Fabulous freebies - The best free activities in Queenstown

Queenstown gets accused of being ‘out of this world’ expensive. The good news is that, while visitor need to shell out for the hotels, if they don’t have a local option fixed up, and while restaurants and tours can be pricey, there’s plenty to enjoy in Queenstown that doesn’t cost a cent. So with the holidays here, tuck these away for when visitors arrive, hoover up the best of the fabulous freebies, and save the money for something special…

• Wine tasting

Central Otago is the unquestionably the best region for wine tasting in NZ and right up there with the rest of the world. While some wineries will charge for tasting sessions, many don’t. Go to the Nockies Palette and Stoneridge is incredible, along with Amisfield then there is Gibbston Valley. For the day out, if you haven’t been to the Bannockburn and Cromwell wineries they have some tremendous options. and you’re usually able to rock up at a cellar door, try a few wines, then toddle off. The wineries, of course, are working on the business model of you liking the wine so much, you buy a bottle. But for visitors, this try before you buy scheme is tremendous.

• Bushwalking

There comes a point in everyone’s life when they have to admit that their dad was right and, yes, going for a good walk is the most satisfying free entertainment you can get. We do walking trails really well, both along the lakes and in the mountains. Explore the trails and lakes throughout the area, not just in Queenstown itself and you’ll find hundreds of suggested walking trails, each listing distance, difficulty level and the highlights along the way.

• Our amazing local museum

The Lakes District Museum was established 73 years ago and started out in the billiards room of the Ballarat Hotel before moving to its current historical location. With a strong hands on focus and the museum is a favorite with locals. If you haven’t been, its totally worth the visit. There is a small fee of $10 per adult and a whole family gets in for $20 so its not strictly free but it’s as close to free as you’ll see.

• Bike riding

How about a healthy dose of bike riding on some of the best trails in the country. The Queenstown Trail Network is a gem and a great way to get out and see something new. We have over 180km of off road trails providing a great way to access the region or visit the local wineries. There are trails from 1 hr to all day. Check out the website www.queenstowntrail.org.nz

• Lake and river swims

While not renowned for our beaches, there are some spots where it’s fun to take a dip however. Homestead Bay, Little Thailand and the Arrow River are a few. Of course, this is strictly a summer activity unless you are particularly brave and even then a lengthy dip won’t be on the agenda until December. That’s where the indoor pool comes in at Alpine Aqualand at the Event Center come into its own. While it’s not free it is cheap at $8.50 per adult and $4 per child.

• Market-browsing

The area has a fantastic number of Markets. Remarkables Market and Arrowtown Farmers Market are perhaps the best known while the Creative Arts and Craft Market is on every Saturday from 10am and being right on the Earnslaw Park is beautifully situated right on the lake. It free to wander around and talk to the local designers and artists before grabbing a coffee at one of the cafes.