11 Tame Activities To Do In Queenstown In Summer

Queenstown, New Zealand Is Famous as An Adrenalin Fuelled Destination. But What If You Have A Fearsome Child? Here Are Some Fun and Tame Activities to Do in Queenstown In Summer for The Less Adventurous.

Article Updated November 2018

Queenstown is an action packed alpine resort town filled with kid friendly activities from parasailing to bungy jumping. This extreme sport capital of the world is filled with exciting adventures for children of all ages. But not all kids are fearless or are adrenalin junkies. For families with young ones who are tentative by nature and might be afraid of certain things such as heights, the dark, animals or speed, Queenstown still has much to offer. Here are some tips on some tame activities to do in Queenstown in summer which you may like to engage in for the fearsome child.

#01 – WHITE WATER RAFTING FOR BEGINNERS

The Family Adventures tour company offer white water rafting for children as young as 3 on gentle grade rapids of 1 and 2. They have stated that water confidence is not required so this is a great way to get them on a bit of Queenstown adventure. This is experienced on the famous Shotover River where the views are simply amazing. Be warned however the drive up along the narrow path is not for the faint-hearted.

#02 – FRUIT PICKING

Cromwell, a picturesque 45 minute drive from Queenstown is renowned for its PYO (pick your own) orchards. Some may require a fee to enter and you pay for the fruit by weight. Cherries is the usually the fruit of choice and kids love trying to wrangle the plumpest ones from the top of the tree branches and drop them into bright coloured buckets. It’s a lovely way to spend a day outdoors with the added bonus of heading home with the best load of cherries around. This is one of the best things to do in Queenstown with kids in the summer, when the fruit are at its prime.

#03 – CANOEING

Queenstown Rafting operates a tame canoeing and rafting activity. This an excellent way to introduce the water to kids who may be afraid of the river. According to Queenstown rafting, “you literally ‘go with the flow’ and soak up the scenery along a beautiful stretch of the Kawarau River with the Remarkable Mountains as your backdrop.”

You are taken down the river by 2 guides either on a large raft or you can have a go on the canoe. Along the river are a couple of small rapids of which one of them we jokingly dubbed a grade 0.5 whilst the other one is around a grade 2. It is breathtaking down there and the kids will love it!

#04 – STEAMSHIP AND WORKING FARM

One of the best ways to enjoy beautiful Lake Wakatipu is to jump on board the iconic steamship, TSS Earnslaw. Be prepared to float across the lake, enjoying views of Queenstown from a different perspective whilst being serenaded by the resident pianist. The steamship also boasts a gorgeous little café and bar for a lovely morning tea or cheeky wine whilst you are also able to venture out onto the bridge and also explore the engine room. The TSS Earnslaw is synonymous with Queenstown and is a great day out is you’re after something a little on a slow and easy side.

Couple the cruise with a stop at the Walter Peak High Country Farm. The kids will enjoy an extensive gourmet BBQ lunch followed by a short tour of the farm to include a display of how farm dogs work followed by sheep shearing. The souvenir shop is pretty hard to pass by without the kids wanting something cute and fluffy! Definitely should go on the list as a top Queenstown family activity.

#05 – ICE BAR

This was a fun little activity to do, especially during the summer months and a great way to cool off. There are a few ice bars in Queenstown of which the bars get to as cold -11 degrees celsius. The venue will provide thick jackets, gloves and boots. You can certainly bring your own if you wish.

The kids can enjoy a mocktail in an ice carved “glass” whilst you freeze your bum off! We only lasted 45 minutes before frost bite kicked in! Head over to bookme.nz to find deals. We bought our adult ticket for NZ$7.00 whilst the bar charged around NZ$75.00 for a family ticket including 2 cocktails and 2 mocktails.

#06 – WALKING TRAILS

Queenstown is littered with amazing walking trails of varying levels of difficulty. This is the perfect way for families to spend the day in the outdoors. Be sure to pack some lunch, don appropriate trekking footwear, carry repellent to fight against those nasty sand flies and bring lots of water. Check out this link for the myriad of walking trails you can embark on.

#07 – QUEENSTOWN BIKING TRAILS

Just as there are as many walking trails, there are equally just as many spectacular biking trails. Bikes are easy to hire for kids of all ages and again, you can select from the many bike trails to suit your level of fitness and adventure. This is an excellent way to see the natural scenic routes over a couple of lakes, a suspension bridge or even to get to a winery for lunch.

Do you have a fearsome child but thinking of heading to adrenalin filled Queenstown? Here are 11 Tame Activities To Do In Queenstown In Summer with your kids. #queenstownsummer Click To Tweet

#08 – HORSEBACK RIDING IN GLENORCHY

45 minutes from Queenstown is the beautiful town of Glenorchy. For all Lord of Rings fans, this is certainly must do trip and what better way to admire the countryside than on horseback. If your children are partial to animals, head over to Dart Stables or High Country Horses for a wonderful experience.

#09 – THE SKYLINE QUEENSTOWN LUGE

The Skyline Queenstown Luge is an incredibly fun activity and a must do for all families. The luge is accessible via a gondola, which is quite steep but slow and not very high off the ground. The carts itself are controllable and you can go as fast or as slow as you wish, which is perfect for kids who may not be so adventurous. There are 2 different routes, one of which takes a beautiful scenic route, meandering along at a pace you can set for yourself.

Hannah did the luge in tandem with us as she wasn’t old enough to understand how to maneuver the luge. We still managed to get up a bit of speed and although tentative at the start, she soon wanted to go faster. We went up and down so many times we literally have lost count.

Oh and the view from the lifts are to die for. I am afraid of heights and even that didn’t deter me from trying to get the best photo of the view.

#10 – QUEENSTOWN GOLDFIELDS

Take the kids gold panning at the Queenstown goldfields and learn about early history in the Central Otago region. This is yet another fun and tame activity the children can enjoy whilst also exploring the Chinese Village. You can go on a tour if you wish and they also have a lovely restaurant that overlooks the Kawarau River, you can dine at.

#11 – QUEENSTOWN ECO-FRIENDLY SEGWAYS

The older kids (10+) can enjoy a day tour on the segway as they meander around this beautiful town. The segways in Queenstown are designed with a stabilisation technology so that you can maintain your balance as you move forwards and backwards. It’s a great way to get an overview of Queenstown and to help you get your bearings. This is definitely recommended for your tween and teenage kids.

All the above kid friendly tame activities and attractions would easily fulfil a whole week and keep the family busy. You are certainly not missing out on what this town has to offer just because you didn’t experience any of the extreme adventures. Queenstown is absolutely pristine and we promise you that you will gape at the view for a good 24 hours before you realise it’s not a postcard.

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