Queenstown Region

Sort the Campervan Stuff First

Queenstown is NZ's resort town and it earns that title. But driving a campervan into the centre is a bad idea. Traffic is a nightmare, only Auckland and central Wellington are worse. Park at Boundary Street Carpark, stay at a holiday park within walking distance of town, or take the ferry in from Driftaway. Once you've got that sorted, the rest gets a lot easier.

The Town Delivers, If You Work Around It

The food scene is genuinely good. Margo's, Blue Kanu, a few others worth hunting down. The TSS Earnslaw cruise out to Walter Peak Station with the buffet dinner is a bit of a oncer, and friends of mine who've done food tours all over NZ keep coming back to it as their Queenstown pick. If you're after the paid adventure stuff, there's no shortage: jet boating, rafting, scenic flights, ziplines and more. The promo code RANKERS covers a good chunk of these, so worth a look before you book.

Glenorchy is the Move

An hour out of Queenstown, Glenorchy is a different world. Lord of the Rings country, and the drive alone is worth it. Camp overnight at the Sylvan DOC campsite so you can get an early start on Lake Sylvan or the Routeburn Nature Walk before the tour buses roll in. If you're after something different, there are horse treks and heli flights in the area too, and the RANKERS promo code applies to the farm experiences out this way.

Cromwell as Your Base

Freedom camping near Queenstown central is not worth attempting. Instead, Lowburn Harbour near Cromwell is the best free camping option in the wider area, and fuel there is 10-20c a litre cheaper than in town. The Lake Dunstan Cycleway on an e-bike is a proper good day out if you're passing through. Cromwell's not flashy, but it works hard as a base.