Queenstown

Queenstown’s adrenaline junkie image preceeds it and certainly the majority of its visitors appear to be young 18-30 something backpackers (or oddly - rich Chinese coach tourists). Thrill seeking by day and partying by night. We therefore weren’t at all sure that it was going to be of much interest to us but were pleasantly surprised.

Queenstown is a very pretty lakeside town with a trendy vibe to it. There are lots of bars and restaurants with enough choice for all tastes. It has an alpine ski resort feel to it, being a gateway to the Remarkables Ski Area. I’m sure that it was once much more of a backpackers haven but, in my opinion, it is losing its edge and becoming too touristy. Virtually every street corner has an office where you can book your bungee jumping, jet boating, sky diving and any other death defying madness your crazy mind might wish to partake in. On the other street corner is a designer shop or vastly overpriced souvenir shop catering for the new influx of Chinese visitors. That said, there are some hidden gems to be found and a slower pace if you look hard enough.

We took a gondola up to the top of Bob’s Peak, which provides a wonderful vantage point across the town and lake. Thomas, at just 8 months old was fascinated by his gondola ride and I’m certain older children would enjoy it even more so. There is even a (relatively tame) “luge” ride suitable for most ages at the top should you wish to have some fun up there but for those just wishing to relax there is a rather nice bar with a view in the ground floor restaurant (avoid the upstairs cafeteria).

At the foot of the mountain is a bird life conservation park with kiwis and feeding times should you be interested. It sounded very good and suitable for all ages although we gave it a miss as it was pretty expensive.

Fergburger is possibly one of the most notorious eateries in town, serving any variety of burger you can possibly imagine. Given that we are self catering in our camper van we were going to give the restaurants a miss but a recommendation from my brother at home (and sheer laziness) convinced us to give it a try. We were not disappointed. The hype is well deserved. However, a top tip for you all - Fergburger has long queues and virtually nowhere to sit. “Perky's” is a new cafe bar opened on a boat in the harbour. As well as being really quite a fun, quirky place to have a drink, it also allows you to bring your own food aboard. Buy your Fergburger and walk around the corner to sit in comfort eating it aboard the boat with a pint! Then go back and have another beer or two there when passing. It has become a bit of a favourite of ours. Good beer and friendly staff in a unique and beautiful setting.

Lastly, if you happen to be passing by Queenstown for a prolonged time or are flying in and out of here check out www.totsontour.co.nz. I discovered this place by accident whilst here. It is right next to the airport and for NZ$35 (about £20) I was able to hire a big box of age appropriate toys for Thomas for the duration of our stay. What a fantastic idea! They also rent car seats, pushchairs, travel cots and anything else you might need whilst here.

We have enjoyed our stay here but personally I prefer the smaller, less touristy Wanaka which is about an hour away and not yet spoilt. I’m still glad we came here and today spent our last afternoon in the sunshine listening to some mellow live music at The World Bar with our friend, Emma.