Day 01
Queenstown to Crown Range, Wanaka and Arrowtown
- Meet your guide at your hotel and head to the Crown Range. As New Zealand's highest sealed road, the Crown Range is usually covered in snow in winter and boasts some incredible viewing platforms.
- Explore Cardrona, built in 1863 to service gold prospectors. It is one of New Zealand's oldest pubs and possibly the most well-known, having been photographed internationally. Enjoy a glass of Cardrona Ale or non-alcoholic ginger beer.
- Take a short walk down to New Zealand's most photographed tree, the "Wanaka Tree," and learn about its exciting history. Your guide will show you the best photo locations and even help with your selfies.
- Head to Wanaka. Historically used by Maori as a pathway to greenstone sites and later by gold miners for accommodation close to Cardrona claims, today Wanaka has branded itself as a lifestyle reserve. Huge mountains and massive glaciers surround this place.
- Move to the Reflection Tree, which grows within the lake. It is obsessively photographed across every season, and you will see why.
- Wander around Wanaka - maybe browse the shops, sit and have an ice cream by the lake, or go for a walk along the lake path. The choice is yours. It is recommended to choose an easy lunch option from one of the nearby cafes and take advantage of the views.
- Head to historic Arrowtown - a site first swarmed by European gold prospectors in the 1860s, then by the Chinese. Walk among the tiny restored cottages of their settlement and wander down the main street of this beautiful little town.
That will conclude your tour.
