Our last full day in Queenstown was spent driving to two famous towns-Wanaka and Glenorchy. These two are on opposite sides of Queenstown, so I told JP we had to be efficient with our time for the day. We started the day a bit later than usual, and let the girls sleep in for a bit. But first, we eat!
Fergburger
So, all the travel guides will tell you to try out Fergburger when in Queenstown. Touted as one of the best burgers in Queenstown, if not New Zealand, the restaurant always has a long queue during the day and on till night time. When we arrived two days prior, and saw the line outside the store, I thought I wasn’t going to be able to try out their burgers (getting in line with two toddlers is basically a no-no for me!). Fortunately, while we were looking for breakfast, we found out that Ferg’s opens early in the morning, and they serve their regular menu!
There was no queue to order, although it took about 10 minutes for the burgers to come out. If you don’t mind having a burger for breakfast, go to Ferg’s early in the morning, and you won’t have to line up! The burger was good, and I understand now why it is on MUST TRY lists when in Queenstown. Would I line up for it? No–maybe because I don’t like waiting, and I have toddlers who do not have the patience to stand around and wait.
Wanaka
As soon as we finished the burgers and bought a couple of muffins for our road trip, we were off to Wanaka. It was such a glorious day, the sun was shining over Queenstown. We went via the Crown Range Road, and stopped for a few minutes to take in the view of the Cardrona Valley.
We got to Wanaka in about 1.5 hours, and immediately went looking for the Wanaka Tree. It is the most photographed tree in New Zealand, and definitely a must-see! If you don’t believe me, just go to instagram and search for #thatwanakatree and see how many posts you find.
It is easy enough to find–just drive on up to see the lake, and there are markers to get to the tree. Also, just follow the people walking near the lake, most definitely, they are going to take a photo of the tree.
Truth is, we did not really intend to stay long in Wanaka after taking photos of the tree. But the girls needed a break from sitting too long in the car, so we let them run around in the playground. Patty had a spectacular meltdown just before we left.
After that, we drove back to Queenstown and on to Glenorchy.
Glenorchy
When I was planning the trip, I included a visit to the river where the Lord of the Rings movie filmed Isengard. We got as far as Paradise, before we realized that the area we were travelling in was not covered by our car rental’s insurance. The road was also gravelly and bumpy, that we thought that we would get a flat tire. A 4×4 or bigger car would have made the trip rather than our sedan. So, I did not get to see Isengaard this time–another reason to come back!
The small town of Glenorchy is famous mainly for outdoor sports–fishing, mountain biking, kayaking, etc. We stopped by for photos of this gorgeous view of Lake Wakatipu and the mountains surrounding it.
Don’t forget to take a photo near the iconic boat shed!
It was a quick trip back to Queenstown, and we had time to spare before we had dinner. So we went to the Queenstown Botanical Gardens for a much-needed walk.
Skyline
Our flight back to Wellington the next day was scheduled for the afternoon, so we were able to visit Skyline Queenstown, which was a convenient 5-minute walk away from our hotel. The girls liked riding the cable car to the top of the mountain!
This is another way to marvel at the awesome view of Queenstown.
Our ticket had the option of having a Luge ride, but the girls got a bit fussy, and we figured it would be difficult (and dangerous) to hold them down in the gondola, so we had brunch inside the restaurant, instead. Again, another thing to do when we come back next time.
We had enough time to return the car and check-in at the airport for our flight to Welly.
At the end of the trip, JP and I were both exhausted, but still happy and grateful that we got to see Queenstown. It really should be on top of the list of places to see at least once in a lifetime. As for me, I look forward to coming back!
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Details and Tips
Fergburger – The classic Fergburger is NZD 12.50. Add a few dollars for extra cheese or double beef and cheese. They are worth it! Go early, if you don’t mind burgers for breakfast and want to avoid the queue.
Glenorchy and Paradise — As I said, read through your car rental insurance for coverage. Ours did not have coverage beyond Glenorchy, so if we had a flat tire or the car gets broken in that area, we’d have to shoulder the cost.
Skyline Queenstown–Adult tickets cost NZD61 each for a Gondola and 2 luge rides. Kids under 5 go free, but there is an additional fee if you’re going to ride the luge in tandem with your child. Check the website for latest rates.
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2 Comments
Thanks for this wonderful blog… apprecited so much… dreaming of going to NZ ..how I wish… This makes me feel like travelling with you…
Hi Josephine. I hope you get to visit NZ. It really is beautiful. Thanks for visiting my blog.