Queenstown: Scenery, Wineries + the Milford Sound
Queenstown, on the South Island of New Zealand, may be my favourite place in the world. It's charming and unique, local and global, quaint and sophisticated. I've been to the North Island (Auckland, specifically) on business many times but had never been to the South Island until a trip I took with my Dad, who was visiting me when I lived in Sydney.
New Zealand is thought to have been 'founded' by the Dutch in 1642, who beat the French by only 2-3 days in discovering this far away land. But to be accurate, NZ was actually founded by people from the South Pacific (exact original homeland unknown) who are now known as the Maori. Though the South Island is the larger of the two, only about 25% of NZ's population of 4.2M people live there. In the southwest area of the island, you will find Queenstown which is built on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes which has magnificent views of nearby mountains.
Dad and I flew in to Christchurch from Sydney but stayed for only one night. Christchurch was struck by an immensely powerful earthquake just before we visited and was devastated by the disaster. Many people were killed and the charming city center was in ruins. After a delicious dinner and a great night's sleep, we set out for the 6-hour drive to Queenstown.
A highlight of the drive was passing by Lake Tekapo with the charming - and tiny - Church of the Good Shepherd and Lake Pukaki. The turquoise hue of the lakes was truly awe-inspiring. The color is due to the "rock flour", created as the glaciers strip away fine particles from the mountains and grind them into a fine dust. it's one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
Descending into Queenstown was dreamy. The town is nestled into the mountain around beautiful Lake Wakatipu. There is so much to do there (it's known for its extreme sports) and we only had three days, so we got a good night's rest and tackled the Town of the Queens across the next 3 days.
The highlight was, without doubt, a tour of the Milford Sound. Though we visited in January (the middle of the summer), it snowed overnight and was a freezing day. But we would not be deterred! We took an early morning (and bumpy) flight in a tiny 8-seater airplane over the snow-capped Remarkables mountain range to the majestic Milford Sound. (We used Milford Sound Scenic Flights and can't recommend them enough.)
The views from the flight were magnificent, but were then topped by those we took in on a cruise in the calm, serene beauty of the Sound. Milford Sound, which is technically a fiord, features the world's highest mountains that jut straight from the sea. We saw dense rainforests, waterfalls, fur seals and snowcapped mountain tops as we careened through the almost silent Sound to the Tasman Sea, which was quite a bit rougher. It was freezing cold and perfect. The photos can't do it justice.
We spent an entire day touring the vineyards and wineries across the Central Otago region. Discovering the pinot "blondie" at the Wooing Tree Winery remains a highlight; we are still attempting to import it to the U.S. somehow! We also loved the "Viper" pinot noir at Chard Hill, the full tasting and tour of the cave at Gibbston Valley Winery, and the pinot gris and dry reisling at Peregrine Wines. Oh, and if you are so inclined, you can stop by A.J. Hacketts, the original site of bungy jumping. We skipped the actual jump but enjoyed watching others take the plunge over a bright turquoise river.
Our last day was spent poking around town. A visit to Queenstown is incomplete without a gondola ride to the top of "Bob's Mountain" to see the entire town from high up. The air was clean and crisp, and the view was magnificent. I recommend taking a picnic breakfast or lunch with you.
I think Dad and I will both treasure the time and experiences we shared in Queenstown. We both reflected how fortunate we are to see new parts of the world with each other. I will forever cherish the memories we made. Queenstown is one of the most charming city I have ever visited.