Queenstown, New Zealand - January 2024
BREAKDOWN
We never had a honeymoon after we got married, and decided that when we visited New Zealand again we would celebrate it in Queenstown. We got married in 2017 and this trip was in 2024…Yea, maybe one of the longest times to wait for a honeymoon???
Either way, it was worth the wait. Queenstown is definitely one of the most beautiful and inspirational places we have EVER visited since our trip to Scotland!
Continue reading to find out why!
DAY 1
After we landed, we had some time to wait before we could check into a really cute Airbnb flat we rented for the next four days. Our bags were heavy and the heat of the day was beating down on us, so we made the unhesitant decision to venture into whatever restaurant smelt the best to us at the time.
Our noses hastily led us to Fat Badgers Pizza & Bar, a quirky little restaurant that quite literally served the largest pizzas we had ever ordered. I mean, there was a sign that stated ‘world’s largest pizzas’, but we didn’t think they were being THAT serious!
There was no way we could finish them, so the waitress kindly boxed the leftovers and that was dinner sorted for our first evening in Queenstown (no complaints!)!
DAY 2
The following day we decided to explore what Queenstown had to offer and were pleasantly surprised at the pro-outdoor sports attitude of the entire town. It felt like every other person was there for the same reason; not only were we all wanting to get away from our normal life routines, but we connected through a shared appreciation of the beauty that New Zealand had to offer.
The neighbouring forest-covered Ben Lomond bore the gondolas that carried eager tourists up its hardy face to fantastic views over the lakes, while distant mountains exposed their naked rocky shells to the elements with scattered dustings of snow still present in the early summer heat.
Then closer to the ground we saw eyes staring back at us as the songs of the cicadas began their yearly chant. These enchanting little insects with their curious gazes and laced wings are here so briefly after spending over 20 years developing underground. It would be regretful to not stop and admire these creatures in their variety of colours and gentle natures.
Everywhere you looked Queenstown managed to steal our breath, whisking it away while igniting our imaginations and wanderlust.
Having explored the foot of the mountain thoroughly in the early morning, we wanted to see everything from above, so made our way to the gondolas and took a quick trip up Ben Lomond to the visitor centre.
The views certainly did NOT disappoint! Despite being cloudy, we were gifted with some fantastic clear vistas of the surrounding mountains!
Our breath was yet again stolen from us as we stood in awe, admiring the palette of colours which gave so much life to this beautiful New Zealand town. Everything felt so fresh, which was equally enhanced by the scent of the forest pine that bordered the visitor centre.
After a brief walk through the forest, we built up a bit of an appetite, so had reserved a table at The Worlds Bar to enjoy a nice pub-cooked meal.
The Worlds Bar has such an awesome atmosphere there, and the menu seemed to have something for everyone!
We ordered a couple of very nice ales to accompany our food! Though…Shane didn’t seem too pleased with his order, I thoroughly enjoyed mine, so HA HA to him!
Once we had feasted on our meal, it was time to head to a prebooked session at one of the local ice bars just around the corner from here.
Before visiting Queenstown, we were told about several ice bars located there. Having never been to one before, we decided to book a slot at Below Zero to check it out and have one of the cocktails they had on offer there.
We arrived a little earlier than we needed to and had to wait for the current visitors to finish their allocated time slot. While a group of us sat patiently, the hosts went through the safety procedures and explained the bar’s rules.
We all got dressed up in warm jackets and gloves and then headed through the doors towards the bar. The bar was smaller than expected, and it didn’t take long to feel how cold it was in there (-12°C!). The ice sculptures instantly caught our attention, with smooth glass-like details which were emphasised beautifully by the mellow colour-changing lights around the bar.
A bartender had our prepared cocktails available and waiting for us at their station, which we had paid for in advance. We headed straight over to enjoy our pina colada in carved ice glasses, which looked cool (rim shot) but the glasses were shallow and only had a few sips of the cocktail actually in it. Some of which had even frozen to the side.
All in all, the experience was nice, though it was extremely pricey. We probably could have done without the cocktails and just seen the sculptors, but for the novelty it was fun!
DAY 3
After such a packed day yesterday, we chose to have a bit more of a chilled one and did a hike to the neighbouring town of Frankton. The day started of with sapphire blue skies and piercing sunshine, but in the distance we could see a dull blanket of cloud rolling in, bringing with it some rain to dampen the day.
Despite this, we still made our way to Frankton, enjoying the lakeside walk and watching the small commercial planes coming in to land.
Frankton itself didn’t house too many interesting sites, and there was a concert of some sort which seemed to be attracting a lot of teenagers, so we didn’t make our stay there too long. We just went to check out the local games store and bookshop before taking shelter from the cold and rain in the Japanese restaurant Hikari which we would highly recommend! The food there was amazing!
DAY 4
After a pretty gluttonous day, we thought it best to burn off some of those excess calories and hike our way up the mountain (without the assistance of the gondolas this time!).
It was an absolutely beautiful trek through a forest of pine and foxgloves, hosting exhilarating views and even some random goats! Sadly we never saw a Kea, which we were desperate to get a glimpse of…and in the end we couldn’t make it to the summit due to a pre-existing knee injury I had, and a fresh one Shane somehow managed to receive (I swear he was just copying me coz I made it look cool).
We are hoping to one day return to try the mountain again and reach the top. Alas, it’s always best to accept what your body needs rather than what your stubborn mind wants!
We made our way back down the mountain and stopped off at one of the local supermarkets to pick up a few more brews.
One thing I was delighted to find out when visiting New Zealand was that it hosts more microbreweries than any other country worldwide! Also, the artwork on them is AMAZING! So many different styles and various artists have worked with many of these independent breweries to create some of the most gratifying visuals I have seen on packaging!
Ahh…Sweet New Zealand….One day I shall return to you and sip your sweet fermented nectar once more….
Day 5
We aren’t counting this as a day in Queenstown as it was when we flew back to Whangarei via Auckland, but before we left we managed to squeeze in a bit more gift shopping and another walk by the lake.
We would highly recommend visiting Queenstown if you want to experience a ‘Lord of the Rings’ side of New Zealand; we sure as heck are going to go back one day! There is so much to do there, and it is pretty accessible so I do think people with wheelchairs would also find plenty there to admire and take the gondola up the mountain to see the sights. Prices at Queenstown are steep, so be sure to save money when visiting, and if you can cook we would recommend it because restaurants are expensive.
In conclusion, Queenstown gets a 10/10 from us! Next time though, we hope to backpack and try out some of the less-trodden touristy routes!
If you have any fun suggestions for anyone who visits Queenstown, please leave a comment below for others to read! Thanks for stopping by, and as always, Happy Wandering!
