Things to do in Queenstown When You’re Not an Adrenaline Junky | New Zealand

Last updated on 10 November 2021

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase with one of these links, I recieve a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read the full Affiliate Policy.

Looking for things to do in Queenstown?

The adventure capital of New Zealand barely goes a day without the tourists flocking in. Of course, in these COVID times, the tourists from overseas are non-existent, but the locals of New Zealand are definitely heading to all the places that they usually wouldn’t; Queenstown included.

I know this because I was one of them.

Over the 2020/2021 New Year week, a friend and I hit up Queenstown for the first time, and while it was New-Years-busy, it wasn’t summer busy. The town and the surrounding area is full of activities for every adrenaline junky out there. From bungy jumping to canyon swinging, jet boating to skydiving … there’s something for every kind of adventure seeker.

But for those of us out there who perhaps are less I-might-die-while-doing-this inclined, there’s still plenty to do both in the city and in the surrounding region.

Wineries and Cellar Doors

Queenstown’s surrounding region is home to 75 wineries within a 20-minute drive and even more if you go a little farther afield. Some of New Zealand’s top wines come from the Otago region, and you would be remiss to miss out on experiencing one of the wineries. Okay, granted, we didn’t quite make it to a vineyard, and we know that we’re definitely remiss. Don’t make our mistake.

From Stoneridge Estate to Lake Hayes, Akarua to Chard Farm, and even Gibbstown Valley, there are plenty of wineries to explore.

TSS Earnslaw Cruise

Taking a trip on the TSS Earnslaw was a brilliant way to spend a few hours.

It’s one of the best ways to see Queenstown’s surrounding landscape – a cruise across Lake Wakatipu aboard the iconic century-old coal fired steamship, the TSS Earnslaw.

The website is definitely correct when they say it’s one of the best ways to see the landscape. We were lucky enough to get a great day for cruising (before the rain set in a day later!), and it was a brilliant experience. The cruise on the steamship takes about 1hr 30min, and when you reach the other side of the lake, you can jump off and explore Walter Peak. There is a farm walk you can do, as well as the Colonel’s Homestead Restaurant to dine at.

If you do get off the boat, just be sure to get back on it to get back to Queenstown.

Queenstown Gardens

Less an impressive floral garden, more a reserve with big open spaces, walks and tracks through Douglas Firs, with the occasional rose bed thrown in, the gardens are still worth a wander around.

Just a short walk from the town centre, the Queenstown Gardens is one of the places to visit in Queenstown for free. They are always dotted with people lounging in the sun, enjoying the water’s edge, or trying their hand at the Disc Golf.

The gardens sport an 18-hole course, where participants can BYO Frisbee (or grab one from one of the many shops in town), and play throughout the gardens and trees.

Day trip to Wanaka

While you could easily spend a few days in the stunning town of Wanaka, if you’re making base in Queenstown, then Wanaka is a great day trip to take.

There’s plenty of adrenaline-fueled tourists enjoying similar actives to those of the same calibre in Queenstown, but there are plenty of things to do in the town that are more low-key and don’t involve an increase in heart rate.

Take a wander through the shops, lounge by the stunning lake, looking up at the mountains, take a walk along the waters edge to That Wanaka Tree, or head a little out of town to find more wineries and the Wanaka Lavender Farm.

The Crown Range drive

To get to Wanaka for your day trip: there are two routes. The first is by heading north back up Route 6, which will take about an hour and a half, or you can take the Crown Range road over the mountains, through Cardrona. The latter takes about an hour and is a stunning drive. On a nice day, you’ll get a beautiful view of Lake Wakatipu and the mountains that surround it. Definitely worth the drive over, just be sure you check the road closures before you head over. In winter it’s often closed due to snow.

Arrowtown

The wee historic gold-mining town of Arrowtown is just a 15-minute drive from Queenstown and is well worth spending the morning or afternoon there. The main street is dotted with cute, boutique shops, ice cream parlours and restaurants, and while it can get quite busy during the peak seasons, it’s still an enjoyable half-day out.

Cardrona

You’ve probably seen this hotel a hundred times online. It’s a famous stopping point after you’ve come over the Crown Range headed towards Wanaka. It’s a great wee spot to take a break and check out the old buildings, grab a drink at the pub, visit the little shop next door and snap some Instagram-worthy photographs.

Day trip to Glenorchy

Where Wanaka, Cardrona and the Crown Range are all north of Queenstown township, if you head the other way, south-west, you’ll arrive at the end of the road and the small town of Glenorchy.

While we managed to arrive and leave in the rain, we did take a mandatory photo outside the little red shed with the Glenorchy sign above it, and we did a short walk along one of the walking trails. Had we had longer, we could have looked into doing a longer walk, and I would have dragged my friend along to Lothlorien Forest, which is actually in the Mt Aspiring National Park.

Alas, it was not to be for us. But exploring the surrounding Glenorchy area is riff for gentle exploration.

BONUS: Skyline Gondola (but with a caveat)

Hot tip: don’t bother going up the Gondola on a cloudy day. If you can’t see the views, there’s very little point.

A trip up the Skyline Gondola is fun if a) you haven’t been up a Gondola before, and b) you’re going to spend some time at the luge at the top (or go bungy jumping!). But if you’ve already seen the view of Queenstown from the Crown Range road or you’ve flown in on a good day, I would think twice about going up. Sure the views (again, on a good day) are beautiful, but the cost is a lot if you’re just going to look at the view. There is a buffet diner at the top, and a shop or two but after about a half-hour we were done.

---

Despite it being the Adventure Capital, there are still many things you can do if throwing yourself off platforms or being driven around a lake at high-speed is not for you (I get it).

Next time you head to Queenstown, what will you do? What else can you add to this list?