Otago & Queenstown Lakes

Tucked into a sweeping bay on Lake Wakatipu and framed by the sawtooth skyline of the Remarkables, Queenstown is more than a postcard view—it’s a year-round playground that blends adventure and indulgence without breaking a sweat. Mornings can be all adrenaline and cliff edges; afternoons drift into spa tubs, lake cruises, and Central Otago pinot; evenings stretch out under alpine stars. For a small resort town, it has serious range, and it delivers whether you’re here to go hard, slow down, or mix both in the same day. 

Twenty minutes from Queenstown and a world slower in pace, Arrowtown is the kind of small town that rewards attention. Weatherboard cottages lean into schist hillsides, the Arrow River slips past willows, and a main street of independent shops makes lingering feel like a plan. Come for the autumn blaze and the gold-rush story; stay for river walks, pinot afternoons, and evenings that end by a fire, not a queue.

Wānaka has the scenery of Queenstown without the hurry. A glassy lake sits beneath crisp Southern Alps, and the town hums at a pace that lets you actually notice things: the way morning light washes the water pale blue, the smell of coffee drifting down Ardmore Street, the quiet that settles over the lakefront as the sun slides off Roys Peak. It’s a place where you can climb a mountain before lunch, sink into a long afternoon on the grass, and still have energy for dinner somewhere with a view. Come for the peaks and the water; stay for the unforced tempo.

Tucked at the northern tip of Lake Wakatipu and ringed by snow-capped peaks, ancient beech forest, and turquoise rivers, Glenorchy feels like a town with one foot in another world. It’s only a 45-minute drive from Queenstown, but the shift in tempo is immediate: the air smells cleaner, the mountains loom larger, and the silence has a texture to it. This is the gateway to Middle-earth for film lovers and a launchpad to real wilderness for hikers, paddlers, and daydreamers who came for the views and stayed for the calm. 

Nestled between rugged schist mountains and wrapped in orchards, vineyards, and mirror-still lakes, Cromwell is Central Otago’s easygoing all-rounder. It doesn’t shout like Queenstown or Wanaka, and that’s exactly the appeal. Here, heritage streets run down to blue water, cellar doors pour some of the country’s most elegant pinot noir, and the afternoon heat slips into long golden evenings that make you wonder why you ever rushed through on a road trip. Come for the fruit and the wine; stay for the lake life, the gold-rush history, and the small-town warmth that still leaves you room to breathe.

Winding 152 kilometres through golden valleys, rugged hills, and wide-open spaces, the Otago Central Rail Trail is more than a cycle path—it’s a moving postcard packed with history, hospitality, and the kind of quiet that resets your head. Set in the sun-baked heart of Central Otago, this is New Zealand’s original Great Ride, a multi-day journey that trades traffic for birdsong, deadlines for distance markers, and turns every country pub into a welcome-home sign. You don’t need to be a hardcore rider to love it. You only need time, curiosity, and a soft spot for old rail towns and big skies.

Hidden in the hills of the Maniototo and wrapped in quiet pine forest, Naseby is the kind of place that sneaks up on you. It’s small and a little quirky, with gold-rush bones and a clear, crisp atmosphere that feels medicinal the second you step out of the car. The town’s unofficial slogan—“2000 feet above worry level”—isn’t marketing fluff; it’s a fair description of what happens to your shoulders when the road narrows, the trees close in, and the pace drops to something humane. If you come for curling, history, stargazing, or simply to fill your lungs with alpine air, you’ll leave wondering why more people don’t detour here.