Have you ever wanted to travel to the spectacularly beautiful South Island of New Zealand, - if not, why not :-)

This is the first episode in our New Zealand podcast series, and I can guarantee if this part of New Zealand wasn’t on your travel list – it will be after this and the next few episodes.   

Today we are taking you to one the most stunning places in the world. This week join us as we travel to Queenstown and to the main ski resorts that surround this gorgeous city.

Now, I know you might not be into skiing or snowboarding yourself, however, we share the best resorts for non-skiiers, brand new skiiers, intermediate and advanced.

We had all the above with us on this trip from 1oneyear olds to grandparents and if you don’t want to ski you can watch the action from the comfort of the heated café areas.

There are four main ski areas that we tell you about, Coronet Peak –  The Remarkables, Tremble Cone and Cardrona.  Some of these areas are better for different levels and we share all those details with you.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Beach Travel Wine podcast episode without some funny stories – and in this one you will hear about how we nearly called it quits before we started. 

 And Lyle’s most embarrassing moment at the top of a blue run (that’s advanced level skiing)

There is whole lot more to this part of New Zealand than skiing and we give some insights to those as well.

Stay listening to the end to hear what is now the most popular reason people travel to Queenstown – and it has nothing to do with snow or mountains.

Please enjoy episode 74 all about Queenstown, New Zealand.

SHOW NOTES AND PICTURES BELOW

Queenstown, New Zealand is a short 3 and half hour direct flight from Brisbane, Australia. It is one of those flights where you will definitely want the window seat. You leave Brisbane flying over the stunning beaches and islands of southeast Queensland and you fly into Queenstown airport through a valley of snow-capped mountains.

It is only a short 20-30 minute drive or taxi ride from the airport to the centre of Queenstown. Our accommodation for this trip was the Glebe Apartments. We had four families and we all had rooms very close that opened or overlooked a courtyard. You could see the gondola, snow-capped mountains as well as parts of Queenstown.

The rooms were spacious (especially ours as we were upgraded). They have full kitchens, fabulous heating throughout and free wifi and Netflix. The Glebe is in the perfect location only a few minutes walk from the centre of Queenstown.

Coronet Peak is the closest ski field area to Queenstown. It has 280 hectares of skiable terrain at an elevation of 1650 metres.

You can book all your lift passes, ski hire and lessons online. It is a great ski area for learners as the beginner slopes are away from the general ski area. You can also book and pay for the shuttle bus that runs from the middle of Queenstown to the front door of the ski fields hire area and cafes. There is a large indoor cafe/restaurant area and has fantastic views of the ski and snowboard action as it is right at the bottom of the slopes. The views from the all the ski runs are spectacular. You can find out more information about Coronet Peak here.

The Remarkables Ski Fields are 45 minutes from Queenstown. This is a better area for beginner and intermediate and very advanced skiers. It has an elevation of 1943 metres and often has the best snow because it is in a valley that protects the snow from the sun and wind. This ski area also has a cool jump park and and lots of back-country ski areas. You can book all the gear you need online as well - and then just show your Snow Pass card to collect your skiing gear for the day. Once again the views are spectacular. For more information on this ski area you can click here - Remarkables ski fields.

Cardrona Ski fields are easily accessed from the lakeside town of Wanaka.

Cardrona’s elevation is from 1260 to 1860 metres. It has a great distribution of different runs. 20% beginners, 25% intermediate, 30% advanced and 25% expert. It is fabulous for beginners with its wide open slopes and chondola - a combined chair lift with cabins which makes it easy for first time skiers and snowboarders.

There is a once a day shuttle bus from Wanaka each day - so many people choose to drive the 35km from Wanaka to Cardrona ski fields.

Another very popular ski field area close to Wanaka is Treble Cone. It is great for intermediate and advanced skiers.

The summit elevation is 2088 metres.

Treble Cone has a snowsports school and child care facility as well as restaurants and a bar. It is the largest ski area in the south island with the longest vertical drop in the Queenstown Southern Lakes District. You will need your own transport as there is only one bus on Friday, Saturday and Sundays and it’s first in best dressed.

Of course you can enjoy these ski areas if you don’t want to venture onto the snow. All the cafe and restaurant areas have heated indoor spaces that are spacious and have fantastic views of the action on the slopes.

Queenstown and Wanaka areas aren’t just for winter sports though. In the summer months this area is full of mountain bikers and hikers. There are many bike trails for the not so adventurous as well and you can even hire e-bikes and follow the trails to the wineries.

The one activity, though, that is taking over all the others in popularity is golf. There are six golf courses within 20 minutes of Queenstown and more are being built to cater for the interest.

This is a special part of New Zealand to visit - especially in winter. We look forward to sharing so much more about Queenstown and southern New Zealand in our upcoming episodes.