Queenstown is an easy 3 hour(ish) flight from Brisbane. We left on the early morning flight so we could fully enjoy as much holidaying as possible.
We travelled with Virgin Australia in Economy X which is 110% worth the extra $$$ to upgrade to in my humble opinion. You get to use the priority check-in counter and also get priority boarding. The main drawcard, of course, is the extra legroom seats (which make all the difference for my tall hubby) and the dedicated overhead luggage storage which means even if you board last there will still be a place to stash your carry on bags right above where you are sitting.
When we arrived at Queenstown airport and the first thing we noticed was just how busy it was. Turns out we were travelling during Chinese New Year, which is one of the busiest times of the year in Queenstown. I thought I was so clever and had researched and avoided all the Australian and New Zealand school holidays. Oops, lucky everything we were doing was pre-booked, otherwise, we might have had some issues being able to do the activities we wanted to.
I had booked us an airport transfer with NZ Supershuttle to ensure a hassle-free ride to our hotel, so thankfully we got to avoid the busy booking counters and lengthy taxi line. It was easy to find the driver and after collecting our bags (which were one of the first out - another perk of Economy X) we boarded the shuttle bus to head to our hotel. The Queenstown airport is actually located in Frankton, which is about a 20-minute drive into the heart of Queenstown.
We spent the week at Lomond Lodge, which is a small (dare I call it boutique??) 4-star hotel located right in the middle of Queenstown. When travelling we have a few criteria that we look for in places we are staying and this one ticked all the boxes, it was central, it had great reviews, it was reasonably priced (for Queenstown, which is notoriously expensive) it had a breathtaking view and we had our own ensuite bathroom. The room we chose was a “Lake view studio with balcony” and I highly recommend it. It seems like a really popular option, even outside of peak season, and I would suggest booking early if you are wanting to stay here.
I generally avoid booking any tours, activities etc on the day we arrive in a destination as flight delays happen. So, after unpacking we spent the afternoon exploring Queenstown, eating cookies and ice cream and taking numerous selfies at the lake as a stunning background. We also grabbed some food and drinks from the grocery store so we didn’t have to eat out for every meal. The hotel had a small guest kitchen with basic cooking supplies and we had a bar fridge in our room.
We enjoyed true New Zealand hospitality at Speights Ale House and ate a delicious dinner before heading back to the hotel for an early night as we had an early start the following morning for an adventure that was going to be truly spectacular….
Links to what we did:
Virgin Airlines - https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/
NZ Supershuttle - https://www.supershuttle.co.nz/
Lomond Lodge (Hotel) - https://www.lomondlodge.com/
Patagonia Chocolates & Ice cream https://www.patagoniachocolates.co.nz/
Cookie Time https://cookietime.co.nz/
Speights Ale House - https://www.speightsalehousequeenstown.co.nz/
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