Take six and chill in Queenstown
Usually worn out from energetic escapes, Mary de Ruyter finds that New Zealand’s adventure playground isn’t all bungy jumps and skydiving.
You know that feeling of coming back from holiday exhausted, wishing you hadn’t gone so overboard on your itinerary? I do. We all do. Here’s an idea. Try adopting a more chilled pace, and choosing activities and eateries with a lighter footprint. In short, be a bit mindful. Even in the traditionally highoctane destination of Queenstown, it’ll give you a holiday to remember that you won’t need to recover from.
For the birds
It’s easy to miss the entrance to Kiwi Birdlife Park, down a tunnel at the foot of the gondola. But this oasis of calm is well worth seeking out.
The site was once Queenstown’s unofficial rubbish dump, strewn with invasive weeds, rubbish and rusting car bodies.
Local bird lover Dick Wilson and his family spent 10 years clearing the land, building aviaries, and planting 10,000 native trees and shrubs. They opened the park in 1986.
It’s now a kind of ‘‘greatest hits’’ of native wildlife. Most are being bred for release into the wild, or live there permanently due to injury.
Being able to watch these birds and animals so closely is quite a treat. We see a ka¯ ka¯ destroying a roosting box with its ferociously powerful beak and a morepork overcome by a yawn. There are tuatara, kea, a fierce ka¯ rearea, kiwi almost ready for release, whio, parakeets and more.
Visitors can explore at their own pace with an audio tour, or groups of up to six people can book a private tour with a keeper – ideal if you want to ask lots of questions.
It’s worth catching the excellent conservation show, too.
Saddle up
There’s something quite soothing about a horse trek: the slow, gentle roll from side to side, the quiet clip-clop of hooves on the ground.
Combine that with the majestic silence of the mountains around us, and it’s bound to lower your blood pressure.
High Country Horses offers one-hour and halfday horse treks up the Rees River valley just north of Glenorchy. Guide Amanda puts me on Roll, a cheeky gypsy cob determined to avoid getting his hooves muddy or wet. He’s out of luck, though, because we cross a few braids of the Rees River, and wander through lupin beds that are a riot of purple and pink in spring.
It isn’t compulsory to try trotting, but the option is there, and for a valiant (though disconcerting) 10 seconds, I get a tiny glimpse of how much strength these creatures have. It’s a far cry from the fast-paced scenes shot in this neck of the woods for the Mission Impossible 6 and Lord of the Rings films, but no bother – just sit back in the saddle and admire the cloud-shrouded mountains instead.
Stretch your legs
You don’t have to go far from central Queenstown to find rewarding walks for varying abilities. Fifteen minutes out of Queenstown towards Glenorchy, Bob’s Cove Track and Nature Walk is an easy trail, popular with all ages.
A 20-minute walk takes you around the lake edge, through beech forest and past old lime kilns, to a jetty. It’s a supremely serene nook of
Lake Wakatipu. Kids can grab a laminated activity sheet, courtesy of Wakatipu Reforestation Trust, and search for the native plants pictured as they explore the nature walk.
Walking up Queenstown Hill (Te Tapunui) requires more effort, but the reward easily outstrips the exertion. It’s a solid uphill slog on the
Time Walk, a loop track with signs about the city’s history. At the Time Walk’s highest point is Basket of Dreams, the large sculpture by artist Caroline Robinson, which commemorates the millennium.
But don’t stop there. Catch your breath and head higher.
At the top, above the treeline, you will not want to leave this panorama. Lake Wakatipu is a shimmering blue, Ben Lomond is on the right, and Cecil Peak and the Remarkables are on the left.
You’re soaking in it
The combination of outdoor hot tub and rugged mountain backdrop makes Onsen Hot Pools a must for those copycat travel photos Tom Sainsbury’s ‘‘social observation squad’’ and Tourism New Zealand tried to convince us to avoid last summer.
After walking and horse trekking, it’s practically medicinal to soak in a private, cedarlined hot tub, gazing across the teal braids of the Shotover River.
The relaxing music will be welcome or annoying, depending on your mood. It would be nice to have the option to turn it off. Still, it’s a gorgeous spot to while away an hour, and spa services are also available.
Take-home treats
If you want to pick up a memento that doesn’t scream ‘‘I’m a souvenir’’? Mrs Woolly’s General Store, in Glenorchy, offers a thoughtfully curated selection of goodies. The section for trampers, packed with chocolate and other high-energy treats, sits next to the groceries and fresh produce. It’s big on celebrating ethical and local, and the gifts range from jewellery, wool blankets and warm clothing to honey, skincare and gadgets for outdoorsy types.
The cafe sells coffee, cabinet food, gourmet pies, and a tasty salmon poke bowl. It’s part of The Headwaters, which also runs Mrs Woolly’s Campground and Camp Glenorchy Eco Retreat next door. The profits go into a community trust.
In town, Bound Books offers a highly covetable collection of quality books and vinyl.
There’s an excellent selection of local books, both fiction and non-fiction. You won’t be able to resist the luminous coffee-table books that will make you reconsider whether you really need those warm clothes in your suitcase.
To sleep, to eat
From its bustling ambience and eco-friendly values to the intoxicating smoky aroma coming from the kitchen, Sherwood had me at hello. And it just kept getting better.
What was once a mock-Tudor motor inn is now a welcoming hub for accommodation, food and events. The rooms are quietly luxe, with tactile furnishings, and many have lake views. Exmilitary woollen blankets now serve as ultra-thick curtains, and would probably keep a gale out.
Sustainability is considered everywhere at Sherwood, from efforts to minimise renovation waste and choose products with a lighter footprint, to reducing waste in day-to-day operations.
Close to half of the vegetables used in the restaurant come from the organic kitchen garden, and the kitchen staff smoke their own meat, salmon, mozzarella, and some vegetables.
Autumnal highlights from the in-house restaurant include house-made duck sausage with pickled cherries and caulilini, chicken oyster skewers with elderberry laque and sage, and a fennel and blackcurrant spritz.
Sherwood also runs an in-house bottling programme in conjunction with family-owned Otago vineyards, to cut down on glass waste and transport costs.
Then there are the yoga classes (try the yin class to stretch out after a big walk), sauna and massage. No person or place is perfect when it comes to sustainability, but it’s pretty difficult to fault Sherwood.
Elsewhere in Queenstown, there’s no shortage of plant-based and local food to delight.
Margo’s takes Mexican to delicious places. The goat barbacoa taquitos and crunchy artichoke tacos are highlights, and if you aren’t tempted by a tasting flight of tequila or mezcal, the non-alcoholic pineapple sour is a definite palate pleaser.
Yonder is popular for its bao buns and beef brisket, and has good plant-based options. Bespoke Kitchen focuses on ‘‘fresh, unprocessed and local where possible’’; the strawberry floss pancakes sound like every kid’s dream, and the hearty rosti will keep you warm on a chilly day. All the more reason to wrap up and start exploring.