What to Do in New Zealand – According to Qantas Frequent Flyers
Adrenaline-fuelled adventures, a food safari and nature at its most pristine. These Qantas Travellers chose New Zealand and scored the trip of a lifetime.
“A road trip from the North to the South Island was stunning.” – Mish Wright, Gold Frequent Flyer
“Both the North and South islands have so much to offer and we drove from top to bottom, starting at Kerikeri in the far north, about four hours from Auckland.
“In nearby Mahinepua Bay, the coastal walk is off the beaten track and offers a different view at every turn. It’s stunning.
“In the south, visiting Milford Sound is incomparable. We did a full-day cruise, stopping along the way so we could do short bushwalks. There were hundreds of waterfalls and our guides stopped the boat so we could stick out our hands and catch the glacial water to drink straight from the falls.”
Mish flew Qantas from Melbourne to Auckland.
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“We went on a food safari in Christchurch.” – Courtney Wilton, Bronze Frequent Flyer
“We’d earned Qantas Points travelling to Canada and Mexico and redeemed them on flights to Christchurch. The food at Riverside Market in the CBD was diverse and delicious, we ate everything from Greek to Mexican and excellent fish and chips.
“At the Antarctic Centre, it was so much fun to see the penguins and pretend we were in the middle of a snowstorm in the Storm Dome.
“After driving south, we chose to stay in Arrowtown rather than Queenstown, which allowed us to have beautiful early morning walks through the Millbrook Resort golf course, complete with a dawn sighting of a hot air balloon.”
Courtney flew Qantas from Brisbane to Christchurch.
“Ziplining through Queenstown was exhilarating.” – Cameron Dawson, Gold Frequent Flyer
“Queenstown is the adventure capital of New Zealand and taking the world’s steepest tree-to-tree zipline is an exhilarating way to see the town. The guides from Ziptrek EcoTours made it even more fun and encouraged us to try tricks in the air.
“Hiking up Queenstown Hill was more peaceful – the air was crisp and all I could hear was birdsong. Afterwards, I sat by Lake Wakatipu and enjoyed takeaway from Erik’s Fish & Chips. Flying Qantas Business Class on the way home was a nice way to end the trip.”
Cameron flew Qantas from Canberra to Queenstown (via Sydney).
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“The first thing we did was go to Fergburger – then, it was activity time” - Josephine Braid, Bronze Frequent Flyer
“I flew Qantas to Queenstown with my three sons aged 11, 10 and seven. While we were waiting to leave Sydney airport, my youngest had a chat with the pilot; he was so excited. We booked a two-bedroom, two bathroom apartment at the Hilton Queenstown Resort & Spa, with views over Lake Wakatipu. It was a skiing holiday (we spent most of our time at The Remarkables Ski Area) and Browns Ski Shop dropped off and picked up our gear daily. They were sensational.
“On the days we didn’t ski, we visited the Onsen Hot Pools, which overlooks the Shotover River. It was so relaxing. We also rode big enclosed gondolas to the Skyline for a buffet lunch then took the luge back down. The kids loved Game Over go-karting and Escape Quest; it’s six different rooms within one escape room.
“Food is important when travelling with kids. We got off the plane after a 3am start so the first thing we did was go to Fergburger for burgers and chips. The Cow is another Queenstown institution; you can’t book but we got in early and had beautiful pizza. Patagonia on the waterfront is a must-do for ice-cream. They cover everything in chocolate – it was a hit.”
“Flying into Queenstown over the mountains is just magical” - Henry Kalaf-Tyrrell, Silver Frequent Flyer
“Two weeks after my husband, Jason (above, right) and I got married, we flew Qantas to Queenstown for our friends’ wedding. We always fly Qantas because you know it will be a pleasant experience; plus, the international lounge is great. Flying into the airport over the snow-capped mountains was the most magical experience; it felt like Jurassic Park!
“We stayed at Crowne Plaza Hotel, which is right on the foreshore. You don’t have to be adventurous to enjoy Queenstown – the most energetic thing we did was walking the Queenstown Trail. We had a special dinner at Nest Kitchen & Bar, where all the produce is from the region, and a great Japanese lunch at the vibey Tanoshi Cow Lane (order the sashimi mori and veg ten don). We also stopped in at Amisfield winery and ordered lots of beautiful wine so we could take a piece of our New Zealand holiday home. It was such a great trip; I can’t believe we hadn’t visited sooner.”
“Do the Bridge Climb – you get 360-degree views of the city” - Mikayla Natoli, Bronze Frequent Flyer
“Auckland (Tāmaki Makaurau) was the perfect choice for a girls’ holiday. The trip started on a high, sipping champagne in the Qantas Lounge before our flight. My friend Hannah (above, right) and I went for a week and stayed at voco Auckland City Centre, which has views over the Sky Tower at night. Be sure to visit the Mozzarella & Co restaurant in the hotel; I had the best steak of my life.
“Auckland is a very walkable city; we spent our days strolling around the lovely streets. I really enjoyed the Auckland Bridge Climb where you get 360-degree views at the top. We were the only people on the tour so it was a really personal experience and our guide was hilarious. I didn’t realise how much there was to learn about the bridge! It was so interesting.
“Another highlight was visiting Waiheke Island. It’s a 45-minute ferry from Auckland Harbour and we had a lot of fun exploring the wineries on the island by zipline.”
