Queenstown to Wānaka: A Drive via Gibbston Valley and Bannockburn

(4 reviews)

Queenstown, New Zealand audio tour: Queenstown to Wānaka: A Drive via Gibbston Valley and Bannockburn

This is a 75.7mi driving tour

It takes an average of 120 mins to complete.

Queenstown, New Zealand

New Zealand

$7.99

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About the Tour

This isn’t just a drive – it’s a journey through the heart of Central Otago, where every bend in the road reveals another story. On this driving tour, starting from Queenstown Airport, you’ll trace a route once carved by Māori travellers and hardened by gold miners, now dotted with world-class vineyards and iconic adventure hubs.

We’ll pass through the Kawarau Gorge, where bungy jumping was born and where schist cliffs still guard the turquoise river below. You’ll hear tales of fortune seekers sluicing the hillsides, the rise of Gibbston Valley wines, and the legendary Nevis Bluff that looms over the highway. You’ll make your way to the lakeshore in Wānaka, with the tour finishing right beside the world-famous “That Wānaka Tree”.

During this two-hour driving tour, you’ll have the chance to:

Hear about Bannockburn’s wild gold rush past
Admire Cromwell’s orchards and giant fruit sculpture, and the new landscape created by Lake Dunstan
Learn why pinot noir flourishes here, what makes lavender fields glow, and why real fruit ice cream has become a summer tradition
Glide past the Pisa Range and through the relaxed rural settlements of Luggate and Queensberry

This tour blends history, nature, and quirky local stories, giving you not just a road trip, but an experience that ties the past and present together in one unforgettable drive. If you’ve ever wanted to know the stories behind the scenery, this is the perfect way to turn a simple transfer between Queenstown and Wānaka into the highlight of your trip.

This tour can be taken separately or together with my other tour, ‘Wānaka to Queenstown: A Drive via Cardrona and Crown Range'. Combining the two tours makes it a circular route.

Tour Producer

David Downs

6 tours

Kia ora – I’m David Downs: writer, former comedian, CEO, and lifelong storyteller.

My career has zigzagged in the best possible way. I started out in comedy, writing and performing stand-up and television, learning how to find the human truth in any situation – and how to keep an audience leaning in. That instinct to connect through humour and story has shaped everything I’ve done since.

I’ve written several books, including memoir and business titles, often drawing on my own life – from building start-ups and working in technology, to facing cancer and travelling to Boston for life-saving CAR T-cell therapy. Story, for me, isn’t just entertainment. It’s how we make sense of challenge, change, and possibility.

Today, as CEO of New Zealand Story, I lead the team responsible for sharing Aotearoa’s story with the world. That means shaping how we present our country’s identity, values, creativity and innovation on the global stage. It’s nation-branding, yes – but at heart it’s still storytelling: who we are, where we’ve come from, and what we stand for.

Through my tours, talks and writing, I bring that same lens to the places around us. I’m fascinated by the layers beneath the surface – Māori history, early European settlement, hidden military stories, forgotten industries, and the quirky characters who shaped our communities.

If you walk with me – literally or through audio – you won’t just hear dates and facts. You’ll hear stories that connect past to present, and help you see Aotearoa with fresh eyes.

Preview Location

Location 3

Left onto Hawthorne

At the next roundabout turn left again onto Hawthorne drive and keep following the road, all the way to the other end of the runway, and around it.

As you leave the airport, take a moment to appreciate its location: mountains on three sides, Lake Wakatipu glittering ahead. ... Read More

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How VoiceMap Works

Focus on your surroundings, not the screen

The VoiceMap app uses GPS to play audio automatically, at the right time and place, so you can focus on your surroundings, not the screen.

Follow a route with turn-by-turn-directions

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a fixed starting point. That lets us give turn-by-turn directions and use context to tell a better story.

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Major Landmarks

The Remarkables
Lake Hayes Pavilion
AJ Hackett Kawarau Bungy Centre
Gibbston
Gibbston Valley Winery & Restaurant
Peregrine Wines
Goldfields Mining Centre
Roaring Meg
Bannockburn
Cromwell Heritage Precinct
Luggate
National Transport & Toy Museum
Puzzling World
Wānaka
Lake Wānaka
That Wānaka tree

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Sir Henry Wigley Drive, Frankton, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
Total distance

122km
Final location
Lake Wanaka Hike/Bike Track 59 Wanaka Mount Aspiring Road, Wānaka 9305, New Zealand
Distance back to start location

47km

Directions to Starting Point

The tour starts at Queenstown Airport, one of the most picturesque in the world, Terminal Parking A, near the Rent-A-Car building.

Head there, where there is a 20 mins free carpark so we can get started. Make sure your car is charged / refuelled and prepare for an adventure!

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Many places to stop - wineries, bungy jumping, historic gold mining villages, fruit ice-cream stands - lots of choices! The driving tour will take just under 2 hours, but its best to add another 2 hours for stops.

Best time of day

Daylight. In winter months, be careful on the roads in the early morning or evening in case of ice.

Precautions

No issues - the biggest danger is temptation... there are a LOT of wineries on the way.
Drive on the left, and stay within speed limits.

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“This app has become my go-to app for audio tours. I pretty much use it for every trip and it works wonderfully. I highly recommend VoiceMap for travelers to truly experience cities.”

App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”