Three Perfect Days In Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown, New Zealand, wouldn’t be Queenstown if it weren’t far away from everything—more than three hours’ flight from the closet foreign city of Sydney, a long transpacific slog from the west coast of the U.S., a diabolically long distance from western Europe. (This part of the world is called the Antipodes for a reason.) But being tucked away in the snowy mountains at the bottom of the world is what gives it its character: It’s a cosmopolitan frontier town, full of ruggedly individualistic locals and generous transplants, ski bums and worldly chefs, shepherds and sommeliers.

Beside and below Queenstown is the large, luminous Lake Wakatipu. All around it are peaks of the range named the Remarkables, which is probably the best mountain name in the world—a blend of Kiwi understatement and spot-on accuracy. They’re a playground for sports and mountain sports, Think Vail without the attitude, or Courchevel without the designer boutiques.

If the tech billionaires ever emerge from their apocalypse bunkers, they’ll have a magical natural playground all to themselves. In the meantime, the rest of us have a charming small city to visit that combines excellent restaurants, terrific wine, spectacular landscapes and colorful characters. Here are a few highlights.

Matariki Residence

Queenstown and its surroundings have no shortage of lovely places to stay, from the superior luxury of Julian Robertson’s Matakauri Lodge (soon to be managed by Rosewood) to the old-world Eichardt’s Private Hotel that’s right on the waterfront. The best of both worlds (if you’re traveling in a group) exists in the newly built Matariki Residence, a private house that sleeps 12 people in six bedrooms and has all the creature comforts you can think of. It’s high enough up the hill to have captivating views of the lake, but still just a short walk from the center of town.

Amisfield Winery

The Central Otago Valley is famous for elegant pinot noir, and it reaches its apotheosis at Amisfield. For two decades, agronomists André Lategan and George Mackersy have been overseeing the sustainable and now certified organic grapes in the vineyards, while current winemakers Sam Davies and Ben Leen are overseeing the process in the winery, sometimes with a soundtrack of 1990s hip-hop. The result is pinots that regularly win awards, but also surprisingly delicious sparkling, white and rosé wines.

Amisfield Restaurant

Hands-down the most fascinating restaurant in New Zealand, and one of the most intriguing anywhere. New Zealand–born chef Vaughan Mabee is equal parts wild mountain man who shoots deer off his back porch and hunts most of the meat on his menu, classically trained chef who spent years at Noma and Martin Berasategui, and mad scientist who stays up late researching the molecular structure of the newly discovered monster-size crabs that he found a way to cook as soon as got news of them.

Over the Top Helicopters

Someone once told me that New Zealand has more helicopters per capita than any other country in the world. While I don’t know if that’s true, it’s certainly plausible. And so it was little surprise when the ride showed up one afternoon for a group of journalists and it was Louisa “Choppy” Patterson, the chief pilot for Over the Top, and a black Airbus helicopter. She flew us over the South Island’s stunning landscapes and up to a fully restored, fully stocked gold miners’ cabin from the 19th century. Her attention to detail is impressive, from the vintage Victrola to the working player piano. While it’s licensed as a helicopter company, Choppy says she prefers to think of it as an entertainment business.

Soho Basin

Soho Basin, a private playground for advanced backcountry skiers and boarders, is another venture from the owner of Amisfield. One group at a time can reserve the space, travel up to it via snowcat and then play on the slope with experienced mountain guides. The lunch break or après-ski takes place at a private mountain sundeck with long tables and cushy blankets. Some of Mabee’s deputy chefs from Amisfield come up to prepare special meals over fire, as do a sommelier or two, who pour some of the winery’s best vintages.

Cardrona Hotel

Since its establishment in 1863, Cardrona Hotel has been a lively hangout for locals and mountain enthusiasts who visit Queenstown and nearby Wanaka. (The bar sits midway in between.) While there’s still a rustic, charming hotel upstairs, most visitors come for the late afternoon and stay into the night, sipping craft beer and cocktails beside outdoor fires or tucking into classic bar comfort food like loaded nachos, skin-on fries and a particularly New Zealand–ish treat, freckles, or deep-fried dill pickles with Bloody Mary dipping sauce. They try to buy local products whenever possible.

Jack’s Point

Another project from the owner of Amisfield, Jack’s Point is much more than an ordinary gold club. Even if you couldn’t care less about little while balls, it’s worth a visit for its beautiful lakeside dining room and inventive cuisine, which is also overseen by Mabee. Even breakfast is more creative than it would have to be, with morning plates that range from twists on the usual (avocado toast on four-grain bread with salmon, arugula and dill crème fraîche) to the purely decadent (a breakfast muffin with a wagyu patty, bacon, fried egg, smoked cheddar and mustard sauce).

Arrowtown

The quaint Arrowtown is one of those places that feels like it should be a film set, but is also filled with contemporary life. Art galleries, boutiques, restaurants and a cinema line the old streets of houses and buildings that date from the mid-19th-century gold rush. Now the restored miners’ cottages have been transformed into contemporary holiday homes and permanent residences, and locals gather in atmospheric watering holes, like the popular Blue Door Bar.

Kappa

Queenstown is chockablock with Japanese restaurants, but few are as good as Kappa. That’s why it’s so popular that certain guests are such devoted regulars that the chefs have named lunch combos—bento boxes—after them. The sushi is as fresh and inventive as can be, based on local, sustainably caught fish and other ingredients, but there’s also delicate tempura, well-seasoned teriyaki, and specials like meaty Bluff oysters and grilled oxtail.

Fergburger and Ferg’s Bar

Judging from the long lines in front, no trip to Queenstown is complete without a visit to the Ferg empire. At Ferg’s Bar (the city’s Bar of the Year in 2022), a long counter welcomes guests who sip classic and inventive cocktails and, on Sunday mornings, choose-your-own-spice-level Bloody Marys with enough garnishes to count as a meal (celery, pickles, olives, cocktail onions, lemon, salami, halloumi and sometimes jalapeños). Next door, Fergburger is famous for its burgers that are bigger than your head, in dozens of flavor combinations including some very good vegan options like tempura tofu with spicy satay, coconut and coriander sauce, lettuce, tomato, red onion, cucumber, pea shoots and aioli. And it just might be the only bar in the world with a lavish private dining room and lounge.