Queenstown - Things Must Do and See (Part 2)

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For Part 1, please refer to Queenstown - Things Must Do and See (Part 1).

Here are some other recommended activities for your knowledge:

4. Skyline Queenstown

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If you want to take photo for city view from top, you must visit Skyline Queenstown. You will get a great picture from there is the weather is good. Bring your wide angle lens (if you have), the picture will give you a "wow" effect. The limitation for photography there is, there is only one short corridor for visitor taking photo, so the angle wise is not so enough for photographer, and the space of corridor is not big enough let you put your tripod, you need get your fast motion to place your tripod without disturbing other visitors.

Skyline Gondola ride is NZ$26 for Adult and NZ$15 for Child. The Skyline complex and gondola open 365 days per year from 9.00am till late. And Gondola capacity is 1100 people per hour in 36 four person cabins. One of the convenience of Skyline gondola is that the cabin can transport both rider and bike up to the Skyline complex to access the MTB trails located within the Ben Lomond forest.

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There is an activity, Luge Ride. The Skyline Luge is fun filled gravity ride for all ages and abilities! Choose from two tracks, one scenic and gentle, the other advanced and adventurous. The Scenic track is a leisurely ride with gentle gradient, easy bends and dips with several rest areas giving riders plenty of opportunity to stop and take great photographs and enjoy panoramic views; The Advanced track has a steeper gradient and is a more adventurous ride with the thrill of banked corners, a tunnel, dips and hollows. One Luge ride is cost with NZ$10.

Of course, at skyline queenstown, there is a skyline restaurant for your lunch and dinner. If you like mountain biking, you can bring your bike over here as well. 

Here is a price list for Skyline Queenstown for your reference - http://www.new-zealand-travel.com.au/queenstown/skyline-gondola-restaurant-luge/skyline-gondola-price-list.html

5. Guided Walks and Snowshoeing New Zealand

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Back to the Nature!!! Most of us come from big city and far away from forest or "natural environment". We may have a thought in our mind to back to nature for relax for long long time ago, but still no time to fulfill this thought. Okay, now is a chance to let you have this action back to nature, come and join this Walk!!

I am staying in Malaysia, as there are many jungles/forests in this country, I had tried climbing some of the lower mountain and always back into forest. So I did not join this Walk for the tour actually. You may try this out.

A half day tour on a lakeside guided "nature and bird walk". The morning walk was through native woodland at the lake edge with breathtakingly beautiful mountain views and such peace and tranquillity. The entire walk is easy going and you can learn so much about, not just the local flora and birdlife, but about New Zealand life, Maori culture, bush craft and environmental conservation.

Learning about the different types of plants and their medicinal and practical applications, was facinating. The Guide is a expert but he also has a real love and deep passion for shaing his knowledge with others that made our experience a real joy. 

The Tour Company provides few types of walk, the cheapest one is about NZ$105 per person for half day tour, named as Lakeside, Forest & Birds.

For the review from Tripadvisor, 107 voted this place is Excellent, 7 voted Very Good and 1 for Average.

6. Shotover Jet

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Shotover Jet Queenstown has a very long history, the business was started since 1970, is a very old company.

I have joined this activity in Queenstown. The experience was amazing. It was a chilly but sunny day. We did not have to wait very long to get on a boat once there. After putting on our life jackets and rain ponchos we were ready to go. The boat speeds through the Shotover River Canyons barely missing the steep canyon walls. Our skilled boat driver zigged and zagged from one side to the other and brought us within inches of the rugged rock walls. It feels like you might hit them at every turn, but you don't. The scenery is beautiful if you open your eyes to look! We laughed and screamed the entire ride. The drivers also do a few 360 degree turns that spin you in a tight circle. At the end of our ride we were pretty wet. 

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However, what I found that the starting was quite interesting and adventurous. After half and hour later, I felt bored as the speed and spin were same, and the landscaping is also not much different.

The price of ticket is NZ$119 for adult, NZ$69 for Child. I remembered I bought with half price which was under promotion period.

For the review from Tripadvisor, 167 voted this place is Excellent, 46 voted Very Good, 10 for Average, and 4 for Poor.