Festival Date: Friday 25th June – Sunday 4th July.
Queenstown Winter Festival is 10 days of celebrating the local culture with international and local music, comedy and mayhem. And let’s not forget the parties, craft markets, fireworks, mardi gras and heaps of mountain action.
Snow festivities include night skiing, mountain bike riding in the snow and the Speights Dog Derby, when local farmers race their pooches haphazardly down a hill. That is sure to be a sight!
This festival has something for everyone; just don’t forget to pack your thermals! At this time of year, Queenstown has an average daily temperature of 7˚Celcius, and can drop to as low as
-6˚C. But don’t let that put you off, the town will be so buzzing with 60,000 revellers, you won’t have time to notice.
The major venues are up the mountain and around the downtown area of Queenstown. For more info on the festival and all the fantastic events going on, check out the programme guide for details.
Getting to Queenstown:
Travel times to Queenstown, from:
- Christchurch 6 hours
- Dunedin 3.5 hours
- Invercargill 2.5 hours
As it is winter, road conditions may lengthen your trip slightly, so don't forget to hire some chains. But don’t fret, our campervans have nice warm heaters, so cuddle up with a blanket and put some good tunes on!
For more information on Queenstown or activities to do and places to go, check out Destination Queenstown.
Where to Stay:
Creeksyde Top 10 Holiday Park
Purpose built for campervans, you’ll feel right at home in this scenic garden setting. Creeksyde is set right in the heart of Queenstown, so you won’t be far from all the action.
To find out more please call 0064 3 442 9306, email reservations
creeksyde@camp.co.nz or visit
online.
Backpacker Event Pick:
Air New Zealand Mardi Gras
Date: Tuesday 29th June
Time: from 5.30pm
Location: Streets of Queenstown
Price: FREE
There’ll be live rock at this event, a Ukulele orchestra, and a dance party to cater for all tastes, not to mention the all important food stalls and outdoor bar facilities.
Air New Zealand’s Mardi Gras will be the street party of the year, so get your snow boots on ready to boogie!
Comment & Win
Tell us your funniest winter moment in the comments section below and we’ll send you out Backpacker spa towel.
Next Blog
Stay tuned for our next BLOG where we’ll be taking a sneak peak at the Rugby World Cup.
Over & out,
Ann-Marie & the Mighty crew
