Side Trips

A Side Trip to Skippers Canyon

Skippers Canyon, 22km (13 miles) from Queenstown, at the head of the Shotover River, was made famous by the discovery of gold there in 1862; within 4 months of that first find, over 10,000 miners were in the canyon. A settlement quickly sprang up to accommodate the miners, and at one time there were four hotels there. Today, among the few reminders of that bustling era are an old schoolhouse and the incredible narrow, winding road that was carved out of the rock faces by Chinese laborers. It can be a hair-raising journey, and I'd think twice about doing it under your own steam. Instead, I recommend you join one of the experienced tour operators who know this iconic route well.

Of the operators taking four-wheel-drive tours into Skippers Canyon, Queenstown Heritage Tours (tel. 03/442-5949; www.qht.co.nz) is one of the best. The half-day tour is limited to four to six people and culminates in a delicious picnic on the edge of the cliff. The cost is from NZ$150 for adults and NZ$75 for children. Nomad Safaris (tel. 0800/676-264; www.nomadsafaris.co.nz) offers a 4-hour 4WD safari into the canyon for NZ$153 for adults and NZ$80 for children. You can also go into the canyon with Skippers Canyon Jet (tel. 0800/226-966), for NZ$119 for adults and NZ$69 for children; some operators include a little gold panning in their excursion.

Side Trips to Milford Sound

If you don't have time to make the long drive to Milford Sound, there are numerous operators offering trips from Queenstown. Flying is money well invested, as the long 1-day coach trips can be exhausting and you'll spend most of your time on a bus. If you are planning to drive yourself, I definitely recommend spending a night at Te Anau before undertaking the journey to Milford Sound. That way, your Milford trip can be taken at a leisurely pace, and you can stop along the way to enjoy the scenery. Otherwise it can be an arduous journey.

There are numerous suppliers of fixed-wing scenic flights from Queenstown to Milford. You'll get 10% discount if you mention Frommer's to either Air Fiordland, Queenstown Airport (tel. 0800/103-404; www.airfiordland.com), or Milford Sound Scenic Flights, Queenstown Airport (tel. 0800/207-206; www.milfordflights.co.nz). They're similarly priced, offering flights and inclusive boat cruise options for around NZ$425 to NZ$450 for adults and NZ$255 to NZ$260 for children. Their longer fly/cruise/coach options are a little cheaper and will give you the opportunity for an on-the-ground look at this remarkable landscape. But if you're short on time and you can afford to fly both ways, it's definitely the way to go. You'll see many hidden valleys and lakes never seen from the road and the flight only takes around 35 minutes from Queenstown to Milford.

If flying and driving are not options, don't despair. Great Sights (tel. 0800/744-487; www.greatsights.co.nz) and Real Journeys (tel. 0800/656-503; www.realjourneys.co.nz) both offer coach trips from Queenstown. Allow at least 12 hours for a trip of this nature, of which approximately 10 hours will be spent on the bus. A better option is to coach in and fly out, which saves time and lets you see the landscape from two different perspectives, but if the weather closes in -- and it often does -- you'll end up coaching both ways.

Real Journeys also offers a flight and scenic-cruise option priced at NZ$435 for adults and NZ$283 for children. Their Coach and Nature Cruise (all year) from Queenstown is NZ$230 for adults, NZ$115 for children ages 5 to 14. The vessel is designed along the lines of a traditional trading scow and there's an onboard nature guide. A coach/nature cruise/fly package (all year) from Queenstown is NZ$540 for adults, NZ$317 for children ages 5 to 14. A coach/scenic cruise/fly package (all year) from Queenstown costs NZ$586 for adults, NZ$47 for children ages 5 to 14. You can book all Real Journey excursions at the visitor center at Steamer Wharf (tel. 03/442-7500; fax 03/442-7504). It has excellent coaches, comfortable cruising vessels, informed drivers, and interpretation in seven languages other than English.