After our morning hike/walk around Lake Alta, we wanted to get out and stretch our legs a bit more. This walk was a great option. And while it’s name suggests something small, compared to say, Queenstown Mountain, or Queenstown Summit, this walk amounted to about 1500ft elevation gain over about 2 miles – not insignificant.

As we’d been experiencing, NZ had many “big bang for the buck” hikes – Queenstown Hill was no exception. The trailhead was literally in a Queenstown neighborhood, within walking distance from our AirBnB.

The signage made it seem like a walk in the woods. While we were in the woods for a good stretch, with easy footing, the elevation gain was steady, turning it into a good cardio outing.

Soon enough, we exited the woods, and came upon a beautiful sculpture “Basket of Dreams” by Caroline Robinson.

offering the following reflection:

The scenery was beautiful, offering an expansive view southward out over Lake Wakatipu, with the Remarkables Range rising on the left, and Cecil’s Peak rising on the right. Queenstown itself just hidden by the foreground.

It was a great walk – good cardio, nice views, and even easy access to the trailhead from our apartment. By the numbers, this might have almost qualified for one of our 4000′ summits in New Hampshire!

Distance	4.27 mi
Elevation gain	1549 ft
hike time