Top Queenstown Eco Tours

It was a good time to relax on the boat as the steamboat, which has been around for over 100 years, made its way through the majestic scenery. We visited orchards, planted seedlings to increase forests, and had memories. Afternoon tea is a place where people from other countriesIt was an enjoyable time to be able to talk to travelers.

TSS Earnslaw Cruise and Walter Peak. This is definitely a must see. We did the afternoon tea. They served lots of food. The grounds are beautiful.However booking through Cool Destinations was a mistake. We booked 4 tours with them. Booking was easy. Retrieving our booking information was a nightmare. The customer service was good and very helpful. We did not want to spend our vacation time on the phone with them.

Bring warm clothing and stay away from the lime sorbet The boat and crew were just amazing and very very helpful

We had the best experience aboard this scenic cruise on Lake Whakatipu vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw and explore the decks and engine room.There was a lovely buffet-style BBQ dining at Walter Peak, there was an after dinner show with the farm dogs in action3 hour 45 minute return experience

Beautiful trip. Too bad it was delayed due to heat on the rails which made the trip longer than anticipated. But safety first! Also food was limited and we did not know this prior to getting on board. But we were given complimentary ice cream....gotta love ice cream. Also our seats were double booked which caused confusion at boarding time. Workers tried to help. Commentary was good. We had people around us talking loudly and not listening to the commentary and this made it difficult to hear.

Booked the trip through Cool Destinations for the cruise, BBQ lunch and farm show. It was a great experience, though the boat was packed with tour groups. Get to the dock early to ensure a good seat. The cruise was fine up the Western shores of Lake Wakatipu. Nothing particularly special. The highlight was the BBQ. I was anticipating a BBQ with burgers, etc. outside. Nope. It was one of the most exquisite buffets I'd seen since Covid inside at dining tables. It was top class with meats (pork, chicken, lamb, beef - all freshly roasted), fish, appetizers, many salads and a decedent dessert selection. The Farm Show was cool with a demonstration of sheep herding. I'd give a B to the cruise and farm show, but the lunch made the experience an A.

The food and the guide were A+++ We love the boat, food and farm experience. Will recommend to everyone

going on the TSS Earnslaw is a very unique experience. It's about a 45 minute ride to lunch/dinner. As we approached the farm, the staff were out waving and welcoming us Downton Abbey style. The extensive buffet was loaded with Asian and New Zealand choices of cheeses, appetizers, veggies, beef, fish, chicken, pork and lamb and beautifully crafted desserts. We had heard about the food from everyone who mentioned the trip, and it did NOT disappoint!!!! There was ample food to sample everything and to go back for more. It was extremely well-organized, delicious and clean. Service was exceptional. The sheep shearing was fun. Our sheep was a squirmy guy, so challenging for Josh, who obviously was very fit. We enjoyed the whole experience. It is a must-do!

We really enjoyed the boat ride, the garden to table food, and planting a tree. We’re glad we signed up for this one, and would do it again!

My husband and I quite enjoyed this outing. The cruise over on the steamship was great for both of us - I could enjoy the views while he was fascinated with the workings of the steamship and boiler room. Being able to watch that in action was fantastic.Once at the farm, the buffet lunch was delicious and very well organized.We quite enjoyed the farm show, in particular seeing how the dog did its job. That was very cool!Great way to spend a few hours!

We were lucky with the weather and very much enjoyed the cruise to and from Queenstown. Great views from upper and lower decks, and much to see from inside the engine room. Very good buffet lunch with plenty of variety especially good beef and pork, and some delicious desserts (I had four). Followed by a short sheep shearing demonstration with a star performance from Echo the sheep dog. Then a walk round the gardens and back to Queenstown. Time very well spent.

This was a truly amazing experience. The steam boat cruise was relaxing - but also fascinating to see how the TSS Earnshaw works and it's history. The dinner at Walter Peak station was the best we had in NZ and we would all eat there every night if we could! The whole family (including our 'bored' teen) were mesmerized by the shearing and sheep dog show

A wonderful trip on the TSS Earnslaw with dinner at Walter’s Peak. A tip for travelers: don’t rush to the inside table on the boat. Go sit outside near the boiler room. The seats are heated and you get to enjoy the journey outside and still stay warm. The food at Walter’s Peak is great and the sheep-shearing show was fun. Absolutely loved the whole evening and worth the price.

A unique experience riding on an old steamship. It can be quite warm in the cabin on a hot day but lovely out on the open deck. The view of the lake and surrounding hills were impressive and the visit to Walter Peak and farm quite informative. Be aware though, that there are different types of excursions. I thought we had booked the farm experience which included the buffet meal and sheep shearing demo but had mistakenly chosen the Eco tour which included a tour of the gardens/orchard, tree planting and a delicious charcuterie lunch with all items being made on the farm or locally.

We had a great day, Maryjane the tour guide was lovely and had a good sense of humour, we picked organic fruit off the trees and walked around the veggie garden, before meeting the pigs and donkeys, we chose a tree to plant then we then had an amazing lunch made things out of the garden, great value for money and experience

Fantastic trip on the old Steamer from Queenstown on Wednesday 15/01/25. Superb guide in Sarah Jane Extremely helpful and knowledgeable and very, very friendly and engaging. I would recommend this trip to anybody. A real day to remember.