Suggested Itineraries
It can be hard at the best of times to create a unique and styled itinerary dependant on a clients requests. The following will give you some suggestions to use as a basic template or to overlay differing aspects from one to the other itinerary to ensure you are creating the perfect suggested itinerary each and every time.
SUGGESTED ITINERARIES
Inspiration
A world heritage park with mountains, valleys, crystal clear waterways and verdant green forests stretching as far as the eye can see. A scenic flight offers some idea of the vastness of this southern wilderness. Perhaps your inspiration can be drawn from a round of golf...from the immaculately groomed greens of a resort course through to fairways kept in check by a flock of high country merinos, this region has a round for every style of golfer. Just minutes walk from downtown Queenstown is a 10 minute scenic gondola ride to Bob’s Peak for iconic views across Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu. The 45 minute drive along Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy must be one of the worlds most scenic. Stop at Bennetts Bluff to take in fantastic views of glacial landforms. Once in Glenorchy, the valleys and river flats beg exploration by horseback. For sheer majesty a trip to Milford Sound is essential.
Adventure
The most sedentary of visitors will have trouble avoiding adventure in this part of the world. Take the helm aboard an authentic America's Cup yacht and explore Lake Wakatipu. Bungy jumping and jetboating are the classic Queenstown adventure activities, but many are the ways to raise adrenaline levels. Skydiving or rafting are amazing ways to take in the view from air or water with little fitness required while heli mountain biking, or tramping into the wilderness require a bit more exertion.
Indulgence
Holidays are about you and a little indulgence is an essential element. Queenstown is blessed with several day spas where you can be pampered, pummelled, bathed and lathered with a variety of unguents all designed to make you feel beautiful, special and indulged. The truly serious can employ a personal trainer to help. Once the work is done, a wine trail into Gibbston could be considered essential. Here grow the grapes that become some of the world’s finest pinot noir and the valley is also home to several fine winery restaurants – mother lodes of pleasure and indulgence.
Romance
The clear mountain air, beautiful vistas and starry night sky lend themselves to a romantic escape. The possibilities are endless. Consider a helicopter ride delivering you and your love for a picnic on a peak, or a dawn hot air balloon flight followed by a champagne breakfast. Dinner under the stars takes on new meaning when the Milky Way’s brightness is undimmed by artificial light so take your love for dinner at a high country sheep station or aboard a luxury boat on an overnight cruise deep in Fiordland’s Doubtful Sound.
Heritage & Culture
People have been drawn to this region since the first Maori visited circa the 11th century. Maori were followed by farmers, gold miners then tourists. Each has left a rich vein of evidence of their time here providing a fascinating journey of discovery for the modern visitor. Gold panning in the Arrow River, a walk around the humble homes of the nearby Chinese Village followed by a visit to Arrowtown’s Lakes District Museum powerfully evokes the hardships faced by the goldminers and their families. A steamboat trip across Lake Wakatipu or a trip on the Kingston Flyer steam train revisits and reveals a more gracious era. A tour of the Wakatipu Arts Trail outlines the creativity of the modern resident while many locally produced events celebrate the here and now.
Explore Southern Lakes
Compact town centres with interesting shops make for fun and easy exploration of the towns of the Southern Lakes. Just minutes from downtown Queenstown are the botanical gardens located on a magnificent peninsula that juts into the lake. Walking trails and tracks surround all the Southern Lakes towns and for those wanting to explore further afield 4WD tours or jet boat trips into the backcountry could be the ticket. The native Beech forests of the region are ancient and beautiful and within easy reach of Queenstown, Te Anau or Lake Wanaka. Fishing in crystal clear waterways is a favourite for many visitors.
