Lake Hayes. Photo / Destination Queenstown
From lakeside walks and reformer pilates to floating, soaking and cycling, Sarah Pollok explores the restorative side of the alpine playground.
Nestled amid New Zealand’s Southern Alps, it’s no surprise Queenstown has become a wellness hotspot, with countless opportunities to slow down among world-famous scenery.
Recently, the snow town has become a hotspot, literally, with not one but four new spas and saunas in almost as many months. Curious about how else Queenstown has leaned into wellness, I paid a visit to see what it has in store for those seeking restoration and renewal.
If I followed the stereotypical wellness aesthetic, the best accommodation would be Scandinavian; all blonde wood and clean lines, muted neutral tones. I wouldn’t think of a Victorian villa built in 1888, but Hulbert House may just be the perfect spot for a wellness getaway. Rather than a sleek, austere hotel with dozens of rooms, the flawlessly restored luxury hotel has just six suites that boast maximalism and decadence; patterned wallpaper, elaborate wooden furniture, chandeliers and heavy drapes, with sweeping views across Lake Whakatipu and Queenstown.
It’s a deliciously soft cocoon to return to each day, with thoughtful, homey touches such as a small guest kitchen, a chef who is happy to tailor the breakfast menu however you please, free e-bikes to borrow during your stay, and a quaint garden patio overlooking the lake.
Walk around Lake Hayes Loop Track
Walkers are spoilt for choice in Queenstown, but I head to Lake Hayes after my short flight to stretch my legs on the 8km loop track. Far from the crowds, I pass only a handful of locals walking dogs or running the dirt trail, which gently rises and falls around the pristine lake, offering near-constant views of the Remarkables and surrounding peaks along the horizon and the flourishing native forest at my feet.
Normal life feels suddenly very far away as I settle into a meditative trot, one foot in front of the other, my gaze catching on simple things; tūī flitting between trees, sunlight dappling through magnolia branches. With just a few small hills, the two-hour walk is ideal, though a local later tells me those seeking a more demanding trek should skip the over-popular Roys Peak for a 2–3-hour return walk up Te Tapunui (Queenstown Hill).
Alas, that’s an adventure for another day. After closing the loop, I hop in the car and drive just a few minutes further along State Highway 6 for lunch at Mora Wines & Artisan Kitchen, an edenic, ivy-clad spot with a sun-soaked courtyard. I trade my typical hurried desk salad for a deliciously slow lunch, sitting outside and picking over vibrant, flavourful dishes starring hyper-local ingredients.
Zip around on an e-bike
Taking advantage of Hulbert House’s free e-bikes, I hop on and cycle to pilates. It’s road most of the way, with sections of the Frankton cycleway undergoing roadworks, but drivers are patient and considerate, and I happily zip along through the sunshine, the breeze cooling, following the lake to my right all the way to Queenstown Marina.
After pilates, I return via the Frankton Arm Walkway, following a leafy glade hugging the lake’s edge, the water glittering beyond. Once again, I’m convinced e-bikes are one of the best ways to explore Queenstown.
Stretch and strengthen at Hustle & Flow
Those seeking a pilates fix should head to Hustle & Flow. Once nothing more than a spot for boats to launch, Queenstown Marina is now a buzzy cluster of brightly coloured boathouses hosting trendy cafes, Italian eateries and the new pilates studio. Those seeking a stretch-and-strength fix should head to Hustle & Flow. Opened in April 2024, the studio doesn’t just boast sleek new equipment and a bright space, it also sits on the water with panoramic lake views. However, you’ll be forgiven for barely noticing once the burn sets in.
Despite not being a pilates princess, Lauren Luque, the studio’s owner, guides me through pushes, pulses and stretches that quickly get me sweating as Olivia Dean’s latest pop album bops through the studio.
She’s quick to offer subtle adjustments that activate muscles I’ve never felt before, and I realise just how poorly I’ve been executing certain moves. Sixty gruelling yet satisfying minutes later, I leave absolutely glowing.
Find inner-city calm at Bathe by Aluume
If you can’t venture far from town, newly opened Bathe by Aluume offers some inner-city respite. Located on Brecon St, a stone’s throw from the Skyline, I’m soothed the moment I step inside, greeted by polished wood, raw stone and lo-fi music.
Entering one of the five private pools, enclosed by curved walls of smooth vertical timber slats, I slip into the hot water, breathing in the faint scent of pine from the trees above. In the canopy-view pool, seclusion is prioritised over vistas, so I tip my head back, watching clouds drift through branches as birdsong filters down, only slightly regretful I didn’t think to bring a book. An hour later, softened by warm water and with my heart rate slower than it’s been all day, I emerge and stop by the communal pool, where just two young women soak quietly together — a perfect early-evening pastime.
Float away at O Studio
I’ve tried many off things in the name of wellness, but had never “floated” before visiting O Studio. In the lobby, I encounter the serene smile of Tony Ensor, the studio’s owner, whose calm, grounded presence feels like a walking advertisement for the benefits of chilling in a flotation tank.
After a quick studio tour, which includes communal and private infrared saunas, ice baths and hot tubs, we enter one of the private float rooms.
“If you really want to switch off, you do a float,” Tony says, explaining the process: earplugs in, shower, then step through a large hatch into the float tank. Peering inside, I see just 30cm of water dimly lit with blue LEDs and infused with 600kg of Epsom salts, designed to “float” the body. Left to settle in, I clamber inside and close the door, gently allowing my body to float effortlessly in the warm water. One large button switches off the lights and the second dims the “stars” on the ceiling, leaving me in a darkness that is spacious yet absolute. After five minutes, gentle music fades to silence, and there is nothing but my floating body and drifting thoughts.
Relaxing? Absolutely. Euphoric? Not necessarily, and Tony explains that’s normal. “It usually takes people one session to get used to the feeling,” he says, adding that “floating is a practice”, with most benefits felt after the second or third visit. It makes sense; one is essentially attempting a 45-minute meditation cold turkey. Still, I emerge feeling slower, more settled, as if still moving through that buoyant water.
Indulge in a Queenstown classic
Few iconic tourist activities live up to their hype, and given Onsen’s legendary status, I arrive cautiously optimistic. Luckily, it’s the perfect time to visit, just months after completing a major refit. Off the main road, I follow a short gravel staircase down the mountainside, through trees, until the building reveals itself, hidden much like a Japanese mountain onsen.
Inside, dark natural tones and tactile textures are offset by vast windows framing the mountains and powder-blue sky. Couples and solo visitors lounge in plush black robes, yawning or sitting silently, pictures of post-treatment bliss. After selecting my massage scent and a complimentary snack (Whittaker’s chocolate and ginger tea) I head to a private oval onsen room overlooking the Shotover River.
For 45 blissful minutes, I soak, muscles melting as I gaze out at the alpine summer scene – powder-blue sky, green mountains, grey stone river. At one point, I realise it’s one of the longest stretches I’ve spent off my phone while doing absolutely nothing: no movement, no reading, just letting the steam soften my thoughts.
Even better? I quickly discover a soak is the best possible prelude to a massage, arriving pre-softened and calm and somehow leaving even more so.
In late December, Queenstown also welcomed The Bathhouse, a spa in the city centre with hot, ambient and cold pools, sauna, infrareds and steam rooms, and Watershed Saunas, a floating sauna pontoon on Lake Whakatipu.
thebathhousegroup.com/queenstown
New Zealand Herald Travel visited courtesy of Destination Queenstown.