Skyline Gondola Restaurant

The one thing that Queenstown has more of than mountains is restaurants and plenty of great ones to boot.  For the first time visitor, making the choice of where to satisfy the palate could leave one feeling a bit snowed under.  So for those who are trying to escape the avalanche of eateries, here is my utmost recommendation and in my opinion a ‘must do’ when visiting Queenstown.

Situated at the top of Bobs Peak and reached by a Gondola, the aptly named Skyline Restaurant boasts stunning views of Queenstown, the vast stretches of the Lake Wakatipu and grand mountain ranges.

When my partner Ben and I arrived for dinner, night had fallen and Queenstown twinkled prettily with multi-coloured lights. Having been told that the dinner was a sumptuous buffet where there was a fine line between ‘helping yourself’ and ‘gorging’, we’d spent the day starving ourselves and the smell of the wonderful food had our stomachs suddenly rumbling like freight trains. 

But before we ate we had something exciting to attend – The Kiwi Haka show!  Having been warned that we may be asked to get on stage to play with poi or help do the Haka, we headed first to the cosy bar and ordered a couple of strong vodkas to help with our confidence. When it was time, we were summoned to the show by haunting music echoed across the room.  After we were given a formal welcome by Maoris in traditional dress we were led into a small hall with tiered seating and began watching the wonderful show. Whilst the ladies performed mesmerising songs, the men performed fierce looking Hakas and demonstrated how to use their deadly primitive weapons from tribal days. After the spine tingling show and with my body all covered in goose bumps we finally headed off for a feed.

We began our delicious food journey at the starter buffet where I loaded my plate with fresh juicy prawns in pesto and hunks of cooked salmon with a side of olives and peppers. For the second course it was hard to choose between the succulent lamb, the venison curry and the moist looking pork, so I decided it would be best to have all three.  These were complemented by carrots with orange, pumpkin mash and crispy roast potatoes. After I’d finished, my stomach feeling rather full, Ben headed up for a second helping and I was slightly envious of his larger tum that had the ability to hold more than mine. I jealously watched him wolf down his seconds, looking like the cat who’d got the cream, which gave my food time to settle and make room for dessert. I returned from final trip to the buffet with a giant chunk of pavlova, a huge dollop of crème brulee and a soft chocolate mousse that was calling me to try it.

Although I was slightly tempted by the gigantic cheese board, I decided that even a mere sniff of food would make my stomach burst and made the wise decision to head home. I was quite surprised that the Gondola held our weight though I’m sure I heard the cable straining on the way down as we sat like two happy fat buddhas rubbing our bellies.

A visit to the Skyline Gondola is an eating experience rather than just a meal and with a choice of food to suit everybody is highly recommended to visitors and locals alike.

Skyline Gondola costs $25 return (YHA price). YHA offers $10 off Gondola, buffet dinner (so $66 for YHA) and $10 off Gondola, dinner and kiwi haka (so $100 for YHA). Book at either the YHA Queenstown Central or the YHA Queenstown Lakefront and receive a free glass of house wine or tap beer with your booking!

Adventure Walks

When a company called Adventure Walks invited me on one of their trips I could hardly contain my excitement. Their slogan ‘see paradise, not people’, evoked images of stunning scenery, lush forest, crystal clear lakes and fairies dancing on lilies. So when my housemate who, unlike me, is an experienced walker mentioned ‘gators’ I became slightly concerned.

“But I thought they only lived in Australia? Do you think they’ll bite me?”

When she told me she was referring to protective gear that you strap onto the bottom of your legs, and not the scaly creatures with big teeth that live in rivers, I have to say I was quite relieved. With this in mind, I made a wise decision to head to the experts, Outside Sports (Queenstown), who kitted me out with all the essential gear to survive a night in the wilderness.

I was picked up early the next morning by our guide, Andy, and we headed off to Te Anau where we would begin our trip to Lake McIvor and meet up with our group of 10. By the time we arrived, huge dark clouds floated menacingly above us and a storm was forming over our destination.

With that in mind, Andy had several alternatives up his sleeve. A quick decision was made to do the Back Valley track and head out to Hope Arm Hut where we would camp next to the beautiful Lake Manapouri. Once we’d decided what to do, the weather miraculously cleared up and we were able to do a fifteen minute flight in a small floater plane over Fiordland National Park and were dropped off on a remote beach.

After a good fat lunch of cheese and ham sandwiches, we began our trek. It was an easy walk but bearing in mind you have to carry a big rucksack with tents, sleeping bags and food, you do need to be reasonably fit. We walked for around 3 or 4 hours through lush shaded forest, whilst looking out for deer and wild pigs.

The rain set in just as we reached our destination so we quickly popped up our tents. By the time the heavy rain came we were snuggled into the cosy Hope Arm hut cooking steaks and drinking wine.

In the morning we were greeted by clear blue skies so we spent some time on the tranquil shores of the lake then tucked into a big breakfast of sausages and beans washed down with tons of coffee. After this we headed off into the forest for the next part of the trip. As we walked, steam rose from thick green moss as beams of sunlight shone through the trees, creating a mystical setting and I half expected Frodo to appear before me.

After clambering over steel wire bridges and relaxing in the sun at Back Valley hut, we then set off for a walk around the swamps – although it did feel as though we were walking right through them! The mud was very mushy and nearly everyone left behind a boot at one point! It was quite an adventure jumping across streams, balancing on logs and struggling through off road jungle in an attempt to avoid the muddy path, but it was great. We walked for around five hours that day and ended with a boat ride back to Manapouri.

Having felt that my waterproofs hadn’t worked hard enough, I decided to give them a real test. At the Pop In café at Te Anau, desperate for a hot drink, I ordered a large hot chocolate. Not able to wait, I popped on a lid and started gulping down my lovely, well deserved drink. When I still couldn’t taste it after a few seconds, I looked down to find brown liquid streaming down my jacket and down the insides of both my legs. In my rush to get the hot drink into my cold body, I hadn’t put the lid on properly and therefore unknowingly became the test dummy for Outside Sports waterproof jacket and pants. They worked!

This trip is perfect for adventurous types who prefer to be away from big crowds. We only saw two other people on our trek. There is a list of essential items on the Adventure Walks website. Backpacks and gaiters (things that strap around your calves to protect them from scratches and not the things that swim in rivers and bite you) can be rented from Andy. The rest of your gear can be rented from Outside Sports and is excellent quality, as I proved!


Trips can be booked through both the Queenstown YHA’s. For more information, check out the website: www.adventurewalks.co.nz

Skippers Canyon Jet

It’s that magical time of year again when frosty flakes fall from the sky and Queenstown’s surrounding mountains become playgrounds of fun for the young-hearted. But for those of us who don’t really fancy strapping on the skis, there is one place that is definitely worth a visit: Skippers Canyon.

In 1862, thousands of prospectors were lured to the Canyon when gold was discovered and so was created the small town-ship of Skippers. 20 years of precarious digging followed. Suffering harsh winters and enough injuries to surpass a small war the population decreased with the gold findings and nowadays only several people reside there permanently. Winky Hohneck is one of five generations of family who remains there and is the owner of the Skippers Canyon Jet Company.

The trip I took started from the centre of town where a friend and I were picked up in a huge 4WD truck that would perhaps be the preferred vehicle of the Terminator. A short time later, we were chugging up towards Coronet Peak watching herds of colourful bobbled beanies racing down the mountain in the distance. Then, about half way up we took a left turn and so began our journey.

Descending into the bowels of the Canyon is not for the faint hearted. Its 22km of unfenced road is accompanied by sheer drops into stony valleys. Our small party of seven was somewhat relieved when our driver disappeared under the vehicle and fitted an almighty set of snow-chains. On we continued, our wheels clinging tightly to snowy tracks.

Barely receiving any sun, this other world retains a cold mysterious beauty where half frozen waterfalls cascade over rocks, huge icicles hang from grass and permafrost ensures this fairytale-like place stays white almost year round. When we stepped out of the vehicle to take photos, I was sure I could hear the roar of Aslan in the distance and the trotting of Mr Tumnus’s feet passing by.

So with dripping icicles in mind and with the sudden need to visit the toilet, we then found ourselves at the Skippers Canyon jet. Standing on the banks, as the icy waters gushed by, I began to regret the extra cup of tea I’d downed that morning and instead busied myself by piling on the layers of warm clothes that were provided for us.

Soon we were whizzing down the Shotover River, spinning and bumping about, our lips sticking to our teeth as we tried to laugh in the minus temperatures. Each time a spray of cold water hit my face I cursed my extra beverage and held on for dear life in every way. In spite of this, it was hard to not be awed by the stunning scenery which put me in mind of wintry scenes on old fashioned Christmas cards. For Lord of the Rings fans, it was here that Arwen (Liv Tyler) defeated the baddies on her white horse when the powerful river engulfed them.

After a short drive and a well appreciated toilet break, we then visited the old pipeline bungy bridge. With the sound of knocking knees, we watched as our guide hurled a huge rock into the water below and try to imagine following behind with springy rope attached to our ankles.

For the last part of the trip, we headed to Winky’s museum which is full of remnants that were dug up from the mining era including a skeletal foot stuck in a shoe and a rusty set of ball and chains that was used by the local police. If it were not for the -8 degree temperatures that had greeted the Canyon that morning and frozen the troughs, a bit of gold panning would have been next on the list. As it was, we were more than happy to simply hold on to our hot cups of coffee and chomp on our freshly made cookies as our guide gave us a commentary about the gold mining era.

The Skippers Canyon 4WD tour is excellent value for money and highly recommended. All guides are professional, informative and above all friendly. This trip has everything: stunning scenery, adventure, history and is suitable for both families and independent travelers. Wrap up warm for a winter trip!

For more information, check out their website on http://www.skipperscanyon.co.nz/