5 Must-Do Experiences for Your Queenstown Bucket List

Queenstown is a central hub for our favorite outdoor adventures on New Zealand’s South Island. It is a brief, scenic flight to Milford Sound, and you can jump in the car for a drive to Lake Wanaka.  It’s also a short trip to marvel at the icy blue Pukaki and Tekapo lakes. From adrenaline pumping activities, drool-worthy food, and serene lake views, we share 5 must-do experiences for your Queenstown bucket list!

1. A view from above

A picturesque city situated on the edge of Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown has to be seen from above in order to be fully appreciated. Only then can you truly admire the  small city gently nestled on the shore of a calm lake, with the soaring Remarkables in the distance.

Walking –  The Ben Lomonds track zig zags up to epic views. Be warned that this is a full day hike, taking 6-8 hours return. We shortlisted this walk, but unfortunately did not have a day to budget. Fortunately, the gondola was running..

Gondola – With only 36 hours in Queenstown and a strong desire for epic views, we opted for a family gondola ride. We avoided any carsickness from winding up mountain roads in the car, and for a reasonable price, experienced stunning views of Queenstown. Unfortunately, the weather turned drizzling and rainy that morning, and our pictures don’t do the view justice.

Driving – If you are headed in or out of town, take a detour and drive along Remarkables road for an awesome sunset view of the city.

2. Enjoy an Epic Meal

Fergburger is the cult favorite, with huge, juicy hamburgers and freshly baked buns. However, the queues seemed outrageously long and we lacked the patience or desire to wait 30+ minutes for a hamburger.

We opted to visit to Coalfire BBQ for a meaty family feast. During our first meal at Coalfire, we indulged in the sampler platter, and it blew us away. The only slight criticism was the slightly overcooked sirloin. To be fair, we went during the gap between lunch and dinner, which means they were likely hungry themselves or prepping for the dinner rush.

The platter (for two) includes: pork ribs, sirloin steak, spicy sausage, smoked chicken wings, spicy pulled pork, mac and cheese, house-made pickles, slaw, and chips. We found it more than enough to share between the three of us, and we loved the tender, smokey meat so much that we returned for an equally awesome breakfast the following morning.

3. Browse the Shops at Queenstown Mall

There is no shortage of shopping in Queenstown. From luxury brands to local shops they seemed to have it all. If you go during a New Zealand public holiday, like we did, you may miss some of the local flare.

Shopping locally is a great way to support native artists and businesses, so here is our hit list from our window shopping and browsing:

Vesta – Handmade art, gifts and homewares sourced from New Zealand. A great place to find a unique, meaningful gift or souvenir. The 1830s home maybe worth a visit in and of it’s self!

The Remarkable Sweet Shop – Because fudge! Lots and lots of it. Also, they have a good selection of New Zealand chocolatiers for all of you traveling chocoholics (pointing to myself here).

Roam – The bright, cheeky slogans on the manequins shirt’s caught our eyes from the street. This screen printing and design company is full of Kiwi pride, and awesome graphics. They sell a range of men and women’s t-shirts, caps, and hoodies.

4. Get Your Adrenaline Pumping

A Queenstown bucket list isn’t complete without some thrills section. For the uninitiated (me, six months ago), apparently Queenstown is the thrills capital of the … world? It depends on who you talk to.

Regardless of the title, the small city packs a punch with bungee jumping, luge riding, shotover boats, hang gliding and much more. If you want to experience a diverse range of activities, purchase a multipass for a full day of adrenaline pumping action. Be warned that some passes include a few “filler” items such as counting your helicopter transfer as a thrill. The passes still offer value, just be sure to read the fine print.

For young families, we highly recommend the gondola and luge combo. CZ’s height just passed muster and we all enjoyed the ride down the mountain with a gondola ride back to the top to do it all again once more. I found it thrilling enough to be worth the money, and including the entire family.

5. Take the plunge off the beautiful Kawarau Bridge … or just watch

We are borderline thrill seekers. JZ was an avid mountain biker back in NC, and it was no question that we would take the doors-off helicopter tour over the volcanoes in Hawaii. However, we aren’t jumping at the idea of bungy. We did enjoy the iconic bridge, and not only is viewing encouraged, they also allow self-contained campers to park overnight! Whether you want to take the leap or simply stretch your legs, the Kawarau Bungy Center and bridge are worth the stop.

We thoroughly savored our brief visit to Queenstown. From outdoor adventures to epic feasts, the whole family got a kick out of checking off our Queenstown bucket list.