Queenstown and Central Otago, New Zealand

Queenstown and Central Otago

"The Adventure Centre Of The South Pacific"

Queenstown and Central Otago is one of my favourite places in all the world - a region of stunning alpine scenery and dramatic landscapes, of high-adrenalin over-the-edge activities, but also of quiet beauty, of gentle retreats where you can just sit and be at one with the natural world. And it has its secrets and surprises, too.

One surprise is that, despite huge increases in tourist numbers passing through, Queenstown, the heart of the Lakes region, has not become one of those tawdry touristy places that reek of fast-buck rip-offs.

I've been going there since the late 50s and while, sure, it's changed, somehow it retains its essential village atmosphere. But if you hanker for something quieter, stay in Arrowtown, 20km away, or Wanaka.

Let's start with the adrenalin:

Probably top of the list is bungy jumping - that opportunity to take what is otherwise a fatal leap hundreds of feet into a fast-flowing river canyon. Perhaps it's the attraction of the dark side of our humanity - tempting the unthinkable. To actually go ahead and jump!

A.J.Hackett was the madman that first tied rubber cords - "bungy" cords - around his ankles and took a high dive. His first splash of local notoriety came when he used the Auckland Harbour Bridge as a launch pad into the Waitemata Harbour - and got arrested.

Then he went international, leaping off the Eiffel Tower. And getting arrested. Le Gendarmerie were not amused. These various brushes with the authorities did no harm to his career, and the publicity generated sent him rocketing downwards to stardom. Today, he heads up a multi-million dollar international business.

Don't ya hate it when that happens to the rebel heroes?

But in an interesting twist of fate, he now operates a commercial bungy jump from the Auckland Harbour Bridge, the place where it all started, if ever so slightly illegally.

Just out of Queenstown, spanning the roiling turbulence of the Kawarau River is a suspension bridge. It's been preserved as a historic monument, but A.J. Hackett has given it new life and purpose. From it's deck thousands of brief fliers make their 43m leap against all common-sense. But that's only the learner slopes!

Try Hackett's "Skippers Canyon" a 71m fall into famous Skippers Canyon. But still you haven't topped the ladder of bungy jumps. Try "The Pipeline", another Skippers Canyon jump, but this time 102m - that's 340ft. The equivalent of a 34 storey building.

Not high enough? (How much adrenlain do you need?). Then go to the The Nevis Highwire Bungy. At 134m - 440ft - it's a hell of a long time falling. Like 8 seconds. Doesn't sound long? Imagine doing it without the rubber cord. It would be a lifetime.

Or try the Awesome Foursome - a high speed jetboat ride down the Shotover River, the Nevis Highwire, a helicopter flight and white water rafting down the Shotover River. One of a smorgasbord of adventure combos.

Higher? - how about parapenting which consists of leaping bird-like off the side of a steep mountain and floating to earth on a parachute. Flying in its purest form. Flight Park Tandem Parapente take off from Coronet Skifield - the highest parapente take-off in the region.

Then there's tandem hangliding from either Coronet Peak or the Remarkables. Contact Sky-trek Tandem Hang Gliding Ph 442-6311.

Higher again? Try tandem parachuting, freefalling from 8000 ft (are we high enough yet??), and floating from 5000ft. Tandem Skydive Queenstown Ph 03-442-5867.

Or parasailing - riding a parachute behind a speedboat. And you don't even get wet! Paraflights Ph 03-442-8507.

From here on its into something more solid in the way of flying machines. How about a quick spin in an aerobatic Pitts Special - spin being the operative word. Get hurled around the skies at 300kph+ and experience G-forces from +6 to -3. Actionflight Queenstown. Ph 442-3222.

Maybe something a little less hair-raising? Flightseeing is a biggie in this region. If you think it looks good from ground level you should see it from above. Air Wakatipu will take you for a look around from 20 minutes upwards. At $88 for the trip they seemed to be the best value.

If you don't want to drive to Milford sound why not fly? The trip is as spectacular a flight as you'll get anywhere in the world. There are a number of operators: Air Fiordland, Glenorchy Air, or Milford Sound Scenic Flights.

Helicopters are a natural air transport mode in mountain terrain like this and it's no surprise therefore that heli-flightseeing has been developed to a fine art here.

Let's return to earth for the next round of heart-stopping shopping. First up is jet boating - most famous is the Shotover Jet and it's still the premier ride in town. But there are others, each offering something different. Twin Rivers takes you on both Kawarau and Shotover Rivers. So does long-established - it was in fact the world's first commercial jetboat ride - Kawarau Jet. The Dart River Jet is more sedate - ideal if don't actually fancy being hurled around among rocks and fast flowing rapids. Still exciting though - and the scenery is magic.

Another way of seeing the Dart is with Fun Yaks - jetboat up the river, kayak down. No previous experience necessary. The Dart River valley was the "Lord Of the Rings" setting for Isengard in the valley of Nan Curunir.

River-rafting is the other big on-water action attraction. One that takes nothing from the environment but excitement. I've been a fan of Challenge Rafting right back from the days when Dale Gardiner pioneered commercial rafting in New Zealand and it was called Dane's Back Country. Dumbest move I ever made was not buying the company when one night in the Te Anau pub he offered it to me for quarter of a mill. One of life's great lost opportunities - how sad, too bad, never mind. You raft down either Kawarau River or one of the most exciting and historic rivers in the country, the Shotover, the River of Gold.

The other option is - which is also run by a top-class operation - is Queenstown Rafting. They also operate 3 day trips in the true wilderness of the Landsborough River.

While we're talking about all the exciting stuff let's realise something . . . these activities really are dangerous, though that danger is minimised as much as possible by professional competence and standards. Recently a rafter at Queenstown was drowned - which is tragic. But the next thing is other customers were opting out because it was dangerous . . . well of course it's bloody dangerous! Why else would you do it?? Without the danger it's just an expensive and uncomfortable way to get wet and cold. The danger is what gives you the adrenalin rush.

Let's get off the adrenalin mainline and find out about some of the more sedate, but perhaps more subtle attractions in town.

Probably best known is the TSS Earnslaw, the graceful old Lady of the Lake - a vintage steamship that has been preserved and now earns an honest living steaming to and fro on Lake Wakatipu. Take the lunch time cruise out and back again for an hour. Or the morning or afternoon cruises to Walter Peak Station to catch a glimpse of high country sheep station life. Or perhaps the twilight cruise to Walter Peak, lingering on to stay for dinner at the Homestead Restaurant. By the way, if you're older than the Lady herself you get to travel for free. (She was commissioned in October 1912).

Walter Peak Station is one of the most historic of high country runs in the country. In its heyday it spread across 170,000 acres, carried 40,000 sheep and had 50 full time employees. Now you can see sheep dogs working, watch a shearing and wool spinning demonstration, ride Robbie the Scottish highland bull and get in among the sheep, goats and deer.

How else may one take the waters? Cruise aboard the M.V.Yvalda a beautiful 48 foot classic twin-screw, ketch-rigged motor launch. Take your pick from a 2-hour cruise, pre-dinner cruise or an overnight trip. Great way to just drink in the alpine setting of Queenstown.

Safari of The Rings: Experience Middle Earth personally with Nomad Safaris. Two half day trips taking in key locations in filming "Lord of the Rings." Many of the areas that a Nomad Safaris tour visits provided the spectacular backdrops to much of the action in Peter Jackson¹s 'The Fellowship of the Ring'; The Ford at Bruinen, The Misty Mountains, Isengard and Lothlorien, better known locally as Skippers Canyon, Macetown and Paradise, to name a few.

But if you must have a quick taste of high-voltage action again, try U-Drive Short Course Jets - NZ pioneered the sport of jet sprinting which is rather like Formula 1 cars but instead its jet boat racing doing fast, tight turns in water only centimetres deep. And the instructions say don't worry about crashing . . . everybody does!. Ph 442-2111.

While you're on the water, fancy a spot of fishing? Jeff Jones, Roger Taylor, Harvey MacGuire, George Moore, or Queenstown Fishing Guides. Any of 'em'll take you river or lake fishing for brown trout, rainbow trout or quinnat salmon.

OK so let's get back on dry land. I guess golf is to land as fishing is to water. So if beating the daylights out of gutta percha (or its newtech equivalent) is for you, hi (or is it heigh) off to Millbrook. Apart from from being a veddy veddy upmarket resort hotel it does have a very good 18 hole golf course designed by Bob Charles. Pick your course from the Forward Tees at 4908m (5367yds) through to Pro at 6400m (7000yds). Or there's the Kelvin Heights course of the Queenstown Golf Club. There is a super-hazard here. The "One They Don't Tell You About". The scenery. Damned difficult to concentrate on the shot with a backdrop like that, don't y'know. Another option: The Arrowtown course, which, if anything, is even more scenic than Kelvin Heights. They have a website - but the arrogant prigs only make it available to members, it seems. Maybe it's a hint as to their attitude to life and golf. For more on golf in NZ, have a look at our golf section.

One of the real surprises of this region, so far south - almost on the 45deg South line of latitude - is that the area produces fine wine. Take a trip out to Gibbston Valley winery - started by an Irish mate of mine, one Alan Brady, who was the first person silly enough to try to grow grapes here. And look at the result. The winery and restaurant is in the Kawarau Gorge - not far from A J Hackett's bungy. These days a gaggle of vineyards lines the Kawarau Gorge Road. Among them Chard Farm, another winegrowing pioneer in the area.

Or you could take an organised wine tour with Queenstown Wine Trail, or Appellation Central Wine Tours.

Skiing

Queenstown in winter adds another dimension to its outdoor image - skiing. It's the country's No 1 ski resort - though the guys at Mt Ruapehu in the North Island would vigorously contendfor that title. Four major ski areas are within easy reach - Coronet Peak and The Remarkables (the two local fields), Cardrona (about an hours drive away) and just across the valley from Cardrona the Waiorau Snow Farm which has Nordic style cross-country skiing. But probably the ultimate Souther Lakes ski adventure is heli-skiing. Go with Harris Mountains Heli-ski.

More information

To be honest most of the local information websites are so focussed on selling you their booking services - which earns them comissions of between 10% and 20% - that they've fogotten that they are supposed to be "information providers"

I intend to correct that lack shortly - watch this space.

Central Otago

Of all New Zealand's many landscape faces, I think Central is probably the most dramatic in its almost lunar-like rock formations. It's a place of extremes - the coldest place in the country during the winter, the hottest in summer.

A home to orchards producing apricots, peaches, and especially (to me anyway) cherries, but also to several wineries of note in the Clyde area.

Cromwell

Another of Central's mining towns - but not much of the old area now remains, The historic precinct was flooded when they built the Clyde Dam, further down river. However, several of the original buildings have been retained and restored as part of the Old Cromwell Town project. Worth the trip down there. Good little cafe and a couple of interesting shops, expecially Provisions - for jams and preserves.

Clyde

In it's 150 year history it's been a mining town, an orcharding centre (still is), a construction town (while they built the monstrous Clyde Dam nearby) and now a tourist centre. But it lies just off the main fast road from Alexandra to Cromwell and thus retains a quiet village air.

Dine, if you will, at one of its several excellent restaurants including award winning Olivers, but also the Blues Bank in the old BNZ building. There's a cafe in what used to be the Post Office building and Dunstan House the historic local pub, both excellent watering-holes. Note the stonework in the latter two, once common throughout the region.

Take a cruise on the Clutha River through the Roxburgh Gorge with Clutha River Cruises.

A number of wineries have started up around here, taking advantage of the long, hot, dry summers. Burgundy-style varieties do particularly well here. You can tour local vineyards in a restored 1970 J1 Bedford bus with The Grape Escape which visits a number of vineyards including Black Ridge, Springvale Estate and William Hill and travels to vineyards in the Cromwell area including Felton Road, Olssens, Bannockburn Heights and Mt Michael.

A new addition is the Central Otago Rail Trail that runs from Clyde to Middlemarch. It's a 150km trail that follows the line of the old Otago Central Branch railway. You can walk it or ride it - on a mountain bike, a trailbike or a horse. Takes three to five days riding, a lot longer on foot. Plenty of accommodation along the way. But youcabalso do just a single day ride on the most interesting sections.

St Bathans

You've got to work at it to get to this tiny hamlet - but it's worth it. Don't tell too many people about it, you'll spoil it's quiet backwater appeal.

It was a mining town that slowly fell into decay. The last settlers walked out in the 1920s. But in the 1960s a new breed of pioneers walked back in - and kept it just as they found it..

Haven't been there for a year or two now and things may have changed. A growing stream of the curious tends to do that. But when I was last there you could still stroll into the old Post Office building and read the posters dating from the First World War.

Nearby is St Bathans Lake - an unearthly green colour. It was created by the landscape-ripping process of sluicing for gold. The chemicals in it give it the colour. Take the camera.

But the real attraction is the Vulcan Hotel. If you don't mind basic accom. then this is one of the must-stays on your visit. It's as old as the hills, built of mud. The walls are about two-feet thick. And the company at the bar is local and colourful. The last time I was there I was still drinking at 4 in the morning with a bunch of shearers who had just finished a big Merino contract on one of the nearby stations. They were drinking handles of beer with 5-oz whisky chasers - and that was the sheilas. Gawd knows what the blokes were putting away. I was well past taking in that sort of detail.

One of my drinking buddies that night - much earlier in the evening when I still retained a degree of cranial clarity - was a local miner who was convinced that any day now he was going to hit the real big pay dirt. Just like every other miner anywhere else on the planet.

You'll find St Bathans off Highway 85 between Alexandra and Ranfurly.

Eating Out In Central

The Big Picture, Cnr SH6 and Sandflat Rd, near Cromwell. Ph 445-4052. Open 9-8 7 days. Not just a restaurant, but a wine appreciation centre. They have a wine aroma room and a movie theatre which takes you on a virtual flight over the local vineyards, complete with tastings. Many varieties of local wine available both with meals and to purchase. The espresso is also worth a stop.

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Home Page

All you need to know about a visit to the place where God set the contrast and colour and man hasn't fiddled with the dials.

Introduction

What, hopefully, you'll get out of this mish-mash of peripatetic ramblings.

General Information

Background bumpf on the country.

Getting In

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Getting Around

Moving on . . . by road or rail, by air or by sea.

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"nuff said.

The Regions

What to see, what to do, why to go there.

Special Interests

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