Lighthouse Rock and also to the historic Skippers Bridge.
From there the road continues into the historical township of Skippers which has long since been abandoned but many original buildings still remain.
Morning tea is served at the Skippers Schoolhouse and on the return journey you will stop at Deep Creek where you can try your hand to a spot of gold panning.
If you look closely at Picture 3 you may also recognise this spot along the Skippers Road as the Ford of Bruinen as featured in The Lord of The Rings.
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Lakeside Hotel @ Queenstown
Local pink bubbly
The menu
Dart River near Glenorchy
