Top Picks For Summer Fun

After exploring a few new activities over the holiday break, as well as taking another look at some old favourites, here are my top picks for things to do in a Queenstown summer:

1. 4WD:

When it comes to four-wheel driving (4WD), in the past I have been with Nomad Safaris. Having tried it a few times now I was keen for another round of the action. My friends decided to take a private vehicle out on the track so I went along to. I have to say that this was not the best idea! After the truck nearly went head first into the watery depths of a cave, I can now honestly say you should ALWAYS leave it up to the professionals!

However, that aside, we did discover a few great spots that you can request when you next book a 4WD tour. Macetown is a lovely wee place, a hot-spot for mining back in the day but also a film location for Lord of the Rings. There are definitely certain spots that die hard fans will be able to recognise. Nomad Safaris does a great 4WD trip there, crossing the water, seeing where LOTR was filmed and they even teach you how to gold pan!

We also checked out Glenorchy. I had never been here before and it is an amazing hidden spot. It has very beautiful scenery that is difficult to describe. I would recommend it as a MUST-SEE!

2. Queenstown Nightlife:

Summer in Queenstown is a thriving atmosphere of fun-loving people. This also makes it a great time to check out the nightlife.

If you are looking for some casual drinks, INIGO Bar is the place to go. There are great specials going every Wednesday - Sunday throughout the summer season. With a different theme each day, meals are <$15 with $5 tap beer and $8 cocktail specials.
1876 Bar is a great starting point for a big night out. It’s the perfect place to grab a cider and fill up on a platter before heading to BelowZERO Ice Bar, Queenstown’s newest bar. Located at a prime spot in town on Searle Lane, it’s nice to cool down here on summer evenings with one of their delicious cocktails, served out of real ice glasses! Make sure you aren't driving though, as just one of these drinks will not be enough- trust me!

The bar even has a fire, which is an interesting touch next to the ice sculptures of a jet boat, bears and penguins! You can actually climb inside the gondola ice scultpture, which makes for some great group photos. It’s fun interacting with all the ice work, the only thing you can’t touch is the intricately carved chandelier and you can see why!

3. TSS Earnslaw:

A group of friends and I that grew up with in Invercargill decided to go on the TSS Earnslaw for the evening session, as none of us had ever been on it before! The trip is great value, not only the price ($115) but the Lady of the Lake is turning 100 years old in October and the experience is unmissable.

One of the highlights was dinner at the old homestead at Walter Peak. They had reserved a big table for our group with our name on it, a very nice touch. The buffet dinner was one of the best I have ever had, with a great range of New Zealand’s finest beef, lamb, venison, seafood and cheeses.

After that you can head out and watch the shepherd and his dog round up the sheep, while explaining a lot about farming here in New Zealand. He even demonstrated shearing a sheep. I can imagine this would be fascinating for most visitors, but for a group who grew up on farms down south it was no novelty. We used to prefer going back to school just to avoid seeing another sheep get shorn! However, even for those very familiar with it, the beverages tasted great and it was interesting to watch purely from a spectators perspective.

4. Fruit Picking:

Locals often take for granted the abundance of fruit orchards in the area. This year we made sure we took advantage and headed to Cromwell to try our hands at picking some ourselves. It’s mainly cherries over Christmas but near the end of January other stone fruits like apricots and nectarians are ripening. It’s lots of fun picking them yourself, and you will NEVER be able to beat the freshness and flavour of fruit eaten straight from the tree! There are loads of orchards in Cromwell and many offer orchard tours and the chance to pick you own fruit.

5. Wanaka:

No summer would be complete without a trip over the Crown Range to Wanaka, stopping by the famous Cardrona Hotel on the way for a thirst-quenching beer on a hot day. It’s a great atmostphere, with live music and you can sit outside under trees and enjoy the shade. Cardrona is famous for it’s snow but the Cardrona Adventure Park is a great stop in summer. You can drive a selection of monster trucks on a track, perfect for those who want to do something a little bit out there.

Wanaka is a lovely spot with great views of Lake Wanaka. There are loads of great eateries along the lakefront and the clothing stores are great for anyone after a bit of retail therapy.

Puzzling World is great fun, especially for kids. Time flies inside the maze and getting a photo holding up the leaning clock tower is such an iconic photo, you can’t not do it!

Wanaka also has the famous Warbirds over Wanaka in Easter which is an ideal trip for the long weekend and very popular. If you get the chance to go I would thoroughly recommend it. You will be amazed, even if you don’t have a passion for planes. Plus, it only happens once every two years so take advantage!