Hotels near Lake Wakatipu TSS Earnslaw Cruise

The TSS Earnslaw is a 1912 coal-fired vintage steamship - one of the oldest commercial passenger steamships still operating anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere. The 90-minute cruise crosses Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak High Country Farm on the western shore, where you can watch sheep shearing demonstrations and explore the lakeside gardens. The ship itself is part of the experience: you can descend below deck to watch the stokers shovel coal into the twin boilers that power the original steam engines.

Lake Wakatipu is 80 km long and up to 380 metres deep, with remarkably clear water that shifts between blue and green depending on the light. The views from the Earnslaw's deck take in the Remarkables, Cecil Peak, and Walter Peak. A basic cruise costs NZD 79 (44 EUR), while the cruise-plus-BBQ-lunch package at Walter Peak is NZD 135 (75 EUR). The Earnslaw departs from the Queenstown Bay wharf in the town centre multiple times daily.

Pro Tip: Book the 12:00 or 2:00 PM sailing for the best light on the mountains. The BBQ lunch at Walter Peak is excellent and worth the upgrade over the basic cruise. Sit on the starboard (right) side departing Queenstown for the best views of the Remarkables.