Sights and Food in Queenstown

The best thing to do in Queenstown is stroll along Lake Wakatipu.

Particularly at sunset.

The Remarkables poking up all around you. Nature is all around.

There's something magical. Young people are drinking on the pebbled beach.

The tourists make for great people watching. And live music drifts out of bars. Having a drink at any of the places along the pier is a good idea.

And, yes, there are a hundred other things you can do in Queenstown proper. It's a ski resort town, and in the summer, its adventure land. You can go speedboating, zip lining, and bungee jumping, just to name a few things. We were there for Glenorchy Road, so we didn't feel the need to pay for extra excursions. But they are plentiful.

And there's some delicious food in Queenstown. Starting with my favorite meal during our stay, the clam chowder at The Bathhouse. The Bathhouse is one of those restaurants to not have good food because it's quaint and slightly fancy inside, plus it's right on the pebble beach overlooking the water and the Remarkables. Hubs had a salad that had a fun presentation.

Ice cream at Patagonia. The flavor I picked on a whim was mascarpone and fruits of the forest. Seriously, one of the best scoops of ice cream I've ever had and I'm the kind of girl who likes chocolate in her desserts. I just spelled "dessert" as "desert," but I like chocolate in my deserts, too.

Had a couple good meals and great beers on draft at Pub on Wharf. Had the 3hr. slow-cooked beef, cheese plate, and ugly bread (two different meals).

Lucked out with some good live music both nights we ate there.

Truffles at Koko Black. The internet is telling me that this shop has since gone out of business in Queenstown, but they still have locations throughout Australia.

Let's talk for a minute about Fergburger. Okay, I'm not gonna knock the Ferg. My burger was fine.

But it was just fine. If you go to Fergburger and the line looks like this...

It's not worth waiting, IMO. We didn't wait to order at all. While we were eating the line grew and I snapped this shot. The appeal must be in the low cost and the number of options, which, yes, are good things. Other than that, I don't know. However, I do know that the gelato at Fergbaker, next door, is well worth checking out. Yum.

Had some really good pizza at The Cow. It's so dark and cozy inside, like a cabin in the woods. Perfect for chilly nights.

And the garlic bread was special, and could be a meal of its own.

Lake Pukaki Redux and Drive to Queenstown

We decided to squeeze in one more hike before we left Aoraki, we were so transfixed by the mountain and wanted to bask in its shadow as long as possible.

Tasman Glacier View was our selected hike. They were constructing stairs all the way up it, which were difficult to navigate around.

I'm sure by now, it's much easier.

The views at the top were beautiful, but the hike itself wasn't as fun as Hooker Valley.

The trail also offered great views of the valley and mountains in the opposite direction of Aoraki, where the snow melt flows into Lake Pukaki.

On the way back down Lake Pukaki, it was a much clearer day than our journey up.

I like this anamorphic shot.

The pointy peak in the center is Aoraki, clearly visible today.

We drove through picturesque, diverse landscapes along the way.

On the way to Queenstown, we stopped in Arrowtown for lunch and a stroll.

It's a cute little town formed during a gold rush, and it has lots of little shops. We had a solid lunch at The Fork and Tap, where we could sit outside in the shade and listen to the birds sing. It was a wonderful setting. I'd drink many a beer there if I lived nearby.

A little further up the road, we pulled into Queenstown where remarkable experiences awaited.

Hiking the Hooker Valley Trail and Kea Point at Aoraki

So, this day is the hardest to narrow down the photos because it was six hours of solid beauty, and it's hard to narrow down.

But I will try, and probably fail.

Just be prepared for a lot of photos like this.

And like this.

You get the idea.

But let's backtrack to the pedestrian hotel shot. Aoraki right outside our hotel window.

That was a nice way to wake up.

We hiked the Hooker Valley Trail, which I highly, HIGHLY recommend to anyone of any fitness level. The trail is mostly flat. In fact, much of it has been given a boardwalk. So, it's the Yellow Brick Road, but instead of rufed poppies, you get this:

The trickiest parts of the trail are the suspension bridges.

There are a few of them and they can be a little scary depending on how well you do with heights. I do poorly, but there's weren't many people on the trail, and the bridges didn't move much if no one was on them.

At the end of the trail, you come to a small lake, right at the foot of Aoraki. There was still ice in it.

We had a gorgeous day, clear skies after the rain, but a little too much wind for a perfect reflection.

Okay, one last one because that lake was the best.

Then we started the hike back, the way we came.

We stopped at a picnic bench for lunch. One of the best lunches, ever.

Since the Hooker Valley Trail wasn't super strenuous, we hiked up to Kea Point.

The trail for Kea Point started near Hooker Valley, so we didn't even need to move our car. The hike up was rocky, looked like this the whole way.

The view was really pretty, overlooking a melted glacier. The etched cliffs were left as evidence.

And made our way back down.

Our dinner at Chamois was well-deserved. The food wasn't amazing, but with this view and booze (we caught the tail end of happy hour), the food didn't matter.

And those Aoraki stars.

Goodnight.

The Drive from Lake Tekapo to Aoraki

Woke up early to catch the sunrise.

Too many clouds, but it was still pretty. Then we packed up and hit the road. Just a shout-out to two restaurants we ate at in Lake Tekapo. I didn't include photos, but these places are both recommended and reasonably priced for the tourist town.

Reflections - Mushroom duo was great and their takeaway sandwiches for hikes and travel days were excellent. Plus it has a beautiful view of the lake whether you're inside or out.
Tin Plate - Pizza + Wine combo was delicious and excellent value.

Started the drive to Aoraki/Mt. Cook. Aoraki is the native name, like Denali and Mt. McKinley, which has now officially been renamed, so I'll stick with Aoraki. Getting to Aoraki, you have to round Lake Pukaki. Lake Pukaki, like Lake Tekapo, is another lake that hits you with its blue when you round the corner and first see it.

Notice the convergence of clouds and mountains in the center? That's where Aoraki is. So not a clear viewing day, but there's always the trip back. Hint, hint.

That blue, though.

And then we made it into Aoraki National Park.

As we climbed, the clouds rolled in.

The sun poked through from time to time.

We booked our accommodations somewhat last minute and the pricier Hermitage was the only hotel available in town. It started raining when we arrived, so we decided to have a chill afternoon spent reading. I finished Sherman Alexie's "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian," which was equally heartbreaking and funny and sorrowful and uplifting on any given page. What a beautiful book.

We also decided to eat at the Hermitage, again, since it was raining and we didn't want to go out. There are two dinner options: an expensive buffet that's loud and bustling, or an expensive a la carte restaurant that's much less crowded. We didn't need all-you-can-eat, plus the buffet didn't look great, so we went for the fancier, quieter restaurant. It was good. Hubs had venison and I had truffle soup with a side of roasted vegetables.

A nice, relaxing recovery day.