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New Zealand

Queenstown + Arrowtown

Queenstown is the adventure capital of the world and there is no shortage of things to see and do. A 30-minute drive will take you past Glenorchy to "paradise"- the most beautiful place we've ever been. A 30-minute drive in the other direction takes you to Arrowtown, an old gold mining town.

Restaurants:

  • The Fat Lamb (casual) -

    • This was one of our best meals in New Zealand, surprisingly. Not frilly but gourmet flavor - hearty, well cooked food. More

  • Fergburger (fast casual) -

    • Ranked the best burger with good reason! There will be a wait but it's well worth it. More

  • Devil Burger (fast casual) -

    • Not as good as Fergburger, but a good alternative if the Ferg line is too long; also has good vegetarian options.​ More

  • Rata (upscale) - 

    • Great for a date night in Queenstown. Upscale but not stuffy. Delicious food, beautifully plated.​ More

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Activities:

  • Drive around! Go to Glenorchy and find Paradise, drive to the Routeburn Track and hike. Soak in the views.

  • Bungee jumping wasn't for us but is very popular there, as well as every other extreme sport.

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Skip:

  • Cookie Time -

    • This place offers cookie dough in lieu of ice cream and is known for their cookies, but we found them a bit lacking.​

Cromwell + Twizel

Cromwell is the fruit bowl of the south island and also part of the wine region. It's worth spending at least a day here. Then drive 1.5 hours to Twizel for at least one night so you can see one of the best night sky scenes in the world (if you're lucky with the weather and it's not a full moon).

Restaurants:

  • Amigos Mexican Grill (Cromwell, casual) -

    • Outstanding tacos! More

  • Bannockburn Hotel Restaurant (upscale) -

    • A lovely restaurant with tapas-style food. They have a car service and will pick you up/drop you off for free at your hotel.​ More

  • Poppies Cafe (Twizel, casual/upscale) -

    • American/International-style food with an Asian twist to some of the flavors. We were very pleasantly surprised. This is a great place to come for dinner in Twizel. More

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Activities:

  • Roaring Wine Tour -

    • Owned and led by a sommelier, this full day wine tour was excellent! Bring snacks though because lunch is a large cheese plate. More​

  • Fruit Stands​ -

    • As the fruit bowl of the south island, Cromwell is home to tons of fruit stands/stores - enjoy the bounty.​

  • Lake Pukaki -​​

    • Gorgeous glacial lake with Mount Cook in the background; only 20 minutes from Twizel​

  • ​Night Sky Gazing -

    • Twizel is one of the few remaining "dark sky" areas. If it's cloudy when you go to bed, set an alarm for 2am, it's worth it. If you can avoid it, don't go during a full moon because the sky won't be as dark.​

Wanaka

Beautiful lakeside town with charming downtown area filled with shopping and restaurants.

Restaurants:

  • Wanaka Gourmet Kitchen (upscale) -

    • They are known for their signature lamb dish and it delivers (definitely big enough to share - we couldn't finish it). Everything is tasty and fresh, and the ambiance is nice. If you want to go, make a reservation because it's a small restaurant. More

  • Big Fig (casual) -

    • Great spot for lunch. Tons of healthy options for vegan/vegetarian or meat eaters. You pick the size of your plate and then fill it up with whatever you want. Delicious and nutritious. More

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Activities:

  • Lake Wanaka Yacht Charters - 

    • We had an excellent time learning to sail with Randall (American). He has lots of options for ways to spend the day on gorgeous Lake Wanaka - be aware though that it's a glacial lake, so it's quite cold.​ More

  • Wanaka Tree - 

    • Go take a picture at sunrise and/or sunset. It's beautiful and everyone does it for a reason.​

  • Lake Hawea -

    • Gorgeous glacial lake near Wanaka, worth sight-seeing or hiking​

Glaciers

New Zealand is home to a few glaciers on mountaintops that you can helicopter to and hike around. While it's cool in theory, it can also be skipped. We went to Fox Glacier.

Restaurants:

  • Matheson Cafe (casual) -

    • One of the best meals we had in New Zealand! The food was perfectly cooked and well balanced. More

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Activities:

  • Fox Glacier - 

    • A massive glacier on top of a mountain. The only way to get there is by helicopter. They'll take you up and then you can hike​ around with a guide for 2-6 hours depending on which package you book. They provide boots, pants, jackets, and gloves if needed. If it looks gray on the mountain, we recommend bringing gloves and a hat since it was a lot colder than they told us it would be. Be aware that your trip will be cancelled if the weather is at all inclement but they have a good refund policy. Honestly it is a bit boring after the novelty wears off, so unless you're intrepid, the shortest tour is long enough. More

  • Lake Matheson - 

    • Gorgeous lake tucked away in a beautiful forest. Walk the manicured path around the lake and enjoy all the views. On a clear day, you can see the mountain reflected in the lake.​

Insider Tips

Pro Tips - Rent or hire a car (or campervan)! Visit New Zealand for its physical beauty, which is best enjoyed from a car. They drive on the left side of the road, but the roads are mostly empty, so it's not too hard to drive. Every mile or so is a marked path you can pull over and go for a hike - it would be a shame to miss out on this by flying everywhere.

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LGBT - Sets the gold standard for gay travel; seems to be accepted/welcomed everywhere.

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Bathrooms - Fine - depends on where you are. There are public toilets along the road and they tend to be fine; may want to bring antiseptic.

 

ATMs - Get some cash at the airport from an ATM on arrival. Credit cards are accepted everywhere.

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Water - Tap water is potable most places.

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Tipping - Most places had a communal tip jar - so it was totally discretionary.

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