Car Rental Queenstown Downtown

Queenstown is a great spot to visit, whether you have a week, a day, or are just driving through. Queenstown is filled with activities both in the city centre and the surrounding area, such as the Queenstown Skyline Gondola, the steepest Gondola in the Southern Hemisphere, offering panoramic views of the mountains and Lake Wakatipu, to the many vineyards in the area offering some of the best cellar door experiences in the world. Known as the Valley of the Vines for its wine making efforts, Queenstown and the Gibbston area are home to fantastic wine experiences, from tours and tastings to overnight accommodation and food specially picked to match your glass. If you are a fan of Pinot Noir, you must experience the wine, with over 70% of the wine produced in this area dedicated to this type of wine. It is all down to the unique mountain structure, inducing fog clouds and weather patterns, which produce some of the best Pinot Noir grapes in the world.

With fantastic day trips on offer in your rental car, drive to the old gold mining town of Arrowtown and be transported back 200 years by the fabulous architecture. Arrowtown is just a 20-minute drive from Queenstown Downtown. 

Take a drive to Glenorchy, just 45 minutes from Queenstown. It is famous for its Lord of the Rings filming locations, many of which are available to tour for free, or you can hire a horse-riding tour for the full ‘Middle-Earth’ experience. Also available are a range lake activities, as Glenorchy sits on the banks of Wakatipu Lake. So, if you are travelling to New Zealand as a Lord of the Rings fan, Glenorchy is a must. However, it is still fantastic if you’re not a fan as the locations are beautiful no matter how you feel about Tolkein. 

A Car Hire Opens Up a World of Opportunities

Queenstown is renowned for its skiing and is home to the best skiing and snowboarding in the country - an impressive feat given how many skiing opportunities there are across New Zealand’s mountainous landscape. With a range of skiing options from day passes, season passes and unlimited access passes to the ski fields, you can ski on your terms for as long or short as you wish. With lessons with instructors available, you can ski even if you’ve never set foot on a mountain before. The ski season typically runs from June-July to October. Many resorts and ski areas are just a 20-minute drive from the CBD.

If that all sounds too chilly for you, the Queenstown gardens are a much greener option. The Gardens Trail offers a great walk that is easily completed for people of all ages (3.1 kilometres or 1.5-hour return), with rose gardens, giant trees and other native flora and fauna to enjoy.

Enjoy the Best Leisure Activities with Your Rental Car

Continuing with the green theme, head out to the links and sink a few holes in Queenstown’s golf courses. Queenstown boasts 6 stunning golf courses within a 20-minute drive of the town centre in your hire car. The courses offer spectacular views of the mountain scenery and have been included in lists of the most picturesque golf courses on the planet. It is certainly on the bucket list of every golf enthusiast.

After all these activities, you will need something to help you recuperate and rejuvenate for the next day’s travels. The hot pools in Queenstown offer a refreshing way to soak sore muscles that have been worked on the hiking trails, ski slopes or golf links. A 10-minute drive north of Queenstown up the gorge road, you will find the Onsen Hot Pools Retreat and Day Spa, with valley views and timber hot tubs; it’s sure to heal what’s ailing you.