Queenstown Hill Walking Track — Attraction in South Island

The hill is located on the far end of town towards the Village Green. There were road works when I was there so I had to take a bit of a detour around the Streets to get to the base. There are multiple road signs along the way to help you get to the starting point. Alternatively, there are car parks at the bottom so you are able to drive there too. The walk is uphill and the track is a combination of dirt, gravel and rocks. The first part is actually quite steep and can be a hard climb. It does get a bit less steep in the middle before getting steeper again. It also looks like there are trails for mountain bikes. There are information boards along the path which gives some information about the history of the place. Part way up the hill there is an interesting fairy village which was something unexpected. There is also a split in the path further up. They both lead to the Basket of Dreams. Go towards the lookout first as it can be easy to miss if you come from the other way, as I did. The Basket of Dreams is an interesting sculpture and it is another 15 minutes to get to the summit of the hill. There are more tracks at the summit but it leads into private land. I quite enjoyed the hike up the hill. It was actually harder than expected but still enjoyable. I was able to complete the walk in 1 hour 45 minutes as I was a bit pressed for time but still had enough time to take photos and take in...

One of My Favourite Hikes on the South Island – Queenstown Hill Walkway

Queenstown Hill Walkway quickly became one of my favourite hikes during my South Island adventure. It’s a relatively easy walk — it took me about an hour to reach the top and just 15–20 minutes to come back down — but the rewards at the summit are absolutely next level.

I did the hike early in the morning, which made the experience feel extra special. I had the trail and the summit mostly to myself, and that peaceful solitude was something I’ll never forget. I ended up spending a good 4–5 hours at the top, just soaking in the scenery — watching planes land and take off in the distance, taking in the incredible panoramic views of the lake, the clouds rolling over the snow-capped mountains, and the serenity all around.

It’s the kind of spot where time slows down and you’re just present in the moment.

I would highly recommend this walk to anyone visiting Queenstown — whether you’re a serious hiker or just looking for a rewarding morning stroll. I’ll definitely be returning to do it again. An unforgettable experience and a perfect way to take in the beauty of the...

The trail is beautiful and I had unforgettable experience here . I got the trail information from tourists office at Queenstown, I was told this was easy trail, no need for hiking boots and trekking poles which I did not bring for my group tour. It was a steep uphill when approaching to the trailhead. The trail was really wonderful and well maintained, I left my contribution to the Fairy Meeting Place on the way, the overlook of whole town was fantastic specially when a beam of light broke through the clouds brightened the whole town, I felt in heaven. Later on it started raining when we climbed up to the top, it was very unfortunate that my wife slipped at the end of the trail and broke her ankle. I have to give high praise to New Zealand firefighters, who helped me to bring my wife to their car and even sent her to hospital, thank you so much Jim. Then our whole New Zealand trip was cancelled. I got to say the trail was worth it, remember to wear proper shoes, better with hiking shoes, also be careful when...