Why two days works
Known for being New Zealand’s adventure capital, Queenstown is the ultimate all-year-round getaway. It’s a skip from Australia and a two-hour flight from Auckland, so it would be criminal not to check it out at some point. Although you’ll probably want to set up camp and stay forever, Queenstown is definitely a place you can tackle in a blissful two days — from braving the bungy to discovering seriously world-class wine.
The Spire’s position on Church Lane means almost everything below is on foot. Queenstown Airport is 15 minutes away, and airport transfers are arranged on request.
Day one
Morning: Brunch on Church
Start your day at Brunch on Church, the café in front of the hotel, open daily from 7am. Queenstown’s coffee culture is booming, with top-tier locally roasted beans taking centre stage — we serve Wolf Coffee Roasters, a boutique roaster from nearby Arrowtown known for smooth, rich, expertly roasted coffee. Our coffee is just $3.50.
Late morning: the lake
Walk the lakefront through Queenstown Gardens, then board Pacific Jemm at O’Regans Wharf. A half-day charter or, in winter, the 12.30pm Mulled Wine Cruise into Bob’s Cove. It is the single best way to understand the scale of Lake Wakatipu and the ranges around it.
Evening: Church Lane
Pre-dinner drinks and canapés at the hotel are included in every direct booking. Then downstairs to No.5 Church Lane for dinner, and a nightcap from the cocktail list by the fire.
Day two
Morning: mountains or market
In winter, a morning at Coronet Peak, 20 minutes away. In summer, hire an e-bike from town and ride the trails around the gardens and the Frankton Arm — with over 130km of trail to explore, an e-bike is the perfect way to ride faster and see more. On Saturdays, the Remarkables Market at Frankton runs 9am to 2pm with local artisans, produce and live music.
Afternoon: Central Otago wine
Central Otago is the southernmost wine-producing region in the world, home to world-class pinot noir and a wealth of other varietals. A four-hour private tour through Gibbston Valley with a driver-guide ends at a cellar door with the mountains behind you. We arrange it from the hotel.
Late afternoon: The Well Spa
Back at The Spire, an hour at The Well Spa — a Manuka Healing Facial or a relaxation massage — before oysters and Champagne on the lakefront as the light goes.
If you have a third day
Spend it on Fiordland. Milford Sound is a four-hour drive each way or a 45-minute helicopter flight, and either way the day is unforgettable; the fly-cruise-fly option gets you there and back in under five hours. Or go the other direction to Arrowtown, Wānaka and the Cardrona Valley — a loop over the Crown Range with a lunch stop at a cellar door. Our concierge can also book the TSS Earnslaw across the lake to Walter Peak for a farm tour and high-country dinner, or a jet boat up the Dart River into the Lord of the Rings country beyond Glenorchy.
Practicalities
Queenstown Airport is fifteen minutes from The Spire; transfers are arranged on request. Parking is complimentary and on site, though most guests do not use a car for the first 48 hours. The town is walkable, hilly in places, and the hotel’s position on Church Lane puts the lakefront, the Mall and the wharf all within five minutes. Pack layers in every season — Queenstown’s weather turns quickly — and book Pacific Jemm, wine tours and The Well Spa when you book the room; all three fill at weekends.
Tips from the concierge
Summer is for brunching: a long morning walk around Queenstown Gardens deserves a mimosa at the finish line. For something exceptional, a bespoke helicopter tour ends with a cruise on Pacific Jemm so you appreciate Queenstown from land, sky and water in a single day. And if you have an extra night, the bungy at Kawarau Bridge — the world home of bungy — is 25 minutes away and never gets less exhilarating.
