Two weekends ago, I took a trip out to the Colorado Rocky Mountains. While out there, I couldn’t help but reflect on the time I spent in the Otago Region of New Zealand. The area is most famous for its mountain ranges such as the Southern Alps and the Remarkables.

I’ve decided to share some scenic memories of my time there before I get into sharing my latest spontaneous trip out in Colorado. Specifically, I am sharing some photos I never posted here from the gorgeous Queenstown area—the central destination for tourists visiting New Zealand’s South island.

This is a memory post. A nostalgia post. A comparison post for what’s to come in my reflections on Rocky Mountain State Park. Perhaps this post is also anticipatory of a time when I can travel internationally to see mountains again!

Seven Years Ago

I can’t believe it’s been almost 7 years since I have been to New Zealand. I flew into Wellington just before Thanksgiving in the US and began my 11 month stint there. I traveled all over the North Island, even lived there for about 7 months.

The South Island, I was told by travels and locals alike, would be the most epic of all. And it was. I finally made it there right after spending New Years Eve with new friends in Raglan up North. I spent 1.5 months house sitting near Christchurch and then road tripped around around with two fellow travelers—Birgit (Germany) and Carolina (Sweden).

Carolina (left) and Birgit (Right) meet briefly in Christchurch between road trips

I had an amazing time with both of them!

There are so many amazing photos from that time. My original coverage of the experience on this blog only scratched the surface.

Queenstown, New Zealand

One of the most incredible areas is right around the main tourist town of Queenstown. It’s a primary attraction for skiers in the winter months because of the famous “Remarkables”—the mountains directly surrounding the town.

We dropped off a hitchhiker in town but didn’t stay there like many travelers do. As the adventure capitol of New Zealand, Queenstown boasts the famous gondola, luge rides, bungy jump, sky diving, Lake Wakatipu jet boating, and so much more!

We went in so Carolina could do a bungy jump there while I chose to stay on WiFi to catch up on my blogging.

Back then a bungy jump for 1 adult cost $195 NZD. At that time, giving someone that kind of money to jump from a bridge and get bounced around upside down was a big “Nope” for me! The swing at Gravity Canyon was enough for me!

Cecil Peak

One of the easiest to see peaks around Queenstown is Cecil Peak. The mountain is nearly 6500 feet tall from the shores of Lake Wakatipu, you can view Cecil Peak just passed Queenstown Gardens. The peak was named by William Ree—an explorer and settler from the area. He named the peak after his son.

People hike the mountain by taking a water taxi over to it and hiking a trial to its summit.

Walter Peak

Sitting at almost 6000 feet, Walter peak is named after Ree’s second son. The peak is next to Cecil peak and is also prominently seen from Queenstown.

The two picks sit right next to each other making for a really nice view of both from Queenstown. Both mountains together have a Māori name—Kā Kamu-a-Hakitekura. See them posing together in the photo I took below!

The Remarkables

The mountain range that spans almost the entire area around Queenstown is called the Remarkables. And that’s exactly what they are—remarkable!

You can catch glimpses of them from ground level on the shores of Lake Wakatipu looking East. The Remarkables are home to the ski resort that people travel to from all over the world. We were there in summer so there wasn’t too much snow.

I captured between shoreline trees a distant peak of the Remarkables that I believe is right next to Double Cone (elevation over 7500 feet). This peak was covered in snow even mid-summer. See this photo below.

On the way to our campsite, we drove to the right of the Remarkables the whole way, catching amazing views of all the craggy peaks.

Ben Lemond Scenic Reserve

Properly a part of the Southern Alps range, Ben Lemond is a very famous reserve. The Ben Lemond mountain has 23 summits and the famous Gondola ride to the top.

Carolina and I drove some back roads that took us to views of Ben Lemond Reserve looking Northeast.

We actually got yelled at by a local who let us know we took a private drive for those views. You can see him standing down by Frogger (my rental car) just before he “caught” us! ;)

The Road To Glenorchy

On the way to Glenorchy where we failed an attempt to see the Isengard film set, Carolina and I saw more of the gorgeous Otago region mountains. These extend along Lake Wakatipu. Although it was a cloudy day when we made our way there—we could still see the mountains peeking through!

In Conclusion

There’s so many photos and experiences from New Zealand that I never posted about! These are just a few of the photos I took of the region around Queensland. While we didn’t spend a whole lot of time there, I did take photos of all the amazing mountains in the area. Honestly, I wish I took more and did some hikes while I was there.

Alas, it was worth taking a look back to see if my memory was accurate—it really is stunning. I’ll have to return one day to see more. Until then, we’ll have to see how New Zealand mountains hold up against Rocky Mountain National Park in my next post! :)

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