Queenstown Winter Playground Itinerary

‘Haere Mai’ … Welcome to New Zealand!

Upon arrival in Queenstown you will be met by a representative and transferred to your hotel to settle in and freshen up. Depending on what time you arrive, you then have some time to explore the city. 

The alpine resort of Queenstown is exciting, sophisticated and fantastically scenic. It’s the place to source almost any kind of adventure, including bungy, jet boating, horse trekking, rafting and river surfing. It’s also a destination for luxury experiences – gourmet food and wine, spa treatments and leisurely games of golf.

Some recommended excursions around Queenstown if you have time:
 

Accommodation: Millennium Hotel - 6 Nights

This morning collect your rental car and drive to historic Arrowtown, an old gold mining village of the 1860s, located on what was once the world’s richest river. 

This afternoon is an awesome Wilderness Safari that takes you on a spectacular 1 1/2 hour Jet Boat journey through the Dart's everchanging braided river system, where you'll be thrilled by our Jet Boat's capabilities including jet spins and awed by your surroundings of breathtaking snow-capped mountains, ancient native forest, waterfalls and glacial valleys frozen in time. It includes an easy guided 30 - 40 minute walk through the 'Heritage Trail' at Paradise, where your knowledgeable guide will enliven your walk with an informative and entertaining commentary about the ancient native beech forest.

Tonight you take a Gondola Ride to the top of Bob’s Peak for and see the stunning views over Queenstown.

This alpine resort town has one of the longest seasons in the Southern hemisphere. Home to four ski areas and an exuberant après ski culture it's a snow-lover's paradise. The ski fields offer unrivaled alpine scenery and fantastically varied treeless terrain, each with its own unique character. 

Today choose to ski or snowboard at either of Queenstown's fields. 

Coronet Peak

Situated 18km from Queenstown and blessed with varied terrain and outstanding views. There are many ways to get down Coronet through every type of terrain from the wide groomed run called M1, to mogul runs, to wide open back bowls. Once you know the ropes, you’ll discover the secret verticals, dips and drops of one of New Zealand’s longest established ski areas. If skiing all day isn’t enough, on Friday and Saturday nights you can ski into the night as well. Coronet is home to the Winter Festival.

The Remarkables

The Remarkables are set in a vast natural amphitheatre high in the rugged ranges above Lake Wakatipu. It has altitude; a long, reliable season and its north facing aspect make’s it sheltered sun trap. Nearly three quarters of its slopes are ideal for beginners and intermediates. Powder bowls and off-piste extreme runs provide challenge for more advanced skiers. In September the field hosts the Remarkables Spring Festival - a riot of snow sports and crazy events.

Unwind and soak-up in Queenstown's spectacular scenery. Immerse yourself in the views, the pure waters, and the fresh mountain air, as your mind and body surrenders to the deep penetrating warmth and gentle massage of our private pools. The hot pools are housed in private cedar-lined bathing rooms, each complete with shower, changing area, and breathtaking mountain views. Once you're comfortable you can retract the roof and front wall at the touch of a button to immerse yourself in the amazing alpine scenery. At night dim the lights and watch the southern constellations wheel past overhead! 

The Road to Milford is one of New Zealand’s most scenic drives. The first part is relatively mild farmland, then you’ll ease into beech forest near the entrance to the Fiordland National Park. Look for the Avenue of the Disappearing Mountain and the Mirror Lakes. The rough hewn Homer Tunnel brings you into Milford Sound, an amazing 22km-long fiord dominated by Mitre Peak. A cruise on Milford Sound will be an essential component of your time in Fiordland, or you can get up close and personal in a sea kayak. Tall waterfalls, vertical rock faces and seals are some of the things you’ll remember. The underwater observatory is an option with most cruises. 

Wanaka is a picturesque jewel among New Zealand's major ski destinations. Lake Wanaka runs away to the north of the lakeside town providing stunning views of Mt Aspiring National Park. The situation of the lake (to the north) also enables sunshine to flood into the town even in mid winter providing a warm environment for the non skier (or tired skier) to enjoy more leisurely pursuits. Wanaka is often likened to Queenstown but 20 years ago - with only a 1.5 hour drive from Queenstown Airport she offers a more chilled environment to enjoy your après ski.

You have the choice of two wonderful fields today...
 

Treble Cone Ski Field
 The largest field in the South Island, Treble Cone is a 30-minute drive from Wanaka and has developed a reputation as the GoTo field for advanced skiers and boarders enticed by the regions longest vertical, un-crowded slopes, legendary off-piste runs with awesome half pipes and a terrain that is highly varied with challenging gullies, wide faces and exhilarating runs - both the New Zealand freestyle and the Norwegian Alpine ski team train at Treble Cone. With regular north west snow dumps throughout winter the field regularly has awesome powder days, especially fun on the Longest Run at 4km (2.5miles) long.

Terrain: Beginner Terrain 10%, Intermediate Terrain 45% and Advanced Terrain 45%

Slope Facilities: include a bar and café, snow school with a FREE beginner surface lift, childcare centre, ski and snowboard rental kiosk and medical centre.

Cardrona Alpine Resort
 Also around a 30-minute drive from Wanaka is Cardrona, this is known as the family field and provides 3 distinct recreational areas each with its own degree of difficulty making it a great field for beginners and intermediate abilities. Cardrona is ideal for those wanting to learn to ski or snowboard and particularly with its several purpose built beginner runs which lead onto gentle wide open spaces, two surface conveyor lifts for learners result in an accelerated learning curve. Cardrona also has the only beginners trail in the country that runs along a mountain’s peak with beginners learning while enjoying breathtaking views over Lake Wanaka to Queenstown.

Snowboarding: A lot of emphasis has also been placed on attracting snowboarders and the field offers more in the way of specific runs for shredders (snowboarders) than most New Zealand fields and now the Snowboard National Championships are held here.

Terrain: 25% Beginners, 55% Intermediate, 20% advanced

Slope Facilities: Include 3 terrain parks with a wide range of jumps and rails and two half pipes with a dedicated platter lift, and a great gravity cross course.
 

Your holiday concludes this morning. You will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight.

Haere rā and Bon Voyage!

We hope you enjoyed your time in New Zealand and our promise to make your travels as hassle-free and hospitable as possible - ensuring that today you leave with a memory card full of photos, and huge smiles on your faces when recalling your time in New Zealand! Have a great homeward journey, farewell and hope to see you again soon.

Meals: Breakfast