Our Director of Adventure’s Guide To Spring

Have you met Jonny?

If you’ve checked in to remarkable at QT Queenstown, you would have seen this cherry face at our reception. Aptly named, our Director of Adventure or DOA, Jonny is your go-to guy for in-the-know activities in Queenstown. A little bit adventurous himself, he’s earned the title and is more than just your ordinary concierge.

While hitting the snow sure ticks Jonny’s box for adventure, now that the snow has receded and the slopes have turned to slush it’s time to tuck the skis away and say goodbye to winter wonderland and hello to the whimsical wonders of spring.

Here’s QT’s DOA’s insider top tips for the best way to enjoy a springtime escape in Queenstown:

Explore the snoozier side of Lake Wakatipu with a trip out to Glenorchy and Paradise to find the various hidden gems these mystical spots have to offer. Here you’ll find less conventional options and a whole new way to explore this side of our world. Depending on your level of adventuring spirit, you’ve got a few options:

For the grounded souls who prefer their soles to remain on the ground, cruise on through Glenorchy and Paradise until you reach the Routeburn Shelter – one end of the one of our Otago Great Walks. From here you can walk part of the Routeburn out to the Flat or Falls campsite and back. On your return journey enjoying thunderous crystal blue waterfalls and rivers, canopies laden with native wildlife, and gargantuan rock formations. This 13km round trip hike is one of the most breath taking tracks I’ve personally hiked and could not recommend it more highly.

Paragliding has always been one of the top activities to do in Queenstown. Spring is the perfect time to jump off the Skyline and take in the signs of the town as you float back down to the lake. See, look how happy It makes me, and will you.

For the aquanauts amongst yourselves, a day spent out on the bluest of glacial waters could not be more divine than the Funyaks Experience hosted by Dart River Adventures. Not only will you get the classic Kiwi experience of a thrilling jet boat ride filled with skids and spins, through the barely touched Mount Aspiring National Park wilderness, to the giant inflatable canoes upon which you voyage downstream. Explore channels and side-streams, chasms and crevices which will transport you into a mythical world that does not seem like it should be real. It’s called ‘paradise’ for a reason.

Prefer to soar through the sky, feeling the wind flow through your hair? Paradise Ziplines is the exhilarating adventure experience for you. The knowledgeable guides will take you through native beech tree bush as you scale the cliffs where you come to meet the first, longest and highest of eight flying foxes which will have you gliding through the bustling canyon over treetops and as you descend the closer you shall come to the ever flowing waterfalls within this winding wilderness.

Now if all of that sounds like far too much energy or excitement, book yourself onto the Gourmet Food & Wine tour hosted by the delightful Appellation Wine Tour group for a day of dining and decadence and why not sign yourself up for a sunset or starlit Onsen. We know adrenaline isn’t for everyone, maybe just some endorphins will do.

Meet you in QT, QTies.