The Tiki Trail is sometimes referred to as the Queenstown Gondola walk
Yes, I walked up to the top of Bob’s Peak where the end of the track meets up with the Queenstown Skyline Gondola. Hey, it saved me money, I only paid for a one way ticket down on the Gondola and got a great workout at the same time. I chose to walk up as it’s a steep hike, zig zagging up the hill, my knees aren’t as strong as they used to be so a better way to go. They say it takes 1 hour but even stopping for lots of photos, it was just under that. My fitness is pretty good right now so it wasn’t a problem, oh, I did take my walking sticks which made it that much easier. However, I could see others taking it real slow and finding it hard going. It was the middle of summer so the shade from the big tall pine trees covering just about the whole track, was really refreshing.
I found the track quite good with steep parts here and there. The views from the top out over Queenstown and the lake are what it’s all for, WOW, just amazing. Also the wide views out to the Remarkable mountains and beyond are truly something great to see, just a pity there was no snow.
Walking the track from bottom to top rather than the other way is easier on your knees and good for your fitness.
Quick Facts about this walk
- Location: Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand
- Distance: 2.1 km
- Time needed: 45 mins to 1 hour
- Difficulty: Medium steep uphill walk
- Wheelchair Access: No
- Route: One way
- Elevation: 404 m
- Wet Feet: No
- Toilets: At the start & end of the walk
- Dogs: No
- Mobile Coverage: Yes, good
- Last Updated: May 2022
Summary points about the Tiki Trail walk
Walk Highlights
Track Quality
Hazards
Transport
Water
Driving Instructions
Shops & Restaurants Nearby
Area & Trail History
Tiki Trail Map
Points of interest along the walk
Start of the walk at Skyline Gondola
Trying to park in the car park is a real pain, good luck! We ended up about 3 streets away. The walk starts directly to the left of the entrance to the Skyline Gondola. Just watch out for the bikers zooming across the track at the start. Just before the start is the Kiwi Birdlife Park, well worth a visit. Pick a day with a great deal and save up to half the price!
Walking up the steep track
The walk is quite steep at the start and rocky, it then goes out and up again in a zig zag pattern. I really enjoyed the shade of the pine trees on my walk as it was summer time and hot. There was only one place that got a peek of the lake through all the trees, but wasn’t worth taking a photo of.
Zip Liners overhead!
About half way up I could see these large wooden structures but no one about. Then further on I could hear people singing, yelling and generally having fun. I wasn’t sure what it was all for until I saw someone zip right over my head! The entrance for Ziptrek Ecotours is right on the trail, but you don’t have to walk all the way up, well not unless you want to do it for free! It’s only a very short walk from the top of the Skyline Gondola.
Views from the top at the Gondola
Just a short walk out of the trees at the end of the trail and you’re at the Skyline Gondola and those amazing views. Well, you’ll need to walk through to the other side to really experience the views, this is the back where the cafe is. You can carry on walking up the hill further to watch people having fun on the luge ride.
From the restaurant you can enjoy views over Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables range. Mind you it’ll cost extra to have a window seat inside the restaurant. To be honest the cafe looked way better value, with yummy ice-cream as well. There are still amazing views from the side and out front on the big viewing deck. Watch the Gondolas come and go real close up.