My girlfriend and I had an awesome morning with Erwan (the guide) and his mountain shredders! In 5…read moreminutes on the training area, we were already trying wheelies and drifting it! He then took us to an amazing track in between a wineyard. The sun was shining, the air was pure, the landscapes amazing and the FUN was real! I recommend it to anyone looking for an adrenaline rush or even for a family cruise as the speed is easily controlled.. Thanks Erwan, and see you next time!!

10/10 would do it again! Booked the experience at the dock which they have a map showing you the…read moreexact route with some key landmarks you'll get to see. They run trips every hour, on the hour so you'll very likely to get on at the top of the hour or that day, for sure. The guide (Charles), was fun and had a great sense of humor! You'll get spun around at high speeds so be prepared. They stop about 3-4 times for you to stand up and take pics, learn fun facts or for the path to clear since some of the route is tight. You can take pics but be aware that it is water that is underneath the boat lol! They offer a video and picture service as well where you can order memories of your experience. Overall I'd give this 10 stars if I could!

My husband and I had our Fijorland trip cancelled due to weird weather and we didn't have a backup…read moreplan. We decided to give this a try. It was fun and a nice way to learn some things about the area (like the houses that get more sunlight in the winter cost over 1 million dollars due to more time to air dry their clothes), as well as get a little closer to the Remarkables. They will notify you when they are about to pull a hard 360 turn, so you can hang on (the metal hand rails are heated- mmm). I can see young (not too young) kids and even grandparents enjoying this. If you aren't someone who like too big of adrenaline rushes- try this one out.

Great Experience! Cruise ride, buffet, show and farm animals!…read more We did they evening bbq dinner (not Texas bbq, don't expect bbq sauce, they mean grilled meats) Cruise: the was relaxing, they had a bar areas with snacks, drinks and food options to buy Dinner: There are a wide variety of food (salads, bread cheese, appetizers, meats and desserts) you'll find something you'll like. It was a buffet style, the meats were lamb, chicken and venison Show: they sheer a sheep in front you and give you background knowledge Animals: once the show is done you can head to the gift shop or see the animals Overall great evening dinner experience HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Taking a leisurely cruise on the TSS Earnslaw along the majestic Lake Wakatipu is something not to…read moremiss while visiting Queenstown. The TSS Earnslaw is a 120+ year old coal steamship that is maintained almost exactly to how it was at that time. It's quite a large vessel at 48 meters long with two levels. You can access almost the entire ship. There's a top view the engine room to see the coals being shoveled into the furnace while also feeling the heat! There's a cafe where you can purchase food, coffee, and drinks with a good amount of tables to sit, a small museum/photo gallery of its history, and just where ever you are on the ship, you will always have amazing views of the pristine Lake Wakatipu and the mountain range. It can be windy, and the stairs can be steep and slippery, so be careful. You can purchase tickets on their website, or at the RealNZ Visitor Centre ticket counter located at the wharf along Beach Street. There are other activities you can add on with your cruise, such as the Walter Peak Farm Tour (with afternoon tea), a Gourmet BBQ Dinner at Walter Peak's Homestead Restaurant, or an Eco Experience where you tour the farm's gardens and grounds. In other words, the TSS Earnslaw's destination is Walter Peak High Country Farms, which you can partake in activities, or walk around yourself and catch the next ride. Overall, this was a very fun and enjoyable experience, and a must do while visiting Queenstown. The whole cruise was 90 minutes. It was a smooth ride, and the food and coffee is more than acceptable. The staff were friendly.

Easy access. Full spring powder day. Bar and food limited but nice people and zero crime. Day one…read moreof three.

The best skiing I have ever experienced there was lots of snow due to frequent storms plenty of…read moreblue bird days and high quality skiing 5 STARS

Queenstown Airport was our point of entry into NZ this time and its scenic setting makes this a…read morebeautiful airport to transit. If you're lucky then you'll get to see Lake Wakatipu and the snow capped mountain ranges on the way in or out. This airport doesn't have jetways to deplane the passengers but the walk across the tarmac lets one soak in more of the surrounding mountains. After retrieving our luggage, we then had to queue in lines according to what we declared on the NZTD form (international arrivals). You can fill out the NZTD online in advance and skip filling out the paper version on the plane. The longest line were those of us who said yes to something like food, medicine, wilderness visit (camping more specifically), etc. Depending on your answers to the agents questions you were either allowed to proceed to the electronic immigration gates or redirected to another line for more screening. I just wished there were more open lines since this was the slowest arrival step. Rental car counters were grouped all together near the airport exit. We had to walk around five minutes to reach the cars which were past the taxi stand. Exiting the airport with our rental was ok but the main road was under construction heading towards the center. Luckily we returned the rental to Christchurch and avoided the return headache.

We arrived in NZ via Auckland but flew out of Queenstown. This smaller airport is very easy to…read moremaneuver. We had a rental car and it was pouring rain so Husband dropped me off with luggage and then dropped off car since there was a bit of a walk from rental car spot to ticketing area. We flew Quantas. Lots of baggage tag kiosks. Everything self serve. Not really any lines (we were there at 5am). At the gate area, there was one coffee shop open, Fuel to Fly, and I was grateful for that so I could get a latte and breakfast bar. There was plenty of seating in the gate area and we took off on time. Great experience.

Counter staff was certainly not very welcoming or helpful, or else this would be a five-star…read morerating. Thankfully, our "pilot" (Dean) was a far more personable representative, not to mention his skill in steering our wickedly fast boat. Winds created quite a bit of chop on the lake, and the sands were blowing, but it was still a very fun experience. The landscape is beautiful, and there are opportunities to learn quite a bit about the surrounding area. Admittedly though, my favorite parts were carving and skidding our way along the waters of the Dart. I would love to try my hand at piloting that boat! Worried about getting wet? The complimentary spray jackets provide superb protection for your torso and arms. Yes, you will likely get a bit of spray on your head and face, but all that whipping through the wind at breakneck speeds will help dry you right off!

We had a fun & adventurous ride along the Dart river on a jet boat. We booked the afternoon tour…read morethe same morning & I'd recommend not waiting. We were looking at the funyaking however they were all sold out & we were thankful the jet boats weren't as well! It's very popular activities & we did the drive and meet there. Glenorchy is a cute town, we had a quick bite and then met our group. We had a great and fun experience and would 10/10 recommend adding some fun to your trip.

Zip trek ecotours did an excellent job helping us zip line down the mountain in Queenstown…read more Initially, I was very scared as I have never zip lined in my life and harbor a fear of heights. However, I truly had nothing to fear as the adrenaline and awesomeness of zip lining down a mountain quickly overwhelms your senses. Zip lining is fairly safe as the guides equip you with a helmet and harness. One guide zips to the bottom of the run to make sure they are ready to brake you when you reach the bottom. The guides check your harness and straps before sending you down the stairs. And yes, you do initiate the zipping by walking yourself off the steps to no where. The guide also shows you some neat tricks for the more adventurous, such as zipping backwards or upside down. I wasn't quite brave enough to try the upside down trick but the group seemed to have lot of fun doing it. Ziptrek also gives you tidbits of information on increasing conservation efforts of natural resources in between each zip line. Although nothing truly new is learned, it's admirable that the company is trying to be ecologically sound with their business. The six line tour is the best, since your last line is the steepest zip line in the world. You do take a small hike down the mountain inbetween the 5th and 6th lines. This can be a bit hard on your knees. There are also no railings so if you are the cautious type, move to the back of the group. A truly fun and awesome experience that made me realize I am no longer scared of heights. Take a chance and try this sport. You won't regret it!

Well HELLO QUEENSTOWN! Definitely a pretty amazing introduction to this quaint little ski town!…read more The second my friend and I got off the plane, we taxied over to Queenstown and went straight for an information desk (I would review the bitch of a lady at the desk but this isn't the right yelp page for that). We signed up for Zip trek zip linning immediately, but seriously, immediately, we signed up for the 11am trek (4 zips, as opposed to 6) and it was 10:30! Up the gondola (which costs $30- you can get discounted rates if you buy luge tickets too) and to the left in the dense trees (down a little hill, we got lost ha ha) there you'll find the check in for Ziplining! We were harnessed and placed in a group of 5 other people and then we were off! We had two guides taking care of everything, they tightened our harnesses, latched us on the ropes and told us exactly what to do when we were ready to ZIP! I have never been zip lining before in my life... And if you're the type to get a stomach knot when riding a Rollercoaster or a water flume at an amusement park like me, be warned, you'll experience that knot the first 2 or 3 zips! Oh and if you're scared of heights, yaaaaaa just don't go to Queenstown since the biggest tourist attractions in this town are sky diving, bungee jumping, paragliding and ziplining! While I experienced some stomach knots and can remember myself thinking WTF AM I DOING during the first zip, my fears subsided a little bit as we carried on. At each tree house the guides would talk to us a bit about sustainability (you've been warned, if you don't like that kind of stuff) and at the last tree house, we were told that some of our admission $ would be donated to a charity. Zipping through the trees and donating to charity? Can't say that's a bad thing!!! When we were done with our 4 zips, we had to hike back up, not a terrible hike but if you're not In shape.... You may wish that Ziptrek offered mules to ride up on! Whether you do the 4 or 6 zips, you'll get stunning views of Queenstown, a little history, a little sustainability information and loads of funny memories.... They take your picture at some lines and let's just say, my first picture involved a SPREAD EAGLE.... The guides will probably keep that photo and post it on the wall of embarrassing fame, if they have one.... Ha Ha Ha, but I could care less! ;)

VISIT: end of February 2020 TOUR: Glenorchy Islands Safari…read moreTour BOOKING: We booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards, booking also available directly through their site GREAT FOR BEGINNERS: 5 stars EXPERIENCE: wayy more than 10 stars TOUR GUIDE: 5 stars This was probably one of the most life changing and beautiful things I have ever done. When we started coming across Kayak tours, my husband was very excited, but I was a bit nervous as I have never kayaked (neither has he haha). I could not be more happy that our first kayak experience was THIS and with these guys. The owner picked us up from our hotel and drove us to the spot and was very friendly and knowledgeable. We were able to leave stuff in the van, if needed and they were able to accommodate and bring things in the kayak that we'd like with waterproof bags, etc. We got extremely lucky and the water was like glass and just absolutely beautiful this day. Our tour guide did a great job of explaining the kayaks and where we would be going, sharing great stories of the islands and history of New Zealand. I am so impressed with the New Zealand way of life with our tour guide saying that a lot of what he talked about he learned in school - which in America we wouldn't learn that extensively about our environment. He was also so patient and willing to stop when we wanted to take our many photos :O) We stopped on an island where he talked about the history of the island, the plants and the animals. I saw a review that said they didn't like this part and I can see how some wouldn't. But if you keep an open mind and submerge yourself into the culture and what the tour guide is talking about, my husband and I loved it and it had some spectacular views! I should also note that it was just our tour guide in his kayak and us in another. As this was RIGHT before the pandemic started reaching these areas we had a private tour. FOOD/DRINKS: our tour guide did have snacks and drinks in his kayak with him BATHROOMS: there is a small port-a-potty type toilet right as you get to the kayaks (where you get in them/out of them) BEGINNERS: I highly recommend them for beginners, as we were. I was extremely apprehensive when booking this trip, but cannot be thankful enough that we ended up with Rippled Earth.