Things to do in Queenstown & Wanaka
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Underwater Observatory
Underwater Observatory has six giant windows showcasing life under the lake. Brown trout abound, and based on their generous size, look to be impossibly well fed. Keep a keen eye out for freshwater eels and the favourite of the kiddies – the scaup (diving ducks), which dive down and swim right past the windows.
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Bella Cucina
A top-shelf Italian eatery has been long overdue in Queenstown – as of 2008 that role has been taken by this beautiful kitchen. Fresh pasta and risotto are highlights while the pizza is good for sharing. Beautiful, simple food done just right.
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Outside Sports
Outside Sports offers a wide range of outdoor gear – for sale or rent, tramping, skiing, climbing, camping and just about anything else you might need to get into the outdoors.
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Cinema Paradiso
Playing first-run and classic movies, Cinema Paradiso has got to be the coolest movie theatre around. Forget boring, stiff cinema seats, this theatre is filled with vintage couches to snuggle up on. Extra cushions are available to stretch out on the floor and there’s even an old Morris Minor to sit in for the true drive-in movie experience. At intermission they throw open the doors and the smell of freshly baked cookies wafts through the theatre and you just can’t help yourself. There is a great cafe that can prepare a meal to be ready at the break. Then sit back and watch the second half of the film with a plate of fantastic grub. Now that’s dinner and a movie! Try the h…
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Dart River Safaris
Dart River Safaris journeys by jetboat into the heart of the spectacular Dart River wilderness, followed by a short nature walk and a 4WD trip down a back road to Paradise. The round trip from Glenorchy takes three hours. A longer 2½-hour jetboat ride up the Dart (adult/child $229/129) ups the excitement level, and you can combine a jetboat ride with a river descent in an inflatable three-seater ‘funyak’ (adult/child $279/179); from Glenorchy it’s seven hours return. For all trips add a couple of hours if you’re departing from Queenstown.
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Milford Sound Full-Day Tour from Queenstown
12 hours 30 minutes (Departs Queenstown, New Zealand)
by Viator
Discover Milford Sound on a full-day trip from Queenstown. You'll travel through beautiful Fiordland in a luxury coach with panoramic windows and take an unforg…Not LP reviewed
from USD$176.70 -
Queenstown Triple Challenge (Jet Boat Ride, Helicopter and White Water Rafting)
4 hours 30 minutes (Departs Queenstown, New Zealand)
by Viator
Calling all adrenaline junkies! Are you up for the Shotover triple challenge? Experience Queenstown at its very best as you brace yourself for a jet boat ride o…Not LP reviewed
from USD$291.22 -
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Botswana Butchery
It’s a humble name for Wanaka’s classiest eatery. In a dining room trimmed with dark wood and leather, Asian-inspired dishes like seven-spiced big eye tuna go head to head with Botswana Butchery’s signature aged beef steaks. Definitely food for grown-ups, as is the serious Central Otago–skewed wine list. Just come with a few imbibing partners, as surprisingly few wines are available by the glass. Downstairs in Post Office Lane there’s a growing range of bars to explore after dinner. Let us know what you discover.
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Wai Waterfront Restaurant & Wine Bar
Small and intimate, Wai (meaning ‘water’ in Maori) is white-linen classy with lake and mountain views. It’s known for lamb and seafood, and the Oyster Bar does the world’s favourite bivalve in 17 different ways. The seven-course degustation menu ($115 without wine and $175 with wine) is a splurge-worthy opportunity for a great culinary adventure. Think about it seriously. It’s actually less than you’ll spend on another round of outdoor adventure activities, and will last a lot longer.
reviewed
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Botswana Butchery
This stylish and new face on the local culinary scene is a breath of fresh air. Opulent and aesthetic interior design makes way for a wine list that rivals anywhere in town. The meals are a divine combination of seasonal vegetables augmenting prime cuts of beef, lamb, poultry and seafood. There is an emphasis upon taste in all avenues – whether that is the design of the interior, the creative plating or the elegant flavours that permeate the memorable meals.
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Skyline Gondola
Hop on the Skyline Gondola for fantastic views of Queenstown, the lake and the mountains. At the top are a cafe, a restaurant with regular Maori cultural shows, and souvenir shops. Walking trails include the loop track (30 minutes return) or you can try the Luge. The energetic can forgo the gondola and hike to the top – take the upper, left-hand gravel track from the trailhead on Lomond Cres for an hour’s uphill hike.
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Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise from Queenstown
12 hours (Departs Queenstown, New Zealand)
by Viator
Be struck by the beautiful silence of Doubtful Sound as you cruise the crystal waters and take in the breathtaking scenery. Journey across Lake Manapouri, cross…
Not LP reviewed
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Full-Day Milford Sound and Fiordland National Park Tour including Milford Sound Cruise and BBQ Lunch from Queenstown
12 hours (Departs Queenstown, New Zealand)
by Viator
Milford Sound is arguably the most scenic destination in New Zealand, a must-see for any traveler. This is a small group tour for travelers seeking a personaliz…
Not LP reviewed
from USD$124.22 -
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Kiwi Birdlife Park
The Kiwi Birdlife Park is your best bet to spy a kiwi. There are also 10,000 native plants and scores of birds, including the rare black stilt, kea, morepork and parakeets. Stroll around the sanctuary, watch the conservation show and tiptoe quietly into the darkened kiwi houses. The conservation shows also incorporate a cultural show by the Te Maori performers. Kids under 15 get in free with a paying adult.
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Vesta
Sometimes it’s a good thing when you can’t work out exactly what something is. In the case of Vesta, just examine the evidence: a gloriously overgrown 1920s-style garden, a gallery and gift shop specialising in NZ design, and a compact wee cafe serving coffee and cake just made for mid-afternoon recharging. To confuse things, Vesta is housed in Williams Cottage, Queenstown’s oldest home, and now an interesting museum.
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Milford Sound Mariner Overnight Cruise from Queenstown
by Viator
An overnight cruise amidst spectacular Milford Sound, is a once in a lifetime experience. While on board the Milford Mariner you will cruise the full length of …
Not LP reviewed
from USD$290.46 -
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Cow
Tucked into a hidden corner of Cow Lane, this is a classic QT eatery. Housed in a former cow shed (hence the name of the restaurant and the street), the Cow hasn’t changed its menu since 1976 – and is damn proud of it. Amazing pizzas, simple pasta and stellar garlic bread will leave you satisfied. The atmosphere is cramped with low-slung ceilings, a roaring fire, thick wooden tables and rustic candlelight.
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White House Café & Bar
It looks like a Greek townhouse miraculously airlifted from Santorini, and inside this long-running local favourite you can linger over plates of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine with lots of vegetarian options. Polished wooden floors and Turkish rugs do nothing to break the delicious spell. In summer, relax under endless Central Otago blue skies seemingly also imported straight from the Med.
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Chinese Settlement
Arrowtown has NZ’s best example of a gold-era Chinese settlement. Interpretive signs explain the lives of Chinese ‘diggers’ during and after the gold rush, while restored huts and shops make the story more tangible. Subjected to significant racism, the Chinese often had little choice but to rework old tailings rather than seek new claims. The Chinese settlement is off Buckingham St.
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Milford Sound Full-Day Tour from Queenstown including Helicopter Flight
10 hours (Departs Queenstown, New Zealand)
by Viator
Discover Milford Sound by land, sea and air on this ultimate full-day tour from Queenstown. First, you'll travel through magnificent alpine landscapes on a jou…Not LP reviewed
from USD$718.94 -
Glenorchy Café
With a reputation extending beyond little old GY, the Glenorchy Café is an institution oozing cool and natural style. The portions are as big as the surrounding peaks, and the coffee has powered many a mountain mission. Perennial favourites like pizza and breakfast stacks keep locals coming back time after time. Sit among the shadow of the peaks in the back garden – you’ll struggle to leave.
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Café Gusto
The most common answer to the question ‘Who’s got the best coffee in town?’, Gusto provides robust meals like breakfast burrito with jalapeno peppers, or smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. Both will set you up for the most active of days, and after you’ve kayaked/mountain biked/rafted/hiked, come back in the afternoon and recount the experience over excellent cakes and Wanaka’s best coffee.
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New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum
The poignant and interesting New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum is dedicated to NZ combat pilots, the aircraft they flew and the sacrifices they made. There is a well-preserved collection of Hawker Hurricanes, de Havilland Vampires and vintage Soviet fighter planes, and at the time of research plans were under way for a major expansion of the collection and facilities.
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Shotover Canyon Swing
Shotover Canyon Swing is not your average backyard swing. If you can’t force yourself to jump, they can release you in a variety of creative ways – backwards, in a chair, upside down; if you can dream it, you can swing it. From there it’s a 60m free fall and a wild swing across the canyon at 150km/h. Not for the faint-hearted – it’s one of the best buzzes in town.
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