Queenstown - Mt Cook - Christchurch

Day 2: Queenstown to Mt Cook Village

On this page: Travel time:   Km/Miles Queenstown - Omarama 2 hrs  164/103 Omarama - Twizel 0.5 hr  30/19 Twizel - Mt Cook Village 0.75 hr  64/40   Totals for Day 3.25 hrs  258/161

Queenstown - Omarama - Twizel - Mt Cook Village

The alpine resort of Queenstown is exciting, sophisticated and fantastically scenic. It’s the place to source almost any kind of adventure, including bungy, jet boating, horse trekking, rafting and river surfing. It’s also a destination for luxury experiences – gourmet food and wine, spa treatments and leisurely games of golf.

The vineyards of the Gibbston area are the first temptation on your journey. Then stop and admire the Roaring Meg power station in the Kawarau Gorge. The restored heart of Cromwell is a treasure for visitors, or take a detour to the old gold workings of Bannockburn. Lake Dunstan is a fine place for a picnic before you launch yourself into the beautiful Lindis Pass – just magic when there’s snow around.

You’ll know you’re in Omarama when you see the giant merino sheep statue. This area’s unique geography has made it a magnet for gliding enthusiasts. The northwesterly wind blows steadily to form the famous Northwest Arch, a thermal that can take the glider pilots to 10,000 metres. Scenic soaring can be arranged.

Scenic Highlights

Sam Summers' Hut Track
Exercise your mind as well as your legs on this three hour loop track. There's a lot to be learned about gold mining here.

Skippers Road
High above the raging Shotover River, Skippers Road creeps along the face of Skippers Canyon. Don't look down!

Scenery of Glenorchy
The only thing better than the drive to Glenorchy is the road to Paradise. How much scenery can your camera cope with?

Gibbston Valley vineyards
Raising grapes this far south is hard work, but one sip of the local pinot noir will tell you the effort is totally worthwhile.

Lake Wakatipu
Cruising across Lake Wakatipu on a restored paddlesteamer is a blissful way to appreciate the magnificent alpine scenery.

Moonlight Track
It's not a walk in the park, but this challenging day hike promises to lift your spirits as high as the Southern Alps.

Activities

Queenstown
Fishing – Fresh Water (5), Skiing (11)

Tour and Sightseeing

Queenstown
Fishing – Fresh Water (1), Skiing (2)

Queenstown - Omarama - Twizel - Mt Cook Village

Omarama’s unique geography has made it a magnet for gliding enthusiasts. The northwesterly wind blows steadily to form the famous Northwest Arch, a thermal that can take the glider pilots to 10,000 metres. Scenic soaring can be arranged, golf and fishing are other entertainment options.

The easy drive to Twizel takes you through picturesque sheep farming country fringed with mountain ranges. You could pause to cast a line into the Ahuriri River – famous for sizeable rainbow and brown trout. You can also detour to the fascinating Paritea cliffs, which are constantly being exposed by the active Osler fault line.

Twizel is a well-placed base for mountain climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, skiing, horse trekking and hiking. It’s also a place to spy on the rarest wading bird in the world – the Black Stilt. If you don’t have the time to catch your own salmon, the local salmon farm sells it – fresh or smoked.

Activities

Christchurch - Canterbury
Climbing (2), Cycling/Mountain Biking (5), Farms (10), Fishing – Fresh Water (10), Glider Planes (1), Paragliding and Hang gliding (2)

Tour and Sightseeing

Christchurch - Canterbury
Cycling/Mountain Biking (12), Farms (2), Fishing – Fresh Water (2)

Queenstown - Omarama - Twizel - Mt Cook Village

Twizel is a well-placed base for mountain climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, skiing, horse trekking and hiking. It’s also a place to spy on the rarest wading bird in the world – the Black Stilt. If you don’t have the time to catch your own salmon, the local salmon farm sells it – fresh or smoked.

The road to Mt Cook hugs the edge of Lake Pukaki. The exquisite opaque turquoise colour of this lake and others in the area is caused by fine, glacier-ground rock particles held in suspension. The landscape is a mixture of high country tussock, farmland and snow-capped mountains.

The Aoraki Mount Cook National Park includes the highest peak in Australasia (Mt Cook - 3755m). The region attracts mountain climbers, hikers and scenery fanatics. Heli skiing, heli hiking and aerial sightseeing provide visitors with amazing memories. A variety of walking trails begin in or near Mount Cook Village – most take only a couple of hours. In the bar of the local hotel, huge windows provide a perfect view of Mt Cook.

Scenic Highlights

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park
Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand's tallest peak, is the centre of attention in this spectacular alpine park.

Activities

Christchurch - Canterbury
Boat Cruises (4), Climbing (2), Fishing – Fresh Water (10), Heliskiing (4), Horse Treks (8)

Tour and Sightseeing

Christchurch - Canterbury
Boat Cruises (1), Fishing – Fresh Water (2)