I'm going to make a bold statement to start...
Queenstown was one of the best trips I have ever been on.
If I'm honest, I wasn't as excited as I should have been beforehand. Everyone kept telling me it was so cold, and I didn't really know much about Queenstown. We had the trip booked before I had even arrived in New Zealand. We had intended to go to the Winter Festival, however, we didn't really end up seeing much of that. Just a pretty cool fireworks display.
We arrived on the Monday. The flight into Queenstown was incredible. The views flying over the snowy mountains were just amazing. I couldn't stop taking photos! On arrival, it was super easy to get into the town. It's a very small airport, and there was a bus stop right outside the door, and a bus that dropped us right in the centre.
The only downside to this trip was our accommodation. We stayed in the Southern Laughters Backpackers, which although is very central, is also to put it politely, a dump. The only saviour here was that we had a private room. We had to share a bathroom and kitchen with people that were living there. They were there every evening, cooking the smelliest food! The bedroom had one plug (hello, 2018 when everyone has phones to charge!), and here's the shocker - no hot water in the bathroom. We were told we could use the shower in reception, which obviously we did, but that involved going outside in freezing temperatures before and after (with wet hair) showers. If this place had been cheap, I would have been more accepting of this- but it wasn't. Nowhere in Queenstown is cheap.
First on our to-do list was to test out the famous hot chocolate from Patagonia. Our first experience was a bit underwhelming, but we went back later in the week and gave it another go - this time it was much better and lived up to the hype. We also sampled one of the desserts - which was possibly one of the best I have ever had.
We spent the rest of the day wandering around the town, with an early dinner at Joe's Garage. The weather was much better than I expected. We had borrowed some decent winter coats, which made the temperature very bare-able.
On our second day, we had decided to do a day trip to Milford Sound - one of the top places on my New Zealand to-do list. After discussing with others beforehand, I had decided I didn't want to do a bus journey as it took so long, so I booked a 'scenic flight'.
Our first flight was cancelled due to the wind, but after a quick but amazing brunch at Torro, we headed to catch the second flight. It was terrifying. As the little plane headed up the runway I remembered how scared of flying/heights I am. The whole time I thought I was going to die, and during landing, I actually dropped my camera to cover my eyes because I thought we were crashing - dramatic as ever. But I don't regret doing it. I felt happy with myself when we returned to Queenstown because I hadn't chickened out + I know how much I would have moaned had we got a bus.
Whilst we were at Milford Sound, we went on a great boat trip where we got to see some amazing sights. There were snowy mountains, waterfalls and rainbows. The sun was shining and it was so worth the flying stress.
On Wednesday we took a trip to the ski slopes - Coronet Peak. Anyone that knows me and my ability to be clumsy/ruin my life in any situation will understand that it was not a good idea for me to ski. So instead I watched other people ski and ate food - fish and chips to be precise. The views from Coronet Peak were as expected, incredible. In the afternoon, we went to Arrowtown, a small historical town nearby. The town centre is made up of pretty much one street with old-fashioned looking shop fronts - very picturesque. There is a small museum at one end, and we popped into the well-known bakery at the other end for a cake stop. On the way back, we headed to one of the bungy bridges - again, just to observe because there is absolutely no way I am willingly jumping off a bridge. I'd 100% be that person that either faints on the way down, or is sick on myself, and I do not choose that life. I did, however, get much entertainment from watching strangers inflict this terror on themselves -in fact I probably could have watched this all day.
The next day we had booked to take a trip to Walters Peak - something that had been highly recommended and I can now highly recommend myself. It starts with a boat ride across Lake Wakatipu (normally in a steamboat, but we went out of season so had to settle with a normal boat). When we arrived at Walter Peak, the farmers did a little sheep shearing and herding show, and then came the good bit. Food. An all you cat eat BBQ - but probably the best BBQ ever (sorry Mum, your spag bol is still no1). I was in heaven, although by the time we had to leave, I felt pretty sick/fat.
On Friday, we had a bit of a chilled foodie day. We started with brunch at Ivy and Lola's which overlooks the lake. I decided to break my normal routine and stray away from Eggs Benedict. Instead, I had french toast with blueberries - it was delicious. The restaurant had an interesting decor - walls covered in antiques - old-fashioned radios, mixed with chandelier style lights.
After a little walk around the shops, we took our second trip to Patagonia (as mentioned above), followed by an afternoon nap, and a catch up on Love Island Australia (don't judge - it's hard when you have an addiction). In the evening we attended the Winter Festival fireworks. It was SO busy. It was crazy how many people appeared for the fireworks. The whole waterfront was bustling, all for the sake of a 10-minute firework display! We finished off the day with another amazing meal at Sombreros Mexican restaurant. It didn't look like much from the outside, but the food was excellent. I had my ultimate Mexican fave - Chicken Enchiladas, accompanied by a glass of Sangria.
The following day, we headed up to see the incredible views offered by Skyline Queenstown. We took a gondola (a very steep gondola) to the top and were treated to the most beautiful panoramic views of the town and all the mountains that surrounded it. There was some interesting history to read about the gondola and a couple of gift shops at the top. There was also a luge, which was unfortunately shut for our visit. We had, of course, booked into the all you can eat buffet - potentially lunch with the best view in Queenstown - maybe even New Zealand. The downside was, the food wasn't my favourite. There was a lot of Asian food and Sushi - which would be 2 of my least favourite choices. Don't get me wrong, I didn't go home hungry, but I felt that there could be a bit more of a selection. Also, the waiter hit me with a highchair and didn't say sorry - not that I hold grudges or anything.
For our final day, we decided to rent a car. I really wanted to go to Lake Wanaka whilst I was visiting the South Island, and it was a lot cheaper to do it this way rather than take a tour. After taking a moment trying to remember how to drive (it's been a while), we set the sat nav up which immediately took us up a mountain that required snow chains - a U-turn was made. We stopped back in Arrowtown for another brunch, whilst we worked out an alternative route - it was actually a much easier route. Brunch was at the New Orleans Hotel - a bit disappointing - very slow service, but my food was still tasty - my friend, however, took one mouthful and couldn't eat hers.
When we reached Wanaka, the rain had finally caught up with us. The tree (the main reason I had wanted to visit) was not as exciting as I had imagined. Wanaka, in general, was a really cute little town - bigger than I expected with a large selection of bars and restaurants. After a wander around and a quick hot chocolate stop, the sun finally came out, and we got to see the lake in a much better light - literally.
And then it was Monday again. We ended our trip stocking up on sweets in a sweet shop at the airport. The week had gone so quickly, but I felt like we had done so much! If you're visiting New Zealand, Queenstown is an absolute must. Every direction you look looks like a postcard!
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