Queenstown Trip Coming Up

[Sdison]

Hi all,

I'm off to Queenstown and Wanaka for my birthday in the middle of Feb and I'm keen to hear what y'all think are some good/must-shoot destinations in the area. Hoping for no more than 45 minutes' drive to a location, though I can make some exceptions, but I don't want to be too late back for breakfast or too late in at night for the missus. I'm mainly interested in shooting 'scales but of course I'll shoot anything that takes my interest.

I'm hiring a Tokina 11-16 to go along with my 35mm 1.8 and I'll bring the 18-55 kit as a 'just in case' lens.

My goal is to have a morning and evening shoot planned out for most days. I won't be doing too much during the middle of the day unless I come across something I need to shoot.

Some locations in my mind are:

- Queenstown Gondola
- The Remarkables
- Lake Wakatipu
- Glenorchy and the trees sticking up from the lake
- Shotover River and Bridge (will probably do this during the day so I can catch a boat heading past)
- The Wanaka tree
- Glendhu Bay
- Diamond Lake
- The road to Mount Aspiring (I've got one shot in mind from the last time I was there)

Would love some tips on good locations, especially around Queenstown. I'm also keen to dabble in shooting the Milky Way provided I can get good conditions and a good location for it.
Would love to hear any suggestions you've got for the area.

[MattNQ]

A couple of ideas.

Some interesting things in Queentstown itself if you wander around
http://mattlarsen.smugmug.com/Landscapes/South-Island-Perspectives/i-pJKpBv2/0/S/P9158386mod1-S.jpg

TSS Earnslaw is very photogenic as it chugs around the lake
http://mattlarsen.smugmug.com/MonochromeMagic/South-Island-in-Black-and/i-MxWhMhg/0/S/P9148335mod2-S.jpg

Alexandra is interesting - not far from Queenstown. We didn't get to Arrowtown
http://mattlarsen.smugmug.com/MonochromeMagic/South-Island-in-Black-and/i-GRZmtWn/0/S/P9188846mod1-S.jpg

Historic village just past Cromwell (from memory)
http://mattlarsen.smugmug.com/MonochromeMagic/South-Island-in-Black-and/i-2GwNsX5/0/S/P9188927mod2-S.jpg

a blue bridge on the road from Wanaka
http://mattlarsen.smugmug.com/Landscapes/South-Island-Perspectives/i-3nT7xxh/0/S/P9137889mod2b_h1-S.jpg

[Glenda]

You'll be spoilt for choice anywhere in NZ and around Queenstown you've covered most of the areas we visited in your list. Just don't judge your travel time by distance - the roads are narrower and sometimes dirt and it takes longer to travel than a similar distance would in Aus.

[Boo53]

Depending on your interests a day walk on the Routeburn track, out of Glenorchy is really nice and very spectacular.

Also the historic town of Arrowtown is only 20km from Queenstown, and quite picturesque if you can avoid the crowds.

The TSS Earnslaw is a pleasant way to see more of the lake

I think the Kingston Flyer steam train is operating again which could give you some photo opps.