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.

I had an amazing time (I thought this was more fun than skydiving)! There is a free shuttle that…read morecan take you to the river from Queenstown. Our jet boat driver Maddie (not sure if spelled correctly) was so much fun and also taught us a little bit about the history and mechanics of jet boating. These guys are the only people allowed in this part of the river so you don't have to share space with anyone else. The scenery is beautiful and the boat ride is thrilling. A must do in Queenstown!

Absolutely loved our Shotover Jet ride! Even more fun and exciting than I expected, with awesome…read more360 spins and zipping past rocks and the sides of the canyon. Scenery was beautiful. I don't remember our driver's name but she was an awesome Japanese lady who was an amazing driver and kept up a comedic dialogue with us the entire time. Highly recommend doing this!

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.

We chose Jucy because we figured we'd take advantage of the half-priced driver promo…read more The cruise wasn't busy at all. We had originally booked the 9:45am departure but decided it was just too early. I actually emailed them and it was changed to 11:45am by their customer service rep (thanks again!). We paid the difference in price upon arrival at the ferry terminal. Since the rain was ongoing, we actually preferred a shorter trip. Some of the other companies offer a longer cruise at a slightly higher price. We were happy with what we got. The weather... It was rough. The views though, gorgeous. The waterfalls were probably at their maximum due to the rainfall. I stayed outside for most of the time on the second level where there was coverage. This was not a five star only because I think if they actually reached capacity (200 people) it really would not have been enjoyable. Under our conditions and circumstances, it was a solid 4 star experience. The captain was very friendly and I was able to chat with him for a bit. That was cool.

Awesome trip, the company/driver will to their best to make it as memorable as possible…read more Limited time long day so stops are bit hurtied at some times but understandable why. Would recommend to get the buffet lunch or even if you have a time pack your own or bring something you would enjoy, we got the rolls/burritos and they were just Okey.

We had a nice leisurely & not overly crowded cruise around the lake. Beautiful scenery,…read moreKnowledgable & funny skipper. There is snacks + drink on board. Plenty of opportunities for photo ops & history of the city. We really enjoyed this tour!

My niece and her husband flew from Wellington to join us on Million Dollar Cruise, which sails Lake…read moreWakatipu. They had paid for it but surprised us when they told us what they had planned! I hadn't seen my niece since 1996! We had excellent weather, considering it was late October. Prior to boarding we saw the captain feeding Brown and Rainbow trouts and it was interesting in how the fish quickly surfaced to feed. We saw the Remarkables towering above, tranquil Willow Island, Million Dollar lakeside homes and golf course, and the Kawarau Falls Dam. All in all, it was a great cruise and we enjoyed it - not crowded and beautiful scenery and lots of great photo ops. Nice 90-minute tour.

This was one of the most fun things I've done. The premise is that you're in this boat with a big…read moreengine. The driver speeds along the river and does spins at full speed. Everyone gets wet and a good time is had by all.

We did the Dart River Wilderness Jet trip this morning and had an excellent experience! This is…read morewell worth the money! We did the 9:00am tour and enjoyed the 3 hour trip, which included a 4WD bus ride, pleasant nature walk, and most importantly, a jet boat journey up the Dart River with amazing views! The mountains, waterfalls, trees, and waters all made for incredible sights along our boat ride. Our boat driver, Ethan, shared useful information about the area and took us on a fun and memorable tour. And the boat is unique in that it can operate in 4 inch water depth - very cool! This is a fantastic trip that came recommended to us by a local - we are so glad we did it! Skip anything on the lake right near Queenstown and do this instead for a more unique experience and spectacular views.

Super fun first rafting trip for me!…read more I'll admit I was very anxious at first. I get very motion sick and I have a terror of the open water because of how sea sick I can get. BUT... my husband kept telling me that if his 60+ year old grandma could do it way back when... what am I supposed to be afraid of? This operation is very safe. They get you into a two piece wet suit, water shoes, a helmet and a lifevest on. Really, you're SUPER safe. Once you're in your gear, they take you on a drive through the canyon (about 45 minutes) and then set you up for a 1.5-2 hour rafting experience through Shotover Canyon! Our guide, Adam, was great. We didn't flip (thankfully, since I was terrified) and I had an overall great time. I did slightly roll on my ankle but that's more on my form than anything else. After 2 days, I'm on a quick road to recovery. Thanks for the first experience! I'll be doing this more in the future!

What is it with rafting guides? There must be a checkbox during their job interview that asks Rate…read moreyourself on an asshole scale of 1-10. They all seem so bitter to be taking care of tourists....But when you give it back, they get really butthurt.....I guess that happens when you live off Ramen and gut rot beer. Anyway, we were lucky enough to Grace as our boat guide and she was awesome! She asked loads of questions and seemed wholly interested in our boat of 6 but she was also no nonsense and stern when it came to our safety. She practiced with us over and over how to navigate the boat however I think we were all aware that she was doing the majority of the work. The whole set up was fine....board a bus from Queenstown. Get to a shop where you get your wetsuit, helmet, booties, and vest. This is the area where you just shake your head listening to many of these asshats berate their clients in their effort to be witty. Changing rooms with one locker for your valuables. Then another bus ride to the start of the river where you get an extensive safety talk...much appreciated. Hop in and you're off for 2 hours. Afterwards, there is a hot shower room before bussing it back to the city. Again...Grace the guide....made it great!

Did the Milford Sound cruise with charter from Queenstown. It was unbelievable!!! 11/10!! Yoda was…read morethe driver and very good at it. Ellie was the tour guide and provided the best commentary along the drive to the cruise. You get the chance to stop at the most iconic, picturesque stops along the way. They also give you upgrade options for the commute back, like small plane or helicopter. I decided last minute to try the helicopter return tour and Ellie scrambled to make it happen as you need at least four others to join. Turned out that another bus had some interested passengers and I was pleasantly surprised when I returned from the cruise that she had it lined up!!! Wow, epic trip especially for those wanting to experience the country side outside of Queenstown. HIGHLY recommend!!!

Great tour of the lake with the backdrop of stunning snow clad mountains…read more Lunch on board was very good. Main course is a meat lovers platter which of beef cheeks, pork spare rib and slow cooked lamb - all delicious Friendly staff with informative commentary

WOW! Fantastic helicopter ride to land on a glacier! Pilot was informative, friendly, and very…read morenice. The helicopter takes 6 people and we had a turn sitting in the front on the way back. The views even from the back, were spectacular. I would thoroughly recommend this company. They do pickups from hotels, or there are a few parking spaces right outside their building. It was a wonderful experience, lasted about an hour, and I'm so glad we did it!

Completely agree with the previous reviews from Tas & Timothy, Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters…read morewas a once in a lifetime experience that I highly recommend to anyone visiting Queenstown. We arranged a roundtrip helicopter flight to Milford Sound with a two hour cruise ($945.00 NZ) in early January 2017. There high reviews, perfect safety record, and updated helicopter fleet were some of the main reasons we decided to go with them. Our initial flight was canceled, however, Glacier Southern was able to have us rebooked for the following afternoon flight with the caveat that it was unlikely we would do a glacier landing, but instead do some sort of alpine landing. Upon checking in, we were introduced to our "special" pilot, Alfie Speight, who was the filming pilot for several Hollywood movies - The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings. Flight over the mountains from Queenstown was beautiful, and the views over Lake Wakatipu and Glenorchy were amazing. Alfie pointed out various sights/trails along the way, and was more than happy to answer any questions regarding the helicopter, terrain, landmarks, or films he had been involved in. The highlight of the flight was landing on a glacier, where we spent 15-20 minutes enjoying the views and snow. We continued our journey towards Milford Sound with an amazing approach to the airfield with what seemed like just a few feet over the tree tops. We spent the next two hours on a two hour cruise that heads out to the Tasman Sea. Views were amazing on the cruise. Do bring a jacket as it was a little chilly going out with the wind coming towards us. The return had us stopping to see New Zealand Fur Seals and a large waterfall. After the cruise we all hopped back into the helicopter for the return journey to Queenstown. The helicopter trip to Milford Sound with Alfie and Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters is not to be missed. These guys were truly professional the entire way!

Heli Tours is probably one of the greatest ways to see Milford Sound, beautiful Queenstown, and…read moreglaciers so quickly! It is a bit pricey, but definitely worth the $$$$! We booked our tour through Happy Travels in downtown Queenstown for the fly+cruise+fly package! Our tour details: 9am - We called ahead to make sure the weather was good to fly and our trip was not going to get canceled. There was a Heli Tours van that picked us up from our hotel in Queenstown! 9:15am - We got to the Heli Tours office and waited for 2 more people to arrive. 9:30am - Our tour was suppose to start at 9:30am sharp, but the other folks never showed up. 9:45am - Only 4 of us, including the pilot (Ben)! It was so awesome!! There was a quick safety briefing. We got on the heli and we were all super excited to be in a heli for the very first time! Ben did some commentary, but it was honestly difficult to hear everything he was saying. Also the window had our reflections so it was a bit difficult to take pictures through the window clearly. We flew over many beautiful rivers and mountains. 10:25am - When we landed in Milford, Ben escorted us onto the bus that took us to where the boats were. We hopped onto a small boat for our 10:45am departure with about 20 other people and they had a sectioned off area for the Heli Tours group inside the boat!! There was free tea/coffee and chocolate cookies. I really enjoyed the cruise through Milford Sound and because we were on a smaller boat, we got to go up close to the waterfalls!! Got a free shower too! LOL! 11:45am - After the cruise, Ben escorted us back onto the bus heading back towards the helipads! 12:30pm - Landed on a glacier! Took a bunch of photos! It was quite the experience! The fluffiest powder of snow I've ever felt and stepped in! It was so fresh!!! Unbelievable! 1:00pm - Headed back and flew over towards Queenstown 1:30pm - Arrived back at the Heli Tours office by the airport 1:45pm - Got a van ride back to our hotels 2:00pm - Arrived at our hotel It was definitely one of the greatest experiences ever. If you can afford a helicopter ride to see Queenstown/Milford, it's by far the best way to see so much in a short amount of time! This tour was really great because we got escorted throughout our tour and we were well taken care of! Ben was a great pilot and he made everyone get a chance to sit up front! I only wished they somehow had a Milford/Doubtful Sound tour! That would be so worth it since I haven't seen any tour group have both in one day! TIPS: - If you do book this tour, I recommend booking it thru Happy Travels. - Wear sunscreen and apply frequently (I got sunburned) and bring sunglasses! Wear appropriate shoes for the wet boat ride and the snowy glacier. Layer because it gets hot inside the helicopter and then it's quite cold outside the boat and on the glacier!