Queenstown, king of ski towns

We’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.

Advertisement

This was published 15 years ago

Queenstown, king of ski towns

By Robert Upe

IF LIFT queues on the mountains were as long as they are at Queenstown's Cow pizza restaurant, there would be a riot. This cosy stone eatery is one of the New Zealand ski town's most popular places.

It is tucked away in a laneway. Behind an old wooden door is an open fire where you can drink wine until a table becomes available. There's quite a mob around that fire but somehow the waitresses always know who to muster next.

At the other end of town, at Steamer Wharf, there is a place where the ambience is a lot frostier. Everything at the minus 5 bar - including the bar itself, the seats and the glasses - is made of ice and drinkers are provided with a jacket when they enter.

Loading

Queenstown is full of surprises around every corner, alleyway and stairway, whether it is a roulette table at the casinos, or Joe's Garage, a very trendy Brunswick Street-style cafe where stars such as Sam Neill hang out.

The first thing to appreciate about New Zealand skiing is that almost all accommodation is off the mountains. The second thing to know is that Queenstown is the place to stay. It's a fair bet that many of the 50,000 Australian skiers who visit New Zealand each winter will stay in Queenstown, which has more accommodation, shopping, drinking and eating options than you can cram into a two-week holiday.

Accommodation, much of it overlooking the magnificent Lake Wakatipu, ranges from the exclusive Eichardt's Private Hotel to backpacker dorm rooms. And then, of course, there is the adventure activity, which keeps the town buzzing. A rest day from skiing could be spent bungee jumping, jet boating, rafting, hang gliding or whizzing around the mountains in a sightseeing helicopter.

Queenstown is close to two ski areas - Coronet Peak (18 kilometres) and The Remarkables (28 kilometres). A lot of bad press has been written about New Zealand's mountain roads but the road to Coronet Peak is sealed all the way and is a breeze. Too bad, then, about the unsealed road to The Remarkables, which can get the adrenaline flowing as much as a bungee jump. The road has some major cliff drops. If you are a nervous mountain driver it may be best to catch one of the many shuttles out of town.

After such a dramatic approach, the skiing at The Remarkables is, well, unremarkable. There are some steep chutes for elite-level skiers, and easy terrain is plentiful, but groomers with any degree of challenge are in short supply.

Coronet Peak is a mainly intermediate mountain but has a good spread of terrain for all other levels. There is a new quad-seat chairlift this year, which improves access and night skiing is an option.

Advertisement

Queenstown is almost 500 kilometres from Christchurch and many people make the drive after flying from Melbourne but there are direct Melbourne to Queenstown flights.

OUR FAVOURITES

Place to stay: Millbrook (an out-of-town golf resort)

Bar: Bardeaux (a big open fire, lively late)

Restaurant: Cow

Cafe: Joe's Garage

Adventure activity: For skiers, a day of heliskiing with Southern Lakes Heliski or Harris Mountains Heliski. For non-skiers, Fly by Wire is a rocket suspended by wire over a canyon, that you fly.

A day in town: Shopping is great, ride a gondola and lunch at the Skyline Chalet overlooking the town; then cruise the large lake.

A day out of town: Arrowtown is about 20 kilometres from Queenstown and full of heritage-style buildings and shops. Dorothy Brown's cinema, bar and bookshop is a great retreat when the weather is foul.

Visit http://www.queenstownnz.co.nz; http://www.arrowtown.org.nz

PACKAGE

Return flights to Christchurch, seven days' car hire, seven nights in three-star accommodation, five-day ski pass for Coronet Peak and The Remarkables start from $868 a person. If you upgrade to 41/2-star accommodation prices start from $1195. Also add air taxes and compulsory car insurance. Details from Skimax, 1300 136 997.

COMING EVENTS

If you aren't in the mountains today, the next best place could be the Kino Dendy Theatre at 7.30pm. Tony Harrington's movie The Obsession - about big-mountain skiing and big-wave surfing - makes its Victorian debut before touring the resorts. It will be at the Abom at Mount Buller on July 27, the General Store at Mount Hotham on July 29 and the Man at Falls Creek on July 30.

More details about Harrington and the movie are available at www.harroart.com

Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter

Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.

Most viewed on Traveller

Loading