Kelly Bertrand’s been lucky enough to visit Queenstown a fair few times, and after her most recent girls’ trip away, she decided to pop together her definitive, comprehensive list of her tried and true, tested places to stay, eat, drink and enjoy. If you’re looking for what to do in Queenstown, this is it!
Queenstown is one of my favourite places on earth – if you’ve been, you know what I mean. There’s something about the place that makes you feel special as soon as you land beside those remarkable, well Remarkables, and it’s like you’re somehow in another country amongst excited tourists, backpackers and travellers.
Look, you know the story – epic views, great food and drink, awesome activities. Queenstown is consistently on top of booking.com’s list of domestic destinations for Kiwis and it doesn’t take genius to figure out why. But as someone who has been wildly lucky in life to have been to QT more than 20 times for various reasons – with partners, on work trips, on girls’ getaways and even one or twice, on a solo break.
Does it make me an expert? I mean, probably not BUT surely on the balance of numbers, you can totally learn from my mistakes and live through the triumphs to form your own must-do list – and juuust to check myself on my thoughts, I popped down once again at the end of last year with one of my besties to really test out a few new places, as well as confirm some of my old favourites are still vibing. So, here’s my ultimate list of what to do in Queenstown!
PLACES TO STAY THAT I LOVE
In my opinion (and especially if you’re like me and you love a wine) then staying right in town is the way to go with Queenstown, because you’re able to walk to and from your accommodation and really enjoy the vibe of the city centre. This last trip we stayed in a hotel that required driving to and from town which got quite annoying with parking and planning for drinks (we ended up getting Ubers everywhere despite having a car) and as we didn’t love the accommodation itself, we didn’t have a comfy home base. Here’s the places I DO recommend, depending on what your vibe is:
QT Queenstown – Honestly, a lakeview room here is hard to beat. QT are fab at injecting a little luxury into a touch of quirkiness so you always feel special, but always comfy and free to be you. The rooms are perfect for couples on a romantic escape or a girls’ trip where you hang out in the room, order room service and drink martinis (from experience this is rad!). Plus it’s a five-minute stroll by the lake to town.
Rydges Queenstown – In the same building as the QT, the Rydges is getting an (overdue) zoush at the mo and when it’s ready, you’ll be hard-pressed to beat it. Big, biiiiig rooms are perfect for families or those who need a little more space, like remote workers. And you get to use the QT’s restaurant for breakfast which, in my opinion, has the best buffet in NZ.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites – Just up on the hill but still totally walking distance, this hotel gives you serious bang for buck, and is a favourite of skiing families, as evidenced by the ruddy-faced kids, stacks of skis and happy squeals I witnessed when I was having a (very) nice drink in the foyer bar. The rooms are small but absolutely lovely, there’s free breakfast as well as all-day hot drinks, and the facilities and staff are great and welcoming.
PLACES TO EAT AND DRINK THAT I LOVE
Ayrburn – I’ve harped on about Ayrburn before but please, just go. Just outside of Arrowtown, it’s a complex that consists of multiple and different restaurants, as well as a cocktail bar, The Burr Bar, that has my favourite ever of all time cocktail, the Green Lady. It’s a special place and you’ll see why when you get there.
The Church Cellar Door and Café – A hidden gem with a huge, beautiful outdoor setting that includes sports equipment for the kids (there’s even a full-size cricket pitch and trampoline) but most importantly, fab wine.
The Bathhouse Restaurant – The one you’ve always seen down in the corner of the lake on the left, this is the perfect place to chill for an hour or two. Literally on the lakefront, grab a table and do what me and my mate did – order two Aperol Spritzes and two chip buttys (the menu is loosely English-inspired). Absolute perfection.
Beech Tree – A bit of a hidden gem in town, this craft beer bar is above the shops and is perfect for a not-so-nice day because yes, they have awesome beer (their alcoholic ginger beer is bloody good too) but they also have the biggest board game collection, perfect if you need a little breather but are still in a very competitive relationship (read: me).
Blue Kanu – It’s iconic for a reason – Blue Kanu’s Polynesian-fusion inspired cuisine hits every time, feels special without being pretentious and is great for groups, or intimate dates.
Lodge Bar – If you’re a people-watching fan, this is for you! A bit fancy-pants but still relaxed, an outdoor table here gives you the best view of the Queenstown lakefront without having to battle the throng of the Queenstown lakefront. Enjoy the gorgeous Lake Whakatipu views, a delicious snack (do not miss the meat pie croquettes or the Kiwi chips and dip) and all of the *interesting* people.
THINGS TO DO IN QUEENSTOWN THAT I LOVE
Helicopter Flight – Stay with me on this before you dismiss me as a fancy rich dick because I promise you I’m no such thing BUT sometimes the heli operators in QT have epic sales, as they did when my friend and I were down there on this trip. For $200 each (yes, still a lot of money) we got to fly up to the top of the Remarkables, take some wild, insane photos and truly have a core memory experience together (we took up mini bottles of bubbles that was not only allowed, but encouraged by all of the Heliworks employees).
Drive to Glenorchy – I’d been to Queenstown numerous times before I finally did the 45-minute drive out to Glenorchy, and my God, I don’t think life has been the same again. I’d put it in the top five most beautiful drives in the entire country and I’m not even kidding you, I actually cried the first time. Go for a half-day or so to pop into the general store there, have a hikoi around the lake or even do a tiny bit of the beginning of the Routeburn, or else the very scenic Glenorchy Lagoon Walkway.
Do a wine tour – I’ve probably done about 10 of these by now but there’s a reason I keep going back – it’s easy, it’s convenient, it’s responsible and Jesus it’s fun. I rotate through each company and they’re much and muchness mostly, it depends on your quite and your group. But it means you get a wide sample of what Central Otago has to offer.
Kingpin – Perfect for the rainy days, Kingpin Queenstown is huge and seriously impressive. Indulge your inner kid and play some arcade games, do some bowling, attempt an escape room, try karaoke or worst comes to worst, there’s a bar with some pretty wild cocktails!
Paraglide – Come on, you have to do one adrelenine thing in Queenstown once in your life? Me? I chose to chuck myself off Coronet Peak on a tandem paraglide. It’s a wild thing because your body is like, no, I think I’ll stay on this mountain, thank you – but as soon as you’re over that and you’re blissfully floating, it’s one of the most peaceful and amazing experiences you’ll ever do.
I went down to QT this last time with the help of booking.com – I’d also recommend checking them out while booking (of course) your accommodation, of course, but you can also book your flights and rental cars at the same time, if you’re a ‘I just need one piece of paper for this trip goddamnit’ person, which came in quite handy at times!