Queenstown

There are plenty of reasons why Queenstown is hailed as the Adventure Capital of the World. Everything from jet boating down the Arrow River to heli skiing in the Southern Alps can be added to the itinerary here. In fact, this was even the place where bungee jumping went commercial under the guidance of AJ Hackett back in 1988! But who needs an elastic rope and a helicopter to get the adventure gauge peaking? Queenstown is situated at the epicentre of such a comprehensive web of hiking paths that hoofing it is a sure ticket to the great NZ outdoors. Options abound. Famous hikes start right on the lakeside in the town itself. You’ll leave behind the canine buskers and beer drinkers on the main street and head through pine woods to reach the top of the Skyline Queenstown gondola. From there, break out to the saddle of Ben Lomond and even onto the summit, where endangered kea parrots like to photobomb your shots of Mount Aspiring and mirror-like Lake Wakatipu. And that’s just a taster, too.