- NZ Road Tripย – South Island – Day 14 & 15
- Queenstown
- Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th March 2026
From Cromwell our next stop was the adventure capital itself – Queenstown.
And what do you do when you first set foot in Queenstown? Naturallyโฆ you head straight for Ben Lomond.
Weโd been wanting to hike this one for a while, partly because of its connection to Scotland. Having already climbed Ben Lomond, it felt pretty special to tackle its New Zealand namesake on the other side of the world.
The weather had us a little worried at first, with rain in the forecast, but we decided to go for it anyway.
As the day went on, though, we completely lucked out. The clouds began to lift, patches of blue appeared and the higher we climbed, the more the views opened up around us.
Looking down over Lake Wakatipu, with Queenstown tucked beside the lake and the dramatic peaks of The Remarkables rising in the distance, it was one of those moments where you just stop and take it all in.
Sometimes you take a chance on the weatherโฆ and sometimes it rewards you with something pretty special.
We even got the whole summit to ourselves!
After the hike we headed out to explore Queenstown itself, soaking up the energy of the place.
We wandered through the shops, along the waterfront and around the harbour, just enjoying the buzz and atmosphere that the town is so well known for.
That evening we took the gondola up Skyline Queenstown, watching the lights of the town slowly appear below us as darkness settled over Lake Wakatipu.
Seeing the whole city sparkling beneath us with the mountains silhouetted in the background was pretty special, made even better with a couple of drinks while taking it all in.
The next day we slowed things down, wandering the streets of Queenstown again at a much gentler pace.
No big plans, just enjoying the vibe, the cafรฉs, the lake views and that laid-back holiday feeling that the town seems to do so well.
Queenstown had given us the perfect mix of adventure and atmosphere, big mountain views, a brilliant hike up Ben Lomond, lively streets and peaceful moments beside Lake Wakatipu.
Itโs easy to see why so many people fall in love with this place.
But the road was calling again, and our next destination was waiting. Leaving the buzz of Queenstown behind, we set off towards Te Anau, the quiet gateway to Fiordland National Park, where another completely different kind of landscape and adventure awaited.
Mary's Outdoor Adventure's 