Queenstown: Wind up, wine down

The parasail circuit takes a broad sweep of picturesque Queenstown. Photo / Paul Rush

Flying into Queenstown is a breathtaking, heart-warming, soul-inspiring grand pageant of heroic proportions. The serrated peaks of the Remarkables rise up sharply on one side, the broad snow-dusted flanks of Coronet Peak dominate the other.

The shimmering blue expanse of Lake Wakatipu stretches out in the distance. Far below are silver threads tracing the Kawarau and Shotover rivers through craggy gorges and golden tussock plains.

I join the surge of holidaymakers, backpackers, lifestylers and adrenalin junkies crowding into the airport terminal. Most are here to soak up the electrifying atmosphere, face new physical and emotional challenges in the form of fear-inducing, adrenalin-pumping, energy-sapping outdoor adventures.

But I have a daring plan to spend a long weekend defying the true adventurer's maxim: 'Go hard or go home' and just doing activities where I can sit in a comfortable seat and smile broadly.

Yes, I know this not your average laid-back, laze-by-the-pool destination. This is the uncontested Adventure Capital of the World, with 100 different adventures on offer.

The town wharf seems like a good place to begin my quest for sublime, worry-free adventure. I gaze out over the sparkling waters towards the vast glacier-smoothed flanks of Cecil Peak.

Suddenly a bright yellow parachute glides across the dark face of the mountain. It has a great smiley face prominently displayed on the canopy, and the parasail client is sitting on a canvas seat. He is smiling broadly. I take this to be a very auspicious omen.

Carrick 'The Rock' McClellan, of Queenstown Paraflights tries to reassure me as I soar into the blue sky on the end of a 200-metre steel cable. The parasail boat slowly transforms itself into a tiny red toy and Queenstown lies beneath my feet, a picture-perfect scene of solid, earthy buildings clustered together on verdant hillsides.

The locals say that paradise can be reached in one's lifetime by driving 90 minutes up Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy and a small hamlet named after the paradise duck.

Sam de Reeper, owner of Rippled Earth Kayaking at Glenorchy, finds his paradise paddling on the great lake. He worked long hours on the Lord of the Rings set as galloping, chainmail-clad Rohan warrior.

Today he's guiding our kayak group out to Pigeon Island on bright yellow double kayaks. We wonder if we will bump into a gaggle of little hobbits hiking the island trails on hairy feet. Instead when we land we are greeted by some relocated Chatham Islands buff weka, which are almost as rare as hobbits.

Pigeon Island and its near neighbours Pig and Tree islands, were run as pig farms in the 1860s and were a ready source of food for hungry gold prospectors. Sam recounts early sagas of feuds and famines, precious gems, hidden treasure, tales of survival and irrepressible vagabonds.

A new dawn sees me back on the waterfront where, unbelievably, another flash of bright yellow catches my eye. I seem to have the knack of finding adventures that are both arrestingly yellow and decidedly mellow.

Mel Kong of Kawarau Jet assures me that only good things happen on her boats. With veteran driver, Fraser, at the helm, the sleek jet boat carves up the Frankton Arm and shoots under the Kawarau Bridge at a cool 85km/h.

It's a great feeling, skimming over the water with twin Chevrolet engines throbbing, a stiff breeze on your face and curtains of flying spray catching the sunlight. We are pumping 380 litres of water per second through a nozzle the size of a coffee cup.

This is a power trip of the first order and of course I'm sitting down and smiling - with water droplets falling off the end of my nose.

On the next strikingly blue-sky day, I'm in a relaxed mood so decide to take a day off from vigorous activity. Inevitably I start to think about food and wine.

While Queenstown has built a reputation for having every conceivable nerve-jangling, heart-stopping adventure, the extreme sports now have a brilliant counterpoint in fine food and wine.

I seek out The Winehouse & Kitchen, nestling in the Kawarau Gorge just 20 minutes from Queenstown. Henry van Asch, of bungy fame, and Tom Hutchison, showcase their van Asch, Rock Ferry and Freefall wines here.

The chef produces wholesome, hearty farmhouse-style food in the kitchen and takes great pains to match his menu to the flavours and textures of the local wines.

I tuck into a Caesar salad, shallots, grilled chicken, smoked grouper, scallop risotto and spring vegetables and wind down my weekend by sampling a 2007 Freefall pinot noir - it's a good drop.

With the addition of fine food and wine, there are now more reasons than ever to head for Queenstown.

FACT FILE

Getting there: Air New Zealand and Mount Cook Airlines fly to Queenstown from all main centres. The flight time from Christchurch is 45 minutes. A shuttle service meets all flights.

Restaurants: There are over 60 to choose from with international and local cuisine and myriad cafes. There are a number of nightspots featuring live music and there are two casinos.

More information:

queenstown-nz.co.nz
heritagehotels.co.nz
paraflights.co.nz
rippledearth.co.nz
kjet.co.nz
goodbars.co.nz
winehouse.co.nz