Free things to do in Queenstown

A good share of the best of Queenstown costs nothing, and most of it involves walking. You do not need a car for any of the first few.

Walks from the town centre

The lakefront through Te Kararo Queenstown Gardens is the easiest place to start — a flat loop of ten to forty minutes depending on how far round the peninsula you go, with the view across to Cecil Peak and Walter Peak. For half a day, the Frankton Track follows the edge of Frankton Arm past small beaches and the marina, and the Sunshine Bay Track runs through native bush to a beach.

All three are covered in detail on the Lake Wakatipu guide, along with Punatapu/Bob's Cove, Bennetts Bluff and the Glenorchy Walkway. The full set is on the Queenstown walks and tramping page.

On two wheels

The Queenstown Trails are free to ride and connect the town with Frankton, Kelvin Heights and the Gibbston valley. See Queenstown mountain biking for routes and grades. The gondola-served bike park is a paid ticket — the trails themselves are not.

Free, and a bit different

• Free walking tours through the town centre.
• Frisbee golf, which is more absorbing than it sounds.
• The Kawarau Bungy Centre is free to walk into, and the decks look straight down at the bridge. Worth the drive out even if nobody in the car is jumping.
• Arrowtown, twenty minutes away, for the Millennium Walk along the river — best in April when the trees turn.
• Glenorchy at the head of the lake. The drive is the point; the walkway across the wetlands is the reward.

When the free list runs out

A few things cost very little and are worth knowing. An Orbus fare is $2.50 with a Bee Card against $4 in cash, which makes getting to Sunshine Bay, Frankton or Arrowtown close to free. And the cafes are a cheaper way to sit somewhere with a view than the restaurants with the same one.

Seasons

Most of this works year-round. Winter, June to September, shortens the daylight and puts ice on shaded tracks, so start earlier and take something with grip. The long evenings from December through February are when the lakefront walks are at their best.