The Ultimate Queenstown Winter Festival Guide


It’s that time of year again when the wild and wacky emerge from the woodwork in their birdman costumes and snowboards and make their way to the adventure capital of the world for New Zealand’s most anticipated festival – the Queenstown Winter Festival.

Nominated as one of the World’s top 10 ‘must see’ festivals by Yahoo!7 Travel, the outrageous 10-day event hosted in July, and if you are planning to get amongst the action, Mighty Campers can get you there with one of their campervans.

What to do

Giving you the freedom to explore all the events and spectacles on offer at your own pace, hiring one of our campers is the easiest way to experience the Queenstown Winter Festival and delivers more bang for your buck. Watch as fearless competitors partake in some of the most insane extreme sports action ever to hit the powdery slopes including the grueling Coronet Peak ‘Skin to the Summit’ race, the crazy downhill BMX races, and the always entertaining, Slopestyle Invitational.

However, the excitement does not stop there. Get amongst the revelers of the street parade and soak up the world-class music and spectacular fireworks over Lake Wakatipu.

Alternatively, if you are looking for a spectacle that promises hilarity, score yourself a prime position to watch the invitational Drag Race and watch as these “ladies” make their way through a tough obstacle course in their best stilettoes. Likewise, work up a sweat watching the Mountain Scene’s ‘Thriller in the Chiller’ boxing bouts or suit up and participate in the wildly popular Suitcase Downhill Race.

Where to stay

If you have all your gear in tow, a great place to pull up stumps is at the award-winning Holiday Park Creeksyde. Located a very short distance from the town centre of Queenstown, you won’t have far to travel to be amongst the wild, mardi gras atmosphere. Powered sites, bathroom facilities, ski-drying rooms, and Wi-Fi are all available.

Alternatively, the Frankton Motor Camp is located right on the shore of Lake Wakatipu.

What to eat

Queenstown is an adrenaline-pumping town at the best of times and it’s important you have the right fuel to keep the energy levels up. For the best burgers, you will ever taste, get stuck into one of the epic hamburgers at Fergburger. They are delicious and cheap, "The Morning Glory" is an awesome breakfast burger and "Sweet Bambi" is one of our favourites!

The Cow is another taste sensation that is also easy on the wallet. Serving delicious wood-fired pizzas and pasta, The Cow is a popular restaurant with a fantastic and cozy atmosphere.

Must do winter activities

While the Winter Festival rages on, don’t forget to also experience some of picturesque Queenstown’s better-known activities.

For example, no stop at the Adrenaline Capital of the World is complete without a jump from the highest Bungy in Australasia – the Nevis High Wire – which towers an epic 134 metres above the Nevis River and is skippered by the experienced crew from AJ Hackett Bungy. Likewise, speak to the guys over at N-Zone Skydive about launching yourself from a plane at 15,000 feet above the majestic Remarkable Mountains. 

In addition, don’t forget to also hit the slopes this snow season on one of the 4 international ski fields around Queenstown (Treble Cone, The Remarkables, Coronet Peak, Cardrona) or turn the dial down on the excitement and take a relaxing stroll around the shores of Lake Wakatipu.

You don’t want to miss a minute of the insane action this July. Jump over to our Campervan Hire page and lock-in your next trip to Queenstown now.