One of the most iconic restaurants in Sydney, Doyle’s on the Beach in Watson’s Bay. This incredible seafood restaurant has been family operated for over five generations and their famous fish and chips are on just about every Sydneysider’s bucket list.
It isn’t just the food that makes this place incredible, it is the suburb view of Sydney City and the harbour.
Where is Doyles?
The restaurant, located on the beach at Watson’s Bay is in the perfect location. Easily accessible by ferry from Circular Quay or by car with parking available free of charge to patrons.
We were lucky enough to get one of the best seats in the house, on the upstairs balcony. It felt more like a private dining experience!
The staff were efficient and super friendly and the food came out pretty quickly as well. Jenna ordered the famous fish (flathead) and chips and I ordered the Lobster Mornay of course with a fig salad on the side! Now, I am sure the lobster should have been a sharing dish… but I managed to get through it myself!
With no room to spare, it was dessert time… But we couldn’t leave without trying their Crème brûlée and Sticky Date Pudding…. The portions were massive so needless to say we didn’t finish it all, but the half we did have was delicious!!
“No place is ever as bad as they tell you it’s going to be.” – Chuck Thompson
Around this time each year, Sculptures by the Sea makes its way to Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs on the famous coastal walk from Tamarama to Bondi Beach. 2016 marked the 20th annual exhibition and ran from 20 October 2016 to 6 November 2016.
In 2017, Sculptures by the Sea, the LARGEST free to the public sculpture exhibitions in the world will run from 19 October – 5 November.
The 2km coastal walk features over 100 sculptures by artists not only from Australia but across the world.
For more information on Sculpture by the Sea, check out their website.
Sydney Secret Beaches
If you’re looking for our best secret beaches of Sydney, click here! But shh, don’t tell anyone – they are secret!!
Here are some pictures we took during our 2016 coastal walk.
If you’re looking for other things to do in and around Sydney, take a look at these posts:
Figure 8 Pools, Royal National Park; Sydney
What to expect of the Sydney SKYWALK
An epic Sydney experience: Shark Dive Xtreme at Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary
Visiting Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary, Sydney Australia
Visiting Sydney’s OLDEST brewery hotel: The Lord Nelson
Fitzroy Falls, Southern Highlands of NSW, Australia
The highest zipline tour in Australia, the Illawarra Fly
Kiama: a scenic coastal village with plenty to see and do!
“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes
Imagine the highest ski resort in Europe. Imagine 3 Vallées. At the top of the 3 Vallées, you look out onto the world’s largest ski area which includes a whopping 600km of equipped slopes, 320 signposted runs and over 170 ski lifts… which of course includes the fabulous Val Thorens.
Now, if that doesn’t have your attention and you don’t think it’s for you then you may as well stop reading now!
3 Vallées
The 3 Vallées consists of Vallée de Courchevel, Vallée de Méribel, and Vallée de Belleville. Val Thorens forms part of Vallée de Belleville.
Click here for a map of the 3 Vallées.
Why Val Thorens?
So, why pick Val Thorens? It is the highest resort in Europe, sitting at 2300m which is pretty impressive. The insane altitude means that you have the luxury of ski in-ski out accommodation, and most importantly, guaranteed snow cover throughout the entire season which is November – May.
If that’s not enough to get you excited about visiting Val Thorens, then you might like the fact that it is surrounded by 6 glaciers and 6 equipped mountain peaks all at an altitude of more than 3000m. The views are insane, you simply head up to the top of the chairlift to get panoramic views of over more than 1000 peaks not only in the French but the Swiss and Italian Alps as well. It is truly impressive, even for Jenna who was petrified of how high we were!
Variety of runs
We had only been skiing once, for 3 days in Austria, so were pretty much beginners. We booked in private group lessons (see below for info) and they were amazing! The variety of runs for beginners as well as intermediates is really good. The runs are long and spread across the resort, which means you don’t get bored of doing the same thing over and over again. There are heaps of green (beginner) and blues (intermediate) runs which run off a chair lift so have nice long runs, even at that level.
Pretty much all of the runs we did were lovely and wide so as a beginner or intermediate, you had plenty of room to turn around and escape from those snowboarders!!! *insert winky face here*
Ski School
I can’t recommend highly enough, our ski instructor Philippe. He was absolutely incredible. We booked through Prosneige Ski School located right on the ski field in Val Thorens making it easily accessible…
We booked a few private group lessons, each going for 4 hours and they were money well spent. Phillipe was the best instructor we could have asked for and whilst these cost more than a group lesson, you are guaranteed to learn the correct technique much quicker!
We had only been skiing for 3 days the year before and our friends had not been at all. Phillipe had us going up the chair life within 10 minutes of the first lesson, parallel turning (no plows/pizza allowed!) and we were on to blue runs before we knew it!
Lift Pass
We pre booked our lift pass before we got there and picked them up from the self-service machine. Click here for current prices and lift pass options.
The snow
We picked Val Thorens simply because it is the highest mountain so the chance of good snow is better than other parts of Europe. We were not disappointed, actually if anything it has made us massive ski and snow snobs! I’m not sure anything will come close to the quality of snow and skiing we experienced here and in St Anton.
There is nothing more amazing than jumping, walking, swimming (yes, we tried to ‘swim’ through the snow it was that thick!) and of course making snow angels in the incredibly deep snow.
Oh, and you can’t forget the snowman!
Because it gets so cold, a warning goes out to those who carry their credit cards with them while out skiing… When you take them out to use in a shop, in our case to buy a souvenir – be careful – they all snapped in half due to the cold! Thanks so some generous friends who gave us some money for the afternoon until we could get our backup cards from the chalet!!
New Years Eve at Val Thorens
We spent the new year in Val Thorens. It is safe to say that the village certainly knows how to put on a good show! The ski schools put on an evening show where they ski down the slopes holding lanterns and it is really quite beautiful!
Then, of course, there is the big party down in town, overlooking the slopes where there is a DJ and you can watch the fireworks at midnight.
If you want to go somewhere specifically for new years, I would suggest booking ahead and pre purchasing your tickets to avoid disappointment!
Where to eat
The benefit of staying in Val Thorens is that there are so many choices of where to eat. We stayed in a chalet that sleeps 5 people and had a full kitchen so we made use of the supermarket located across the street and cooked breakfast and some dinners at the chalet.
For lunch every day (yep, don’t judge) we ate waffles with chocolate sauce! They were some of the best waffles we’ve ever had, they were made to order and absolutely perfect for a below freezing day. Surely we burnt enough calories to justify eating them, right? The waffles are located halfway down a green and blue run so anyone can get there.
It is worth mentioning that there are some very comfortable sun chairs to relax in whilst watching the chairlifts and fellow skiers (and those evil snowboarders) zip down the slopes!
This particular spot also had a DJ and dancing area each afternoon, a perfect pit spot all round!
A very popular place for Après Ski in Val Thorens is La Folie Douce. Now, you do need to come down a tricky blue/red run to get there. We did this particular run with our ski instructor but Jenna didn’t have the courage to come down again so we didn’t get back up there to see what all the fuss was about. But, we’ve heard great things so you should check it out if you can get down!
We had dinner on our first evening at La ferme de Rosalie. The restaurant is located across the street from our chalet so it was quick and easy to get to. Inside is cozy with a fantastic fireplace and great service. We ordered pizzas and weren’t disappointed, so if you’re staying near Les Balcons then it is definitely recommended. If you are staying more in the town then, I wouldn’t recommend it as there are plenty of other spots in the village for a great feed.
We ate at a couple of other restaurants in the town centre, but we were too busy enjoying ourselves and didn’t take notice of the restaurant names!!
How to get to Val Thorens
We flew into Geneva, Switzerland, picked up a bus transfer with Ben’s Bus from the airport to Val Thorens which stops in the centre of the village. Depending on where you’re staying you can then either walk or catch a local bus to your final destination. Ben’s Bus was at the time of our booking by far the most competitive in terms of price and I liked the fact that it was a UK based company.
The day we were due to go from Geneva to Val Thorens there was a blizzard. The journey was supposed to take around 3.5 hours, but instead took over 10 hours and a pit stop at McDonald’s in Albertville for a toilet break and some dinner! It was absolutely insane, the roads and mountains complete gridlock. We arrived close to midnight (which made navigating up the mountain to our chalet interesting!!).
It snowed for the next day or so as well, but because of the blizzard, we managed to get three -20 degree days with perfect blue skies – amazing!
Ben’s Bus got us there and back safely, however, our only criticism of the company was that the drivers didn’t speak English. This became a problem when we were delayed with the blizzard, we had to get someone on the bus who could translate so we knew what was happening, odd that a UK based company doesn’t have any English speaking employees on the bus, however the main thing is that we felt safe along the journey given the extreme conditions.
Where to stay
We stayed at Résidence Les Balcons de Val Thorens & Spa which worked well as there were 5 of us. The chalet consisted of two bedrooms, a pull-out sofa lounge, and one bathroom. It had a beautiful balcony overlooking Val Thorens and the slopes.
The kitchen was big enough and well equipped to be able to cook breakfasts and dinners. The two bedrooms were a decent size, but the pillows weren’t amazing which was our only downside.
The resort has a spa, indoor heated pool and a steam room which are perfect after a full day of hitting the slopes.
The supermarket was literally a minute long (or short) walk down the street which makes picking up essentials super easy.
Overall, I’d recommend this accommodation for affordable group ski accommodation.
Check out this short video compiled in collaboration with Paul & Courtney at Wanderfall World.
Do you have travel insurance?
Before travelling, make sure you get a travel insurance policy – you never know when you might need it! Click here for information on travel insurance, what company we recommend and a link to get an instant quote.
Alternative accommodation
If you’re looking for alternative accommodation to either save some money or share with friends or family, click here for information on Air B&B ($50 discount on your first booking), hotel price comparison websites etc.
Here is a few more picture of Val Thorens.
“Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.” – Ray Bradbury
Great weather and not sure what to do?
Well if you enjoy easy walks through national parks with some spectacular scenery and cascading waterfalls, then Fitzroy Falls is for you.
We stopped into Fitzroy Falls after our zipline adventure at Illawarra Treetop Adventures and given we were short on time, the walk was just right and well worth the visit.
Getting to Fitzroy Falls
Simply punch in Fitzroy Falls into Google Maps and it will take you there. It is best to set your google maps up while you’re still on 4G or WiFi as the reception is likely to drop in and out along the route.
At Fitzroy Falls Visitors Centre
There is a large car park at Fitzroy Falls Visitor Centre, there is a small fee of $4 to park there and visit the national park, so make sure you have some change with you to use the parking meters.
The visitor centre has a café/kiosk as well as toilets (drop toilets as you would expect in a national park!).
The walk to view Fitzroy Falls
This is the best bit, it’s a short flat walk to get to the main viewing platform to overlook Fitzroy Falls.
Other short nature walks
There are plenty of other viewing platforms to check out which are all a short walk return.
It’s a lovely national park with some beautiful views. If you’re looking for a day trip from Sydney or looking for somewhere to stop in on your way back to Sydney from the south coast, this is worth a visit!
Do you have travel insurance?
Before travelling, make sure you get a travel insurance policy – you never know when you might need it! Click here for information on travel insurance, what company we recommend and a link to get an instant quote.
Alternative accommodation
If you’re looking for alternative accommodation to either save some money or share with friends or family, click here for information on Air B&B ($50 discount on your first booking), hotel price comparison websites etc.
“The life you have led doesn’t need to be the only life you have.” – Anna Quindlen
We had the luxury of spending an amazing summer day in Tallinn as part of our Baltic Cruise. It is the capital of Estonia and situated on the Baltic Sea.
Here are 16 photos which will inspire you to add Tallinn to your bucket list.
Tallinn Town Wall
Overlooking the Old Town
Cruise terminal in Tallinn
Overlooking the Old Town
Old Town Square
The cobblestone streets
The medieval entrance to Tallinn
St. Nicholas’ Church
Laneway leading up to St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Tallinn Town Wall
Tallinn Town Wall
St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Market and Flower stalls
Raekoja plats (Town Hall Square)
Beautiful cobblestone streets
The streets of Tallinn
“The gladdest moment in human life, me thinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” – Sir Richard Burton
Norway, without a doubt, one of the most picturesque countries in the world which is why the Flåm Railway is considered to be one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world!
Breathtaking lakes, cascading waterfalls, deep fjords, the people… you name it, Norway is close to perfect. If you haven’t been to Norway, and to be clear, you definitely need to add it on to your bucket list!
About the tour
We booked through Norway in a nutshell, the tour is called Fjord Cruise and Flåm Railway.
This spectacular tour takes you through a UNESCO protected fjord as well as an incredible journey on one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world.
The whole tour includes a scenic ride on the Bergen Railway, the breathtaking Flåm Railway, the Aurlandsfjord, the narrow and dramatic UNESCO-protected Nærøyfjord and the steep hairpin bends of Stalheimskleiva (depending on the time of year… it is worth seeing if you can!!)
We opted for the full day tour which began in Bergen, but you can also start the tour in Oslo, Voss or Flåm. The benefit of booking with these guys is everything is done in one transaction, one ticket – so simple!!
Basically, the journey is Bergen Railway to Voss, bus from Voss to Gudvangen, fjord cruise through Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord to Flåm, Flåm Railway to Myrdal with a stop along the way to see Kjosfossen Waterfall, then Bergen Railway back to Bergen.
Bergen Railway to Voss
We started nice and early in Bergen, collected our tickets from the ticket office and jumped on the train. If you’re in a group I would definitely recommend getting there a bit early as it is quite popular, particularly in summer and on weekends.
The first leg of the Bergen Railway runs from Bergen to Voss (which by the way is not where Voss water is from!) The journey was exactly what I was hoping for, I wasn’t sure what to expect as the Flåm Railway is quite a bit later in the day, but from the moment we departed Bergen, everything was incredible. I remember building myself up, wondering how good the Flåm Railway was going to be if this was just outside Bergen!
Arriving in Voss, we went straight down to the buses that were waiting for us for the next leg of the adventure.
Voss to Gudvangen – by bus
This part of the journey is by bus. You walk down past the Voss station where there are plenty of busses, each with a separate itinerary and final destination so avoids guessing and simply show your ticket to someone, who will be more than happy to point you in the right direction!
The busses were all jam packed, but that is to be expected in the peak of summer!
The closer you got to Gudvangen, the more spectacular the scenery became. It felt good to be out, away from the city and villages and experience the true Norway.
During our bus ride, we approached the Stalheimskleiva hairpin bends. This particular stretch of road was built between 1842-1846 and runs for 1.5km and winds its way along the mountainside and two cascading waterfalls between the Nærøydalen valley and the top at Stalheim. It is one of Northern Europe’s steepest roads.
What’s fascinating about this journey is that the sharpest gradient is 20% with an average gradient of 5.9%, which is why it is one of the steepest roads in Northern Europe. If the gradient isn’t enough, it also has 13 sharp hairpin bends which is quite an interesting ride, particularly when you’re in a bus when everyone is moving from side to side to see the next bend and one of the cascading waterfalls!
Gudvangen to Flåm – by ferry
The buses pull up and you stare out towards the massive fjord, it was amazing. I couldn’t wait to get on the boat!
There is one word that I would use to describe the boat trip and that is breathtaking. Words can’t describe how stunning the views are, it felt like I was on a boat and the scenery was painted around me.
There is plenty of space on the vessel and heaps of viewing areas to capture beautiful photos. Even though it was summer, it was quite cool cruising along the Fjord and heaps of people were sitting inside to escape the cool air!
You are travelling through the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord. The Nærøyfjord is the narrowest fjord which is only 20km long, only 250m wide at its narrowest and only 12m deep at its shallowest! It is truly breathtaking to look at the surrounding mountains which reach heights of 1660m.
Here are some beautiful pictures of our Fjord Cruise.
Flåm to Myrdal – by Flåm railway
Flåm is such a small village, it is adorable! Located in the Aurlandfjord, also a World Heritage area, not only is it surrounded by beautiful fjords, but you have the perfect setting of the rugged mountains with the famous Flåm train in the forefront. There are a few shops around and a small museum about the Flåm train you can take a look at.
The train itself is just gorgeous, beautifully maintained with timber interiors – and of course an even more gorgeous backdrop!
If you’re hungry, you can grab a bite to eat at the food stalls that are set up. We picked up some fish and chips and jumped on the train to eat it.
The Flåm Railway is one of the steepest train journeys in the world, running for approximately 20km’s and the journey time is about 1 hour. When you’re sitting on the train, it makes you feel like you’re stuck back in time. The train is made from wood and has that ‘back in the day’ sort of feeling.
From Flåm, the train takes you to Myrdal and although we travelled during summer, there was still snow on the ground because you are making your way up the mountain (around 865m above sea level!), the temperatures are getting colder!
The scenery along the way is gorgeous, plenty of waterfalls and rugged mountains.
There are a few tunnels (20 to be precise!) throughout the journey and they twist and spiral throughout the mountain which just showcases the skilled engineering in Norwegian railway history! A few kilometres outside of Myrdal, the train started to slow down and an announcement was made over the speaker letting us know we could get off to take a look at the spectacular Kjosfossen waterfall.
The waterfall is around 225m tall, which explains why the sound of the water is like listening to thunder roar! It also happens to be one of the most visited waterfalls and tourist attractions in Norway. Shortly after disembarking off the train, we heard a woman starting to sing – it made for a really spectacular stop!
The stop was for only around 10 minutes, short enough and long enough at the same time to make the most of the sheer power of the waterfall.
Myrdal to Bergen – by rail
We switched trains at Myrdal to head back to Bergen. It was great to sit back, enjoy the journey back to the city while talking about your favourite parts of the day!
It was a seriously fantastic day. I would love to visit again some day!
Do you have travel insurance?
Before travelling, make sure you get a travel insurance policy – you never know when you might need it! Click here for information on travel insurance, what company we recommend and a link to get an instant quote.
Alternative accommodation
If you’re looking for alternative accommodation to either save some money or share with friends or family, click here for information on Air B&B ($50 discount on your first booking), hotel price comparison websites etc.
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust
You’ve probably seen the pictures of the famous Figure 8 Pools and wondered where they are? The pools are a spectacular natural wonder which you have to see for yourself, or even jump into those crystal clear pools and enjoy the full experience.
If there is only one thing you take away from this post, it is that you can’t just turn up at any time of the day… I’ll explain why a bit later.
Where are the Figure 8 Pools?
The figure 8 pools are located on a rocky ledge, a short walk south of Burning Palms Beach in the Royal National Park which is about an hour drive south of Sydney.
Best time of day visit the Figure 8 Pools
This is probably the most important piece of information to take away from this post. You can only visit the Figure 8 Pools on low tide. The tide really should be less than 1m which is around an hour or two either side of low tide. If you decide to head there, and it isn’t low tide then the entire rock ledge will be underwater so you won’t actually see the pools.
You should always check the weather and surf conditions before going (you don’t want a large well, otherwise this will happen!). Always worth checking the low tide times, and making sure you leave enough time to get there before the tide starts rising!)
Where is the closest car park?
The closest car park to the Figure 8 Pools is at Garawarra Farm, off Garie Road. To get there, type in Garawarra Farm car park into your google maps. The car park and pools are located in the Royal National Park.
You can’t take public transport to the pools so you will need to jump in a car. First thing is getting to the Royal National Park. One piece of advice is to put your google maps on before entering the National Park because you will lose phone reception and the last thing you want is to not know where you’re going!
Entry to the National Park costs $12 (click here for current prices) and you buy your ticket at the ticket booth and you must display your ticket on your dash to avoid fine.
Garawarra Farm Road is an unsealed dirt road with heaps of potholes. You don’t need a 4WD to get there, but just take it slow so you don’t damage the underside of your car. When you get to the end, the car park is on your right and the walking track down to the left.
How to get from Garawarra Farm to the Figure 8 Pools
The walk is a 3.5km walk that winds down around 100m to the ocean. The walk will take around 1 hour to get there which includes climbing over the rocks at the end.
When you get to the start of the track, on the left there is a sign saying “Coast Walk” – just follow that track east all the way down to the bottom.
The walk down is quite rocky so you need to make sure you wear proper shoes – no thongs (aka flip flops) should be worn for your own safety!
You will end up overlooking the beautiful Burning Palms Beach. When you’re looking out over the beach, the pools are located at the second headland.
Keep following the track and you’ll get to a spot on the track that has some little huts on the right and a path to the left (there is also a sign that says no toilets!!). Head left down the path and that will take you down to the beach. We, on the other hand because there was no one around, kept walking for another 2km before we realised we had gone too far and had to turn back!!
When you get to the end of the beach, you need to start walking over the rocks of the first headland and on to the second which is where the pools are.
It is definitely worth the scramble over the rocks to see this….
It is important to enjoy your time at the pools, have a swim (if it isn’t too cold!) and relax a little because it is one steep walk back up to the car park!!
There are other pools you can swim in as well, they are really cool and look man-made.. but they aren’t! They are sort of like little plunge pools or spas!
Why not have a pit-stop on the way back up to the car at Burning Palms Beach? If the weather is warm, you can head in for a swim in the surf, otherwise, you can like us, chill on the beach and relax a bit before the hike back up to the car!
We have an awesome waterproof picnic blanket from Zero Grid which folds away to absolutely nothing which makes it super easy to take with you. It is lightweight and practical and I can definitely recommend you get yourself one for your holidays or day trips. Click here for information on Zero Grid and what our favourite items are! Another personal favourite of mine is the microfiber towels – also fantastic to take away on holidays when you only have carry on luggage or if you don’t want to carry a massive beach towel to the beach!
Here is a quick video of our trip to the Figure 8 Pools.
Sydney Secret Beaches
If you’re looking for our best secret beaches of Sydney, click here! But shh, don’t tell anyone – they are secret!!
Do you have travel insurance?
Before travelling, make sure you get a travel insurance policy – you never know when you might need it! Click here for information on travel insurance, what company we recommend and a link to get an instant quote.
“Traveling tends to magnify all human emotions.” — Peter Hoeg
If you’re looking for something completely different to do on the weekend that is only 1.5 hours south of Sydney, the Illawarra Fly Zipline tour would certainly tick that box.
It is officially the highest zipline tour in Australia!!
If you’re wondering what a zipline tour is all about, here is a little bit of background…
It is a unique eco-wilderness adventure located a short drive south of Sydney, Australia and is part of the Southern Highlands rainforest. The tour lasts for around 2.5 hours which includes the self-guided tree top walk either before or after your zipline. I’ll get to the treetop walk a bit later… I’ll start with the adrenaline pumping bit first!
The zipline tour involves flying on a series of elevated cable spans and navigating suspension bridges from one tree platform to another, 35 metres above the forest floor. But before you think you can’t do it, you’re scared of heights … Let me just say, Jenna managed to do it and she is so afraid of heights.. so if she can do it, anyone can! In fact, kids as young as 4 can do it, so really how hard can it be 🙂
Participants will soar through the trees and learn about our growing and vibrant forest whilst capturing unparalleled views of everything from the forest floor, into the canopy and a glimpse out to the Pacific Ocean.
The whole experience is with experienced zipline tour guides so there is no need to worry if you haven’t done anything like this before.
Our Zipline Experience
Now for our story…. We left Sydney bright and early on a Sunday morning to get down to Illawarra Fly for 9 am. The weather was predicted to be sunny and 19 degrees, so naturally we, well Jenna thought – yep! No jumper required! Well, she didn’t really take into account the fact that we would be amongst the trees or the fact that it was a little windy… so our first stop of the day was to the Illawarra Fly Gift shop where Jenna picked up a fleece jumper to keep herself warm. We then had a little bit of time to kill so we popped over to the cafe and picked up some coffees and cakes. Yum, yum yum – just what we needed after the drive down!
Shortly after, it was time to head to the briefing room where we were fitted with our harness and given instructions on how the equipment works and some of the rules when going on the zipline.
Then, we were off! It is a short walk to the first zipline and we are all connected up and ready to go!
I was worried about Jenna given her fear of heights, but she nailed the first zipline easily! All you need to do is sit into your harness and the staff will let you go – it is actually quite peaceful!
We all arrive at the first tree platform and learn a bit of history of the trees and try to find the oldest tree around us (hint: it’s not what you probably think!).
Then, the next two parts to the zipline are actually the suspension bridges.
I went first with our mate Luke (@thewelltravelledrider) behind me. We were encouraged by the staff to bounce around and have a bit of fun! So, that’s what we did! I must admit, walking across the suspension bridge with one hand holding the GoPro was quite tricky, but thankfully we both managed to get across quickly and easily.
Then, it was time for the girls to come across. They weren’t quite as fast as us, taking it slow but making it across with no issues to report!
At the next tree platform, we learn a bit about how the zipline is connected to the trees which are actually quite fascinating (you’ll have to go to find out!). And then comes the second suspension bridge! This one a bit shorter than the last and us boys again have quite a bit of fun and run the last few steps to the end.
The girls improved on the first one and made it across with no worries!
The second last zipline is 106m and a heap of fun! Here, you can have a bit of a play around and head on over upside down by kicking your feet up towards the zipline!
It can slow you down a little, but it is worth the helping hand at the end! That helping hand is rather a red rope that the guy at the platform will throw your way to help pull you up on to the platform. Either way, it gets your heart pumping that one – so much fun!
Unfortunately, after that, it means you’re up to the last zipline for the tour. Again, this is a great one to go upside down with given you’re heading downhill so won’t need any helping hands!!
Take a look at our quick zipline video.
The Treetop Walk
You can choose to do the walk before or after your zipline tour. We chose to do ours afterwards so we weren’t rushing to get back. The walk is made up of 500m of steel walkway nestled in the treetop canopy up to 30m above the ground and runs for 1.5km.
In the middle of the walkway is Knights Tower. It is a spiral tower (yep, those stairs get your heart rate up again!) and is 45m above the forest floor and the views are just spectacular!
And if that’s not enough for you, there are two swaying springboard cantilevers suspended 25m above the forest floor which takes you right to the edge of the escarpment!
Fun Fact: The treetop walk can withstand winds of up to 280kmh, is 472m long, has an average height of 710m above sea level and weighs over 160 tonnes, the equivalent of a Blue Whale!
It is such a nice way to finish off the day whilst looking at the next group do their zipline!
Here is a short video of the treetop walk!
The grounds
There is a souvenir shop (where Jenna purchased her jumper!) and a cafe. We had a bit to eat at the cafe for breakfast before the zipline tour. The service was great and the muffins and coffee were great! If you have a zipline ticket, you also get a voucher for a $10 lunch!
Overall, it was such a fantastic day! Here is our fun review!
Do you have travel insurance?
Before travelling, make sure you get a travel insurance policy – you never know when you might need it! Click here for information on travel insurance, what company we recommend and a link to get an instant quote.
“People don’t take trips, trips take people.” – John Steinbeck
Hotel: Hotel St Moritz
Location: Queenstown, New Zealand
Room: One Bedroom Alpine Suite Lake View with Balcony
Perfect for: City Break & Ski Holiday
Category: Luxury 5 star, MGallery memorable moment
Hotel St Moritz is located within a 10-minute walk from central Queenstown and is perfectly situated overlooking Lake Wakatipu over to the Remarkables.
Our welcome experience…
Upon arrival at Hotel St Moritz, we jumped out of the taxi and were greeted by the concierge who took our bags and skis and took them directly to our room. We walked through to reception and were greeted by Tegan who had already retrieved our welcome pack and had our keys ready! Talk about service… Tegan told us about the hotel and gave us a debrief of the weather forecast for the next couple of days.
For something special, we were upgraded to the One Bedroom Alpine Suite Lake View with a balcony which again, is a nice touch.
The Room…
We arrived at our room, opened the door and were amazed at the view you see immediately – you’re looking right over Lake Wakatipu from your private balcony.
The rooms are decorated with style and elegance, our room provided a sense of calm and serenity. The blend of textures, colours and light combine to make this alpine residence a unique haven.
Our room had a kitchenette and washing machine…
…which followed through to a very large lounge room which was filled with a lounge, single chair and dining room table and chairs which flowed out to the private balcony overlooking the lake.
There is a separate king size bedroom off the lounge room with enough cupboard space to hang up some items and store your suitcases.
The bathroom is pretty spacious and has a separate bath (which you need after a day on the slopes!!)
And the bit that Jenna loved the most was the Molton Brown toiletries that were supplied each day. She is absolutely obsessed with it, it reminds her of London and we use it at home so these were just perfect for us!
Take a look at our short video of the room.
Meals…
Each morning we had the buffet breakfast in Lombardi Restaurant.
The variety of breakfast items was plentiful and always fresh produce on offer and the thing I love is that the eggs are made to order from the chef.
The food was always displayed so beautifully and the juices were changed daily, I’d recommend the kiwi juice for something different!
The views from the breakfast table are beautiful, overlooking the lake and the mountains. It is the perfect spot to start the day.
This view is taken from the balcony off the restaurant. Despite being a cloudy morning, it was still picture perfect.
We ate at the hotel restaurant for dinner twice, and without a doubt was the best food we had in Queenstown! To read more about our experience at the restaurant, click here for our blog on where to eat in Queenstown
It is worth mentioning that Lombardi Restaurant received the 2016 award for achieving the highest culinary standard in beef and lamb and there is an award to prove it!
Health and Fitness…
The hotel is fully equipped with a gym, sauna and outdoor hot tubs.
The gym has everything you would need whilst on holidays. The complimentary apples are a nice added touch!
The sauna is actually quite spacious and is located just off the gym.
If you’re someone who likes to stay active while on holidays, you might find this post helpful.
Hotel Grounds
Surrounded by green leafy gardens, you’ll find the two incredible hot tubs which overlook the snow capped Cecil and Walter Peaks! They are absolutely fantastic and positioned privately on the grounds of the hotel. After a day of skiing, it is really nice to sit back and relax in the hot top, enjoying the view! Towels are provided for you at the entrance to the spa area.
The foyer of the hotel is a perfect spot to unwind. You have the gas fireplace, mulled apple cider (complimentary!) and comfortable chairs.
Good to know…
The hotel has a secure car park which is available for a fee for all guests. But for those without a car, not to worry! Getting into town is a 10-minute easy walk, but getting back can be a little tough as there is a hill leading up to the hotel. However, if you jump in a green taxi from the city centre, they will take you back to the hotel free of charge (one trip per day), you just need to provide your room number and the taxi driver will sort it all out! We made use of this service every day after dinner!!
Our room had a decent size umbrella available for use. It came in handy on our last morning when it was raining!
It is also worth noting that you can use your Accor Plus membership at this hotel to claim up to 50% back on your dining! Click here to read more about this membership and how much we saved by having this membership.
Checking out…
Checking out was quick and easy and reception called a taxi for us to head back to the airport.
Above and beyond…
Alvar was the hotel concierge and he delivered a beautiful New Zealand red wine and hand written card to our room shortly after checking in. Alvar was full of information about Queenstown and offered advice on what to see and where to visit. It was certainly a nice touch!
In the foyer, there is water and glasses provided as well as mulled apple cider which was perfect on those cold evenings arriving back after a day of skiing!
The not so good…
There isn’t much to add in this section! The hotel staff and the actual room and location was fantastic. If I were to be a little picky, the only thing I would say would be housekeeping was inconsistent in how they turned down the room, but this is very minor in the scheme of things!
The verdict…
Overall, the St Moritz was a beautiful hotel and if you can afford a little extra and have a lake view, you won’t regret it!!
For more on Queenstown, New Zealand, check out our other blog posts:
- Shotover Jet Queenstown, New Zealand – Our Most Exciting Jet Boat Ride!
- Where to eat in Queenstown, New Zealand
- Visiting Queenstown
- Skiing The Remarkables & Coronet Peak, New Zealand
Do you have travel insurance?
Before travelling, make sure you get a travel insurance policy – you never know when you might need it! Click here for information on travel insurance, what company we recommend and a link to get an instant quote.
Alternative accommodation
If you’re looking for alternative accommodation to either save some money or share with friends or family, click here for information on Air B&B ($50 discount on your first booking), hotel price comparison websites etc.
“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” – Gustave Flaubert
So, you’ve booked a trip to Queenstown… you’re probably going to want to eat! Some food for thought…
Lombardi Restaurant
Lombardi Restaurant is located at Hotel St Moritz which is where we stayed while in Queenstown. We dined at this restaurant for dinner on two separate occasions, as well as breakfast here each morning. We can easily say it was, by far, the best meal we had whilst in Queenstown.
1st Dinner: There were three of us, and our waiter, Lisa let us know about their 2-course dinner special for $59 (NZD) which included a glass of Pinot. For the main, I ordered the Duo of Central Otago Lamb which consisted of grilled cutlets, slow cooked pulled lamb, char-grilled pumpkin, lemon & mint Israeli cous cous, pumpkin puree, pinot & rosemary jus.
Both Jenna and Luke ordered the traditional wood fired lasagna. We couldn’t fault the main dish, the food was cooked to perfection and as Luke said: “this could be the best lasagna I’ve ever had”.
As for my lamb, it looked beautiful on the plate and tasted even better.
It was time to move on to dessert. I ordered the organic honeycomb with a selection of seasoned fruits and both Jenna and Luke ordered the apple tarte tatin with house-made vanilla bean ice cream and crème anglaise. Again, the presentation was perfect and the dessert was exactly what we needed!
2nd Dinner: The second evening was just the two of us. We enjoyed a 3-course meal in front of the beautiful fire place with giant naughts and crosses on the side table!
The three-course meal at the restaurant was $69 (NZD) per person and we couldn’t wait to order, given how great our first experience was. The waiter we had Matthieu, was a fantastic French waiter and we could not fault his service or attention. He was able to describe each of the dishes, how filling these may be, the presentation and recommendations to move from entrée to the main, to the desert, and most importantly which wines and digestives he would recommend.
For the entrée, I ordered the house-made cold smoked salmon with crispy garlic & onions, squid ink mayonnaise and salmon caviar and Jenna ordered the free range crumbed pork belly with cider apple puree, radish & fennel salad, pickled apple and crackling. Again, the food was perfectly presented and nearly looked too pretty to eat! We found to entrée serving size to be quite generous which is nice to see in a restaurant.
For the main, I ordered the house-made beetroot ravioli filled with goats cheese & manuka honey, broccoflower cream sauce, beetroot chips and parmesan crisp. I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with this dish, but this was my favourite and given we had a three-course meal, the portion was perfect. The ravioli was cooked perfectly and the beetroot chips on the top gave it a nice crunch!
Jenna ordered the Lasagne again (it was that good the first time!). I should mention at this point the serving size for the lasagna is massive! It is certainly a hearty dish and it tastes delicious.
With both us extremely full… it was time to look at the dessert menu…
For dessert, I ordered the ice cream hemispheres which is white chocolate dipped cookies & cream ice cream, dark chocolate dipped vanilla bean ice cream with cornet & toasted almond crumb. Jenna again ordered the apple tart tatin with house-made vanilla bean ice cream and crème anglaise. Definitely a creature of habit.
I didn’t think anything of the ice cream dish.. but I was shocked when it came it, it was nothing like I expected! It was again, served beautifully and it was just what I needed to finish off a lovely meal.
Matthieu, our waiter was always professional and you can tell he takes pride in his work. Although he was the only waiter in the dining room (which was quite busy) our glasses were always full and he continuously checked in with us to see what we thought of his recommendations, we had a great night! Even when things were a little quiet for him, he was setting up the other room for breakfast! St Moritz is lucky to have him working at their restaurant!
Overall – the food we had on both occasions was perfect and we all agreed (all three of us) that the best meals we had in Queenstown were at Lombardi.
Public Kitchen & Bar
We dined at Public Kitchen & Bar on our first evening in Queenstown. It was cold outside and this place looked super cosy. So, we went in (through the interesting red phone box entrance) and managed to get a table. The service was really good, and the staff took their time explaining the menu and how it works.
The menu is designed to share, which worked well given there were three of us. Between us, we ordered the duck fat potatoes with sage and roasted shallots, venison Osso Bucco with roast pumpkin puree, thick cut ribbons of pasta in a rich lamb stew and fried chicken with hot sauce.
There was more than enough food, to be fair each of the dishes was meat based and very filling. Everything was cooked well, the lamb pasta, however, was definitely the winning dish of the evening!
For dessert, we ordered the chocolate cheesecake and the pavlova with fresh fruit and cream. Let’s just say the serving size for the dessert was massive. One dessert could easily have served the three of us. Delicious.
It’s located right on the wharf, making it a great location and I’m sure during the day the views would be amazing. We’d definitely recommend dining here if you’re in Queenstown.
Botswana Butchery
We dined here after receiving a recommendation from friends who had visited. Botswana Butchery is located on the lake in the historic precinct. Upon arrival, we noticed the log fire outside for guests to enjoy, and when we walked inside, noticed another!
It was a warm cosy restaurant. Between us, we ordered the Turkey Bastilla, two eye fillets and some duck fat potatoes. The food was cooked beautifully and the service was good as well. It does have that fine dining restaurant feel, so depending on what you’re after this might not be for you.
Fergburger
Given it seems to be the most popular place to eat in Queenstown, we had to visit Fergburger. When you walk past Fergburger, at any time of the day or night the line up is down the street.
Thankfully we went on a Tuesday night, the line didn’t seem as long as other days, and only took us around 10 minutes to get to the front of the queue. I ordered the double Fergburger with blue cheese, Jenna ordered the Fergburger with cheddar cheese and extra beetroot and Luke ordered the Mr Big Stuff and we got some chips with aioli as well.
The burgers are massive, we felt like we were just eating and eating! The beef on the burgers was cooked well (i.e medium, not over cooked) and it seemed to cover the whole of the burger bun which never happens these days when you order a burger! We enjoyed our burgers and we would eat there again when looking for a casual bite to eat.
Getting a table can be tricky, although there are always people leaving so you just need to be patient. You might want to scout for a table while in the line and have one of you sit at the table while the other orders – these aren’t burgers you can eat while walking!
The Cow
You’re probably thinking steak? Nope! The Cow is a pizza and spaghetti house!
This place looked adorable from the outside so we wanted to come back and check it out one evening.
We walked in and the place is pretty small so we thought we’d never get a table as we didn’t make a reservation… The good news is, they don’t take reservations! They have a small bar in the corner of the restaurant where you can grab a drink and wait for a table.
A special mention needs to go to their very cool, and extremely heavy chairs!
You can watch the kitchen while you’re waiting for your table as well!
The interesting thing about this restaurant is that they put groups together.. so we were a group of three, and they put us with another couple to fill up one table. Thankfully we were put with another couple who enjoyed good company and the conversation was easy!
We were told that the home made bread with garlic is a winner so we ordered one of those to start. It was huge and delicious and came out warm.
For mains, I ordered the Bolognese pizza with extra jalapeños and Jenna and Luke both ordered the Spaghetti Bolognese. Not sure why, but those two always seemed to order the same food.
The food was really nice and came out really quick. Actually, that’s our only criticism of the restaurant, our mains came out not long after we received our bread… meaning we didn’t get time to really enjoy the bread! It’s a shame because it was so delicious and we didn’t want to leave any behind…
That aside, the food was good and the atmosphere was also really good. Definitely worth checking this place out if you’re in Queenstown.
Pub on Wharf
Our last evening in Queenstown, we thought we’d dine at the Pub on Wharf. It always looked busy and their fireplace was so inviting! We managed to grab a table towards the back (next to the fireplace!) and ordered a few drinks while we watched the food come out of the kitchen…
To start, we got a garlic loaf which was good (not as good as the Cow though)…
and for main, we ordered the Pork Belly stuffed with apricot, sage and onion & slow roasted, served with potato mash and roast vegetables with a warm apple sauce. A chicken parmigiana with potato wedges and pub slaw and lastly a lasagne with pub slaw and wedges.
The pork belly was the largest we’ve seen served at any restaurant! The chicken parm was a pretty think piece of chicken and cooked really well and the lasagne was a massive serving as well and tasty. I think the slaw could have been left out, or something done differently to make it a little nicer. Other than that, the food was pretty good for pub food.
The Bunker
Our taxi driver recommended The Bunker to us on our way from the airport to our hotel. It looked quite cosy so we wandered up. We arrived shortly after they opened for the afternoon and were the first ones in the bar. We had the fire place and lounges to ourselves! It was so cosy and warm inside and we ordered mulled wine and relaxed by the fire. Once we warmed up a little, we sat at the outdoor area, in front of the gas fire watching an old James Bond film. It’s a pretty cool place, definitely a favourite.
There is a restaurant here as well, although we didn’t eat here.
Fat Badgers Pizza Bar
This small pizza bar has an awesome vibe. We were only looking for a snack, but wish we had more time to have a proper meal!
The service was great and the Poutine was delicious (which you can see from the picture below!)
Joe’s Garage
We were recommended to visit Joe’s Garage for some coffee and breakfast.
The place was jammed packed inside and out! We managed to get a table pretty quickly and ordered some hot drinks and some traditional New Zealand cheese bread which is basically cheese and red onion rolled in a piece of bread and warmed up! So simple but exactly what I needed.
Jenna ordered a home made sausage roll with rocket and garlic aioli.
It was good service, a cosy restaurant and looking around at the breakfasts that were coming out, they looked massive!
We visited again during our second trip to Queenstown and ordered some delicious breakfast. Jenna ordered the pancakes (it was her birthday after all) and I ordered the fruit muesli.
The London
We stopped in at The London for a quiet drink before we went on our Shotover Jet adventure.
There is often someone standing at the entrance offering $4 (NZD) beer vouchers to entice you in, clearly, this worked on us. When you head downstairs, it is a Pizza restaurant and bar and has a pool table free for use as well. It was a nice place to spend a bit of time just relaxing and if you feel like pizza, it is pretty good!
Habana Rum Bar
We spent some time at the Habana Rum Bar and got a few drinks, old-fashioned, dark and stormy and plenty more was on offer. It’s a super cosy bar and has a huge range of rum drinks and cocktails.
Mrs Ferg Gelateria
We stopped by Mrs Ferg for some dessert one evening. Let’s just say, if you’ve had Messina in Sydney and think that’s good… Mrs Ferg was better!!
Between us, we had choc mint, chocolate, coconut and chocolate and we sampled a few including our new favourite hokey pokey! All gelato is made on site and if you’re getting the apple pie gelato, then there is actual apple pie mixed into the mixture from the bakery next door, the same goes with the chocolate brownie gelato… Yum.
Cookie Time
Our taxi driver recommended us to go to Cookie Time as well. We stopped in, grabbed a cookie each to see what the fuss was about. The cookies were good, but nothing to write home about (maybe just a quick mention on this post).
The Remarkables Sweet Shop
Another place our taxi drive recommended was The Remarkables Sweet Shop. You can get free samples of fudge to try (there are plenty to choose from!!) and we also tried their famous sour lemon lolly… I should have put the video on Jenna while she ate hers.. sour doesn’t quite cut it!
Fantastic range of their famous sweets and worth stopping in to.
The World Bar
If you’re looking for the place in Queenstown that serves cocktails out of teapots, this is the place. It has a good energy about it and the food is pretty tasty as well. But let’s be honest, the cocktails out of teapots.. that’s enough to get anyone there!
Flame
We were looking for somewhere to eat on our first night in Queenstown (the second time around) and walked out of our accommodation and couldn’t go past the smell of Flame! We were drawn in, it smelled beautiful and it was equally as tasty!
Atlas Bar
Our quad bike guide suggested we head to Atlas Beer Cafe. For just under $20 you can get a rump steak, chips and salad – and have a view over Lake Wakatipu!
Do you have travel insurance?
Before travelling, make sure you get a travel insurance policy – you never know when you might need it! Click here for information on travel insurance, what company we recommend and a link to get an instant quote.
Alternative accommodation
If you’re looking for alternative accommodation to either save some money or share with friends or family, click here for information on Air B&B ($50 discount on your first booking), hotel price comparison websites etc.
“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is strength, in water there is bacteria.” -David Auerbach
