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Hiking in Breathtaking Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown, NZ

Usually, when I go through my photos for blog posts, I tend to think the photos make a place (or me) look a bit better than it (or I) actually am. However, while I was going through these photos this week, I was rather disappointed. I mean, these are showing some gorgeous landscapes – but it was one of those things that was so much more impressive in person. I don’t believe I’ve ever been so awestruck by an area as I was with Queenstown, New Zealand. I honestly think it has been one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

But, regardless of my judgement of these photos, I do hope you enjoy them! And if you’re planning to go to New Zealand sometime, keep reading to learn more about the hike we did to capture these photos.

Queenstown, New Zealand

The Ben Lomond Trail

If you find yourself in Queenstown one day, I highly recommend taking a day and dedicating it to The Ben Lomond Trail! We, unfortunately, didn’t have an entire day to do this hike. We decided to go bungy jumping in the morning and did this hike in the afternoon. So, we did not make it to the summit. But it was still worth our time! (And thank you to our friend, Phil, for recommending this hike!)

Ben Lomon Track
Can you see me wayyyy ahead in this pic?

The trail starts in Queenstown right behind the gondolas that go up the mountain. You could take the gondola up the mountain to maybe shave off an hour or more of your hike. (We did do this because we were short on daylight – but it was quite pricey, around $30 NZD a person! So, I would recommend just allowing yourself more time for the hike!)

Queenstown, NZ
A view from the gondola.

Our goal for the hike was to make it to the Ben Lomond Saddle…which was about 4-hour hike there and back for us. We were moving at a good pace, but obviously, we were also dinking around taking photos too. So, you could easily do it in 3 if you don’t stop to take photos every 20 minutes. (The hike to the summit takes about 6-8 hours.)

Ben Lomond Saddle

Ben lomond saddle
The view from the Ben Lomond Saddle.
Queenstown, NZ
Another view from the Ben Lomond Saddle.
The Ben Lomond Summit
The Ben Lomond Summit – don’t be fooled. It’s a REALLY long ways away!

We didn’t have proper hiking clothing for this hike, but if you do have some I would recommend bringing it along! There were a lot of loose rocks, and hiking boots would have been very nice to have on. Also, up on The Saddle was really windy and it was also raining. I could have certainly have used a waterproof jacket for that!

Ben Lomond trail

Ben Lomond trail

I didn’t completely get over my fear of heights that day. Haha. That’s as close as I was getting to the edge! Haha.

Queenstown, NZ

Also, I would say you should be in moderately decent shape for this hike. It wasn’t the worst, but I was certainly tired and sweaty by the time it was over. And bring lots of water!

Queenstown

You’ll be sharing most of the trail with mountain bikers too – so, be on the look out for them and share the trail.

Queenstown, new zealand

Oh, and there’s mountain goats! So, be on the lookout for them too. (I was really excited to spot them!)

goats
Mountain goats!

If you’re interested in more information on the Ben Lomond Trail, check out The Department of Conservation’s website by clicking here. It was such a beautiful hike!

Do you enjoy hiking? If so, what was one of your favorite hikes? Let me know in the comments!

And one final photo of my husband pretending to be Gandalf in the photo below. Haha.

ben lomond trail
“You shall not pass!” – Gandalf
The Ben Lomond Trail
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16 Comments

  1. Oh wow, if these photos are no-where near as stunning as it is in real life then I can’t even imagine how beautiful it would be. These are great photos, definitely a worthy hike! 🙂

    Hope you are having a great start to the week and had a nice weekend 🙂

    Away From The Blue Blog

    1. It is crazy how beautiful it is! And thank you so much! Hope you’re having a great week too! 🙂

  2. Looks amazing!!! Even if we had all day to hike, we’d probably take the gondola as well to get some different views and another experience for that activity.

    1. That is true! I’m not sure if you would get the same views as the gondola on the hike. However, I should have mentioned this in the post, but there is a viewing area at the top of gondola area you can look around and take photos at too. It was really beautiful!

  3. WOW, Lindsey, these photos are breathtaking. Ben Lomond Saddle looks amazing. I have to visit New Zealand once. It looks more like a painting than a real landscape. So beautiful! Thank you for sharing, dear friend.
    X
    Miri

    http://currentlywearing.com

  4. I LOVE hiking. Most of my favorite hikes have been in Wyoming or Vermont. New Zealand has been on my list for so long and these photos are seriously amazing. I can only imagine what it looks like in real life.

    Lee – leethrifts.com

    1. Oh yes! I remember your post on Wyoming! I would love to visit Wyoming for that reason. And thank you so much, Lee! 🙂

  5. What a great way to see this area through your lenses!!
    I know exactly what you mean about being disappointed in the photos though. Sometimes, the camera shows such a different perspective than what our eyes see!!
    Jodie
    www.jtouchofstyle.com

    1. Aw, thank you, Jodie! And yes! It’s crazy sometimes how different photos can make something look…especially after you’ve seen it in real life. 🙂

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