I had some time to kill before my flight out of QZN so I walked to the market and hung out for a…read morebit. It's quite a large outdoor space with a variety of mostly food, handmade items, and live music. Biga, a Neapolitan-style pizza stall was slinging pies made to order. Whitestone Cheese Co had samples of artisan cheese. There were fresh produce, bakery goods, chocolate, coffee, restrooms, water refill, and more. Hang out on the grass or picnic tables (the sun was strong and they had sunscreen free to use), or grab and go. Recommend if you're in the area.

On our "free" day in Queenstown, Mom and I decided to take a local bus and check out the…read moreRemarkables Park Farmers Market. The bus took us as far as the nearby shopping center, and from there it was easy enough to ask a local where to find the market. It was about 1/2 mile walk from the shopping center, just far enough to not be able to see signs from the parking lot where the bus dropped us off. I had never been to a farmers market outside of the U.S. before, and this the Remarkables market was amazing, and probably better than I could have ever imagined a farmers market to be. Set along what looked like newly developed roadways and open lots, the market was set in a big green meadow area. Cars parked on grassy areas around the market. There's a large 3-walled barn structure, an open air area, complete with some picnic tables with umbrellas, rustic planters with flowers in them and play areas for the kiddies. It looked like they built the space specifically for a farmer's market! The area was ringed by the Remarkables mountain range, and a few snow caps remained. It was so gorgeous!! There may have been 20 vendors at the market. Vendors sold everything from produce, prepared food, bread and muffin mixes, packaged salt seasonings, homemade Worcestershire sauce, raw meat and fish, farm fresh cheese, baked goods, preserves, honey, charcuterie, clothing and gift items. There was also musical entertainment. It was such a diverse collection and every single vendor as as nice as they come! As I expected, the produce was amazing! I took a photo of celery that was at least 24" long!! Mom and I were so tempted to buy all kinds of things, but since we were traveling, and soon to leave the country, we knew that we would have to be selective and also weren't sure what we'd be allowed to take with us to our next destination. We opted to only buy what we could eat for a nice picnic--salami, cheese, bread and a smoothie. All were so fresh and delicious! We sat at a table under an umbrella and soaked in some sun while enjoying watching the locals. A really nice touch was that at the picnic tables were a stack of newspapers for reading, and a huge bottle of sunscreen for anyone who might need some. The market is my favorite memory of our short stay in Queenstown.

Gorgeous place to spend a few hours. My husband and I stopped in as the first activity upon arrival…read morein Wanaka. The lavender was just starting to bloom upon our visit, a ton of other flowers were blooming as well. The farm has ample spots for pictures opportunities, the gardens are very picturesque! Our favorite part of the farm was looking at the animals (sheep, alpacas, highland cows)! Highly recommend visiting on a nice day.

We did the picnic experience here and loved it! We did get rained out sadly but the views are…read morebeautiful and everyone is extremely nice!

We had some extra time in the afternoon and decided to do a wine tasting. You must have a…read morereservation so reserve your spot before you head out. The road there is a bit scary but don't let it deter you. It's not meant for two cars and it's gravel so drive slowly and stay safe. We were early and joined two other couples in their tasting. It was a hoot. The lady who was our host was entertaining and very knowledgeable about the wine. We compared travel experiences with the other couples. Even found an Aussie Timberwolves fan. We bonded in our love of basketball. The grounds are beautiful, located between towering mountains and a deep river gorge. So glad we chose this place to try a variety or wines.

We headed to Chard Farm Winery, a picturesque spot located on a rugged, winding road with views of…read morethe Kawarau Gorge. You will miss this winery if you're not looking for it. Known for its elegant Pinot Noir and vibrant whites, Chard Farm delivered exceptional wines with every pour.

A beautiful winery set amidst soaring mountains producing elegant pinots, Pinot Gris and more…read more We visited Peregrine as a part of a tour with Matthew from NZ win tours. We had asked him to take us to small, boutique wineries where the passions of the winemaker combine with terroir to produce something special. This was our first stop. They specialize in Bio-dynamic farming techniques which you can taste in their wines. The award-winning Soaring building looks like the hideout for Dr No or some othe Bond character with a distinctive angled roof. Inside the tasting room is sleek and modern with a long tasting bar. We had the opportunity to taste quite a variety of wines including a delicious rose-that was delicious with fresh strawberry and was a light pink hue-would be perfect for summer. In addition we tried the Pinot Gris-signature wine-very refreshing; Chardonnay-buttery not my favorite and several Pinot noirs including 2011 and 2015 (fresh and ready to age)-promising. Finally we tasted the Saddleback pinot 2016 -much more red fruit, a bit jammy-great for a summer bbq. All in all a great winery with nice wines in a distinctive setting. Recommended

Probably our favorite stop today. The grounds are well manicured and the building design has…read morereceived architectural awards. It is very modern and sleek although not cozy like some of the other tasting rooms so it makes you feel like you can't really linger. Anyway, our tasting was free since we bought a bottle. The Rose was crisp and refreshing after riding bikes a few hours. This pinot was also quite tasty. 2 Reislings...one was the typical super sweet while the other was more balanced. In any case, we purchased a bottle of the Rose. Service was great. A must stop on the wine trail.

I absolutely loved my stay at The Farm Wanaka!…read more Tabatha and Jamie were absolutely darling! They personally welcomed and greeted us and gave us restaurant recommendations! The bed was very comfortable and there was a space heater just in case it got too cold. The room was adorable and comfortable! Bed was large and the room has a large window! There is a TV and fridge stocked with free yummy food, beer, and breakfast for the next day: yogurt, ham, cheese, milk, butter! The adorable tea service has a hot water heater, dry food, fruit, tea/coffee, milo! They also provide tons of activities and lawn games! The bathroom has a shower and a vintage cistern for the toilet! It's a little finicky but they provide instructions which makes it easy! There are lovely outdoor seating areas and picnic tables! You can see the rolling hills and the flocks of sheep! Tabatha also has two pet sheep and four pet cows! She provides you pellets so you can feed and pet them! They're incredibly friendly! Just watch out for the bull's horns! They're large! And watch out for the one electric wire! I zapped myself! But it was more funny than painful hahaha. Just one small issue popped up, which was that the WiFi was unreliable but it was wonderful and relaxing to be disconnected! Tabatha and Jamie were very kind and offered us late check-out! So darling! Absolutely love this bed and breakfast! We will definitely be back!

I heard that this place has real fruit ice cream so of course we had to give it a try. For a small…read moresize it's $4.50. You first order and pay at the counter inside and then you take your ticket to the stand where you can choose whether you want ice cream or yogurt as the base, and then pick 2 fruits from the list. I ordered the mango and passion fruit with a yogurt base. I will warn that they don't clean the machine in between making the next order so there is definitely some cross contamination going on, and you could taste a bit of whatever flavors the last person got. Another thing is that on the sign they said that they had a dairy free option which I was hoping to get but it turns out that they don't have a dairy free option, only ice cream and yogurt. Definitely rework that sign to be more accurate. If you're wanting to try some natural real fruit ice cream then this is the place to go to. Just know that you have to be able to tolerate lactose though.

We stopped at Jackson Farm for some fruit mixed Ice Cream which was pure bliss. Their ice cream is…read morea revelation, made with local fruits blended with cream or yogurt. Every spoonful feels like summer on your tongue. You choose whether you want cream or yogurt. Then you choose your fruit and they blend right there.

If you are looking for a true New Zealand experience accompanying luxurious self-contained…read moreaccommodation in beautifully architectural surroundings this is a must! From the comfort of your accommodation stroll out into the surrounding meadows and meet many NZ locals ,like sheep ,deer ,cattle and the chickens that laid the eggs you ate for breakfast.This is the raw farm stay,not some commercial accommodation. Hosted by through and through farmers (cockies) Win and Henrick that will have you staying on their place, farmed as an operating sheep, deer and cattle farm. Enjoy!