Queenstown: Both Popular And Beautiful
We leave Franz Josef in the heavy weather which caused us to miss out on the glacier flight, on one of those mornings where any excursion out of the car is a dash to the next piece of shelter in a race against the downpour in order to stay as dry as possible. The early part of our route takes us through the “other” adventure village, Fox Glacier, but this morning’s cloud cover is so thick that we don’t even catch a glimpse of the glacier itself, just an immense white curtain excluding it from view.
If there is any benefit on a morning such as this then it is the sight of the raging sea, so several times along the highway we are forced to pull over to watch the angry waves crashing against the rocks. Relentless power, incessant noise. The sea is proper moody this morning, writhing in large swathes of foaming surf as the waves break early and clash with those waves which are rebounding from shore: it’s quite thrilling to stand in the squall and watch the manic action which all takes place in the natural monochrome of a stormy morning. Shades of grey and white.
Route 6 is evidently another cafe free zone with long distances between towns and villages, so not for the first time on our NZ travels we are well overdue a caffeine fix before we eventually pull into a small village with an obliging coffee shop – this time Makarora. As it happens it’s a ham and cheese toastie fix as well as the welcome caffeine. From Makarora we continue further south and detour briefly to the attractive and lively town of Wanaka nestled by its lake, bustling with visitors.
South of Wanaka the scenery, if this is in any way possible, is suddenly some of the most spectacular we’ve seen in this country of endless wows. At Crown Range Scenic Lookout, way above the valley bottom hundreds of feet below, we climb up to the lookout point and stand with other travellers in complete awe at the absolutely unreal vista lying ahead, gigantic sides to the valley towering over the village of Cromwell which sits somewhere down in the bottom.
And so on to Queenstown, a place I’ve kind of hoped to see ever since my son Steve came home with special memories of the place when he visited during his gap year more than 20 years ago. Now, one point we’ve often made on this blog site is that touristy towns have become a destination for a reason, and that reason is never because they’re dull and boring – no, it’s because they have something special to offer. Both things are instantly obvious in Queenstown: both its status as a tourist destination and its incredibly wonderful natural setting.
Curved enticingly around the bottom corner of Lake Wakatipu, the tranquil waters of the large lake stretching for miles ahead and surrounded by towering mountains, Queenstown nestles with pride and confidence in its wonderful setting. Beautiful yes, touristy yes. Gotta love the fact that the muscling hard rock mountains which tower over one corner of the lake, distinguishable from the others through their bare rock, tree-free appearance, are called The Remarkables.
Wakatipu translates roughly as “smoky water”, a name given to the lake by the Maoris as an interpretation of the morning mist which forms every day and glides across the surface as it gradually disperses. In the Land Of The Long White Cloud, here in Queenstown a long white cloud heralds the start of every day, lying low above the lake. So atmospheric. Smoke on the water.
Lake Wakatipu
The TSS Earnslaw was one of a number of steamships which in times gone by used to deliver supplies to the remote sheep and cow stations at the southern end of Lake Wakatipu which were otherwise unreachable, there being no roads reaching that far – in fact there are still two sheep stations in these mountains which to this day have no road access whatsoever. Nowadays though the Earnslaw earns its keep as a tourist lake cruiser taking passengers through the spectacular scenery as far as the Walter Peak High Country Farm.
Queenstown’s setting really is very special, the towering mountains on all sides of the water of the lake which can switch from a mirror-like surface to wind driven turbulence in minutes. Still a genuine steam driven vessel, operatives shovelling coal into the burners at a furious pace throughout the 2-hour cruise, the Earnslaw provides a wonderful opportunity to fully appreciate the big country scenery around the lake and the town.
A very different perspective, one from on high, is the reward for journeying up the mountain in the gondola cable car, the shape of the lake appearing quickly as the car ascends at a surprisingly steep angle – the climb feels almost vertical in the early stages.
When the rain returns on our last day in Queenstown we drive to Lake Wakatipu’s southern extremity to the little settlement of Glenorchy, intending to take a stroll along its walkway renowned for both scenery and wildlife, but within minutes the heavy weather rolls in and we are defeated by the downpour. Good coffee though.
Queenstown continues to be a hugely attractive town in an absolutely magnificent setting, and is a town with a welcoming feel due to it being such a popular tourist destination. There’s still plenty of young travellers here as there would have been when Steve visited, though prices in the bars and restaurants would suggest that it’s no longer the backpackers’ haven it may once have been.
Overriding it all is the comment we made earlier – places become popular because they’re special, not because they’re ugly. And Queenstown, it’s fair to say, is a queen amongst towns.
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21 Comments
Eha Carr
Love the low, long clouds over the lake; just love that steamboat and feel quite jealous; love the fact it got pleasant enough for you to take your winterish gear off and smile; love that the weather had a few smiles after his ‘cranky turns’ at the glaciers . . . and . . . huh . . . am wondering how many T-shirts fit into Phil’s backpack > don’t think I have ever seen two the same . . . oops . . .
Phil & Michaela
Ah well my T shirt collection is a movable feast with acquisitions and disposals along the way…it’s easy when you don’t carry much else 😂
Lynette d'Arty-Cross
Fjord lakes between mountain ranges provide some of the most gorgeous scenery and the clouds and skyscapes can be so dramatic. Beautiful photos, Phil. I hope your weather improves.
Phil & Michaela
You’re so right, it makes for some stunning scenery
Forestwood
I skied in the Remarkables some years back, a terrifying journey up the mountain in a very old bus with dubious brakes. Other than that, I am able to revisit my journey to Queenstown through your eyes. I switched to reading this post from my phone to the pc in order to fully appreciate the region’s beauty, albeit without the snow. The photos from my old post are somewhat fuzzy from age (c. 2013), but if you have spare time to read in the airport on the way home, you can find it here https://forestwoodfolkart.wordpress.com/2020/06/21/skiing-the-remarkables/
Phil & Michaela
I’ll take a look! Certainly is a fantastic area for stunning scenery..
Lookoom
I also have fond memories of Queenstown; all of a sudden, I found myself in a town that seemed to cater solely to tourists, with a wide range of activities on offer. But I soon found my way back to the long, lonely roads and quiet little towns.
Phil & Michaela
It’s still pretty much that way, but has probably gentrified a little, in other words, gone a rung or two upmarket and taken the price list with it…
Helen Devries
At each post I think…it can’t get better…..but it does.
And a steam powered boat trip…….
Phil & Michaela
Thank you Helen…yeah that was special…as has been everywhere
Toonsarah
You’re so right about popular places being popular for a reason. I get a bit frustrated when people visit somewhere like that and then complain there are too many tourists – they are there for the same reason as you and have as much right to be there as you do! Certainly from all you say, and from Michaela’s wonderful photos, Queenstown seems to deserve its popularity 🙂 I’d enjoy the steamboat ride and the gondola would be a must!
Phil & Michaela
Definitely worth a visit, Queenstown has a lovely vibe even if it is reliant on tourism. And of course the scenery alone makes it absolutely worthwhile
Monkey's Tale
Nice to know Queenstown has not only aged well, but has improved with age. Love those low lying clouds. And we agree, most places are tourist hot spots for a reason, but not all manage it as well as this. Maggie
Phil & Michaela
That’s very true, Queenstown does do it well
grandmisadventures
Beautiful pictures of Queenstown- the charming buildings, the vast water, and the mountains behind it all seem perfect
Phil & Michaela
Yep, touristy of course but it’s a welcoming town in a fabulous setting
restlessjo
No wonder Michaela is smiling xx
Phil & Michaela
She does that a lot 😂
WanderingCanadians
Glad you left the miserable weather behind on the west coast. Queenstown is such a lively and picturesque city.Beautiful captures from the gondola cable car. Did you have any issues with the traffic?
Phil & Michaela
None at all, traffic has been light everywhere throughout this entire trip, it’s made the driving so easy!
WanderingCanadians
We had a similar experience, except for in Queenstown. The traffic was horrendous! But I think we were visiting around a holiday, so that probably had something to do with it.