Queenstown, a picturesque paradise packed with inspiring landscapes, extreme adventures and award-winning restaurants. It’s been 18 years since my hubbie, Mark, and I last visited this premier holiday destination, so you can imagine how totally amped we were to have the opportunity to get back there. Working with The Mindful Travel Company – a newly established eco-conscious travel agency – our accommodation was booked, our itinerary sorted, and we eagerly ticked off the days as our departure approached.
Images ALEX SPODYNEIKO + SUPPLIED
TRAVEL THAT DOESN’T COST THE EARTH
Have you ever considered how much your travel costs the planet? Friends Emma and Laura, who’ve worked in the tourism industry for years, saw a gap in the market for a sustainable travel agency. Feedback from many of their clients revealed that while people love to travel they often feel responsible for the impact this has on the planet. With The Mindful Travel Company, they’re able to offer guilt-free travel by offsetting a traveller’s carbon footprint. They do this by planting trees via the non-profit organisation, One Tree Planted.
The Mindful Travel Co is also big on the idea that by spending less on accommodation, you have more money to spend on activities and experiences that the destination offers. Makes sense, but when they suggested we stay at one of the backpackers I was initially alarmed – after all, I’ve heard the horror stories and seen some of the dives that pass themselves off as backpacker accommodation.
WELCOME TO JUCY SNOOZE QUEENSTOWN
Thankfully, the recently opened, centrally located Jucy Snooze Queenstown is perfect. Car rental and tourism operator Jucy established this ‘pod hotel’ aimed at millennials in a city where accommodation is scarce and expensive.
Accommodation mostly consists of sleeping capsules or pods, roughly the length and width of a single bed, stacked like bunks in shared rooms. Invented by the Japanese, they are perfect for the traveller looking for somewhere affordable and safe to stay so that they can spend more on experiences.
We check in speedily and are given the more up-market option – a private Queen-size room with ensuite and a room to stash our belongings. It’s still fairly tight on space but plenty big enough for the two of us. Twin and quad rooms are also available. A quick exploration of the building reveals a compact kitchenette where fellow backpackers quietly go about making their meals. There’s also a laundry on the ground floor and an information/travel desk.
Queen room in Jucy Snooze Queenstown
After settling in we make our way upstairs to Miss Lucy’s, the rooftop pizzeria and bar, which is already buzzing with travellers. Miss Lucy’s is open to the general public from 6.30 am till late and, apart from the woodfired pizzas, offers a selection of simple, delicious meals throughout the day including gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian options. However, we’ve been given a heads-up that the legendary Fergburger is a must-do. Just a few minutes’ walk from the lakefront, Fergs has a long queue but our burgers are well worth the wait.
Miss Lucy’s at Jucy Snooze Queenstown
Back in our room, we take a moment to admire the view from our veranda and see the gondolas climbing the tree-lined hillside to the Skyline Queenstown complex. At night this looks like the mother ship, suspended in the sky.
JUCY CRUISE
Our trip to Queenstown coincides with a gloomy change in the weather but many people suggest Milford Sound is even more stunning when it’s wet so we’re not perturbed by the pelting rain as we board the early morning Jucy bus to our destination.
We sit back and enjoy the stunning scenery as we travel between the Remarkables and shores of Lake Wakatipu. Our driver gives an excellent commentary for much of the journey and, thankfully, the rain clears enough for a few stops at interesting points. The landscape changes as we head for Te Anau and we see sheep, cattle and a few deer farms bordering the Eyre Mountains. As we enter Fiordland National Park the landscape changes once again and, with the sheer size of the mountains, we’re grateful for the glass-roofed bus. The views are majestic.
At Milford Sound our Jucy Cruise catamaran leaves the wharf, laden with tourists of all nationalities, and we spend the next few hours travelling the length of the fiord to the Tasman Sea. Our knowledgeable captain points out numerous outstanding features, taking us up close to waterfalls and, in a few cases, actually going under the falls so we end up saturated. It’s cold and windy but so exhilarating. The rain brings the cliff faces to life with cascading waterfalls … Milford Sound is at its best. The native bush and forests, the valleys and rock formations that stare down at us are stunning. Sadly the weather keeps the wildlife away.
SKYLINE QUEENSTOWN
A trip on the iconic Skyline Gondola carries visitors silently to the top of Bob’s Peak and is also a Queenstown must-do activity. We’ve been invited to experience the buffet at the Stratosphere Restaurant and, at a window table 450 m up, enjoy panoramic views of The Remarkables, Coronet Peak and, of course, Queenstown, nestled against the shores of the lake’s deep blue glacial waters. The buffet selection is bountiful and all dietary options are catered for – everything from soups to roasts, salads, cold meats, a good selection of international dishes and one of the largest dessert buffets I’ve ever seen. The Skyline Luge runs beside the restaurant and the participants keep us entertained for ages.
An afternoon spent walking off the calories is in order and once back down the hill we amble through the Queenstown Gardens along the lakefront, through a number of suburbs and weave our way back to the cosmopolitan town centre. It’s important we do this because we have a dinner date scheduled!
THE GRILLE BY EICHARDT’S
A stone’s throw from the shores of Lake Wakatipu, and nestled between Eichardt’s luxurious private hotel and retail giant Louis Vuitton, is The Grille by Eichardt’s, considered one of Queenstown’s premier dining destinations.
The stylishly chic restaurant with its Oamaru natural stone complements the exposed steel, dark timber panels and slate floor. Bevelled mirrors, antique wall lights and comfortable leather chairs complete the picture. Everything is beautifully elegant and the floor-to-ceiling glass windows give us unobstructed views across the lake.
Executive Chef Will Eaglesfield takes pride in showcasing the unique tastes of the region and each hand-crafted dish is at the forefront of this intimate dining experience.
The menu includes delights such as Eichardt’s Legendary Seafood Chowder, Parmesan Churros, Slow Roast Cardrona Lamb Shoulder with salsa verde, roast veg and beetroot, as well as a variety of burgers all made from NZ Wagyu beef, and a Cavatelli Pasta dish with heirloom tomatoes, olives and ricotta.
Mark can’t resist the fresh oysters as an entrée, followed by a Wagyu steak with beetroot puree which he declares melt-in-the-mouth tender. My fresh market fish with lemon brown butter, cauliflower puree and sautéed greens is sublime and the side order of roast potatoes have to be some of the best we’ve ever had.
We are fit to burst but decide there’s just enough room to share a deconstructed lemon meringue with saffron granite, raspberries and mint, which is delicious.
It’s been a whirlwind trip with fun-filled adventures and experiences. We can’t wait to come back again, and, thanks to the Mindful Travel Co, next time we’ll feel reassured to know we’re doing a little bit to care for the environment during our carbon-emitting holidays.
Queenstown is also one of New Zealand’s most popular wedding destinations, with couples drawn to its dramatic alpine scenery, crystal-clear lakes and beautiful venues. From intimate lakeside ceremonies to celebrations overlooking The Remarkables, the region offers an unforgettable backdrop for the big day. It’s little wonder that many couples also choose a local wedding videographer to capture the landscape, atmosphere and special moments of film.
Emma and Laura pride themselves on offering a personal service with bespoke tours and packages that they have experienced themselves, enabling them to recommend the best-rated, reasonably priced and most eco-conscious options, rather than the cheapest. Through the non-profit group One Tree Planted, the Mindful Travel Co plants four trees per tonne of CO2 to speed up this offsetting process.
New Zealand has one of the highest annual rates of CO2 emissions at 17.5 tonnes* per person compared with an average of 13.2 tonnes from other industrialised countries. Our flights from Auckland to Queenstown incurred 0.15 tonnes and our three days of general consumption and waste for two people, 600 km travelled by coach and a day cruise incurred a further 0.8 tonnes.
Based on evidence that a tree can absorb as much as one tonne of CO2 over a lifetime (of approximately 40 years) four trees were planted on our behalf to offset our trip.
* environment-aotearoa-2019
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