Any direction you head out of Queenstown, you’re sure to see something beautiful. Here’s some special places you’ll want to explore as soon as you get the chance.
Fiordland National Park
They measure rain in metres here, and the riot of flora and spectacular wildlife will take your breath away. Take a scenic flight in a helicopter, float plane or vintage biplane to see it all from the sky. Enjoy a lake cruise on Lake Te Anau, or see for yourself the rare Black Coral on a dive into Milford Sound – the options are endless. You can kayak, fish, hike, or go caving to see the glowworms. With so much to do here a weekend may not be enough.
Kingston
You’ve seen the Queen, time to check out the King – Kingston is a sleepy village with loads of charm. Once the home of the famous Kingston Flier, the vintage steam train has recently been earmarked for a revival, so once that’s up and running you could be one of the first to enjoy its new refurbished state. In the meantime, there’s cute local shops to explore – pick up some of the sweet produce of local beekeepers down the road at the Hunny Shop, enjoy a brew at the Garston Hotel, and then head back to Kingston proper to the rural charms of the Corner Café Bar.
Cromwell
This is as inland as New Zealand gets - being 119km from the sea, this is the furthest you will be from the ocean anywhere in New Zealand. You can still expect water views though, as the manmade Lake Dunstan surrounds most of the town. Home of the Highlands Motorsport Park this is a petrol head’s delight – tackle the curves with an expert driver behind the wheel of a Porsche Cayenne Turbo, or try the drive yourself in a Ford Mustang – sure to be an exhilarating experience. Once a prominent stone fruit growing area, it is known as the “fruit bowl of the south” with plenty of delicious locally grown fruits available to enjoy.
As you head out to one of these getaway spots you will enjoy some spectacular scenery, winding roads – just the things a fun road trip is made of.
