It’s hard not to have a love-at-first-sight relationship with Queenstown.
Itinerary (Queenstown + Milford Sound 5D4N)
- Day 1 (afternoon/night): Hotel check-in, ski/snowboard hire, Coronet Peak night ski.
- Day 2: Snowboarding (Cardrona) & Onsen.
- Day 3: Snowboarding (Cardrona).
- Day 4: Milford Sound day trip.
- Day 5 (morning): Luge & Skyline gondola.
Getting around
Hiring a car is definitely the best way to get around town. We used Apex Car Rental two years in a row as they offered a good price and we had no problem with it.
Tips:
- Get a four-wheel-drive if you plan on driving to the snow.
- Check the insurance cover (remember to check whether it covers zero excess when you compare the price).
- Check the snowchain, ski-rack/snowboard rack inclusions.
Where to stay
There are plenty of holiday houses in Queenstown. We stayed at the Oaks Shores Apartments two years in a row. It’s only a sweet 5-min drive from the city centre and a 15-min drive from the airport.
The amenities were new; rooms were clean and spacious; beds were comfy; kitchen was fully equipped (with an oven, stove, toaster, dishwasher, utensils). The best part was, the 3-bedroom apartments were equipped with 3 clean full bathrooms with strong and continuous hot water 24/7!
I loved the bathroom so much that I was willing to overlook the fact that they only had limited wifi at their reception area and did not have in-room wifi – which was probably a good thing anyway.
Tips:
- For Aussies, check with your local travel agency and get a quote before you book through Oaks Shore’s online system – I booked mine through a Sydney travel agency and I got about 10% off their listed price!
Getting grocery & daily necessities
The Alpine Foodcentre was right on the main street and provides a good variety of things. However, there was a much bigger supermarket, Fresh Choice, 3 minutes’ drive away.
There was even an Asian mart on the main street! It had quite a good range of snacks, instant noodles and frozen food – Your inner Asian will never go hungry in Queenstown.
What to do (in winter)
- Click [here] for HERcurioMAJESTY‘s take on the top 5 things to do in Queenstown.
- Click [here] for HERcurioMAJESTY’s Milford Sound day trip review.
What to eat
Above: Fergburger. L & P. Bluff oyster.
- Click [here] to see HERcurioMAJESTY’s Queenstown food notes.
HER{curio}MAJESTY – I was here. August 2012 + August 2013.