A week of adventures in Otago Region (in New Zealand’s South Island)
As getting to New Zealand from almost anywhere is a challenge in itself, I suggest you plan to spend the first couple of days relaxing and acclimating. This is why I chose to spend the first two nights at Villa del Lago, a small apartment’s hotel right on. Lake Wakatipu You can enjoy the magnificent view of the lake and the surroundings from the living room or the balcony of your room. You can also take a leisurely 20 minutes’ walk to the center of town. If you do, make sure to see part of the Queenstown gardens which are situated at the end of the path by the lake leading to town.
In Queenstown there are mostly shops geared to outdoor adventures and a number of fine restaurants. One famous place is Furgburger – a hamburger joint with constant lines outside. We opted for the more upscale options. One place I highly recommend is Botswana Butchery, an excellent spot to try local meats which is on Marine Parade, overlooking the lake.
Now to the real reason to come all the way to this area: adventures. Our main attraction was taking the Routeburn Track , one of the nine Great Walks of New Zealand. It is a three day course, covering some 40 km. The best way to do it is as part of a guided tour with Ultimate Hikes. The main advantages over doing it independently: you only need to carry your personal items (about 7 kg, per the recommended list) vs. having to carry food and other items, which can more than double the weight – this is because they provide all the meals along the walk – and dinners are really nice. Also, at the end of each day you arrive at a comfortable lodge, with hot showers and rooms that hold 2-4 people, vs. the public lodges with no showers and up to 40 people. These guided walks are very popular, so book well in advance. The highlight of the walk is off course the scenery: It is really special and breathtaking. You are bound to experience varied weather conditions – sunshine, rain and possibly snow (we started the third day in heavy snow!) – but you’ll be well equipped (clothes wise) and it is great fun under any conditions. One thing to note: the walk is on uneven terrain (that’s an understatement!) – so prepare yourself in advance by doing some level of outdoor exercise in the weeks prior to your trip.
After this fairly intense few days I would recommend taking a day to do something more relaxing. One option is taking a wine tour of the region. Central Otago is known mainly for their Pinot Noir, so you are bound to taste this grape variety in any of the local wineries, but they also produce a few types of white wines. We took a half day “boutique” wine tour, with the Appellation Central Wine tours. It is an intimate tour (up to 11 people, in a minivan) and it covers 4 wineries and lots of different wines to taste. You also get to see a part of this region not covered by most of the outdoor adventures.
Other activities to consider: Jet boats – high speed boats that cruise on the river almost “shaving” some of the rocks on the river banks, spinning 360 degrees at times – a real thriller. Rafting on the Shotover River – a 2-2.5 hours ride on mostly calm water, with a few points of “white” water. We took something called “the triple challenge” – a combination of Jet boats and rafting, with a short helicopter ride in between taking you from the first to the second activity. Altogether it takes about 6 hours and is lots of fun.
You can’t talk about this area without mentioning Bungee jumping: here is where this crazy sport started and you can do it at the original spot - Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge or take one of the longer jumps. For the brave at heart!
Would you like to find out about one of the finest hotels of Queenstown that is also the home of the best restaurant? Would you like additional recommendations for restaurants in the city? About a trip to a neighboring town with an interesting past? Sign up to our web-site and get interesting tips related to this area and other places.