Our Ultimate Queenstown Adventure: Arrowtown Bike Trail & Off-road ATV Buggy Ride

This was Day 4 of our South Island Trip, and we were gearing up for a huge adventure in Queenstown: a 24 km e-bike ride from historic Arrowtown along the Arrow River Bridges and Gibbston River trails. The weather was perfectly balmy as we made the scenic 30-minute drive from Queenstown mid-morning. We had already booked our e-bikes online with Better by Bike.

The Adventures Begin…

We started on the Arrow River Bridges trail (13.5 kms one way) with a nervous me trying to get a grip on my new ride. However, soon we whizzed past jumping suspension bridges, roaring rivers , lush greenery and scenic fields with gay abandon. Felt like we were transported back to our childhood. With hardly any people on the trail, it felt like a private route all to ourselves.

Our beautiful bike trail

At the Arrowtown river bridges trail…

I never knew biking would be so much fun and an e-bike so effortless. The adrenaline surged in me and I was all geared up. Soon, we reached the Kawarau canyon suspension bridge, the legendary birthplace of commercial bungy jumping. It all started here in the year 1988 aptly transforming Queenstown into the Adventure Capital of the World!

We almost Bungy Jumped…

The Kawarau Bridge Bungy with a 43-m vertical jump is the popular and the more daring act here. It requires some guts to take the leap but we finally agreed to do the Kawarau swing instead thinking it would be a milder option. I am still not completely sure if it was really the lesser of the two ;)

We were securely strapped on a swing on a suspended platform high above the turquoise Kawarau river. Suddenly the ground beneath us vanished and we experienced a 70-m heart-stopping free fall hurtling us towards the river below before snapping into a 300-m arc, swinging us back and forth through the canyon.

I screamed my lungs out with my eyes shut and when I opened my eyes, the magnificence of the entire canyon completely awed me - the feeling is truly inexplicable. As part of our package, we received digital photos and videos of our swing, which captured our terrified and excited faces beautifully. Check them out below!

Tip: You can book your own bungy or swing experience directly through AJ Hackett here).

Gibbston Wine Trail

After a quick coffee at the cafe near the Kawarau bridge, we proceeded with the next leg of our biking trail - The Gibbston Wine Trail (8.7 km one way route). By now, handling the e-bikes was an absolute breeze.

The scenery turned even more picturesque with the Kawarau River rushing right beside us. The paths were lined with beautiful wild flowers all along the way, and the weather stayed absolutely perfect for a ride.

The Kawarau suspension bridge on the Gibbston Wine Trail

Another beautiful spot on the Gibbston Wine Trail

The trail wound gracefully through stunning vineyards and local wineries, leading us all the way to the famous Gibbston Valley Winery and Restaurant.

As you might have figured out, we treated ourselves to a sumptuous, well-deserved meal at the restaurant after burning all those calories!

The delicious salad and risotto at the Gibbston Winery Restaurant

The beautiful Gibbston winery restaurant ambience

If Day 4 of our South Island trip was all about the bungy swing, then Day 5 was destined for pure horsepower. Just five minutes from the center of Queenstown, we were transported into a rugged, hilly world of lush green terrain, designed by nature to deliver an action-packed off-road adventure.

Our tour guide picked us up right from behind the pier in Central Queenstown and brought us to their practice area at the base of the hill. After slipping into our heavy duty helmets and water-proof body suits, we were taken straight to the test tracks to help us acquaint with the machine.

Our 4WD vehicle and the surreal surroundings…

Off-roading at great speeds…

The thrill of the off-roading trip culminated in a splendid view like this…

The real fun began immediately after. We launched our vehicle onto the trails, following our guide up the steep, rough terrain. We blazed through rugged dirt roads, plunged into deep mud pits, and splashed across creek crossings, practically flying our vehicle into the air at every hurdle at those high speeds!

The absolute best part? We were the only ones booked for that slot, turning our adventure into an exclusive, private guided tour just for the two of us.

The ultimate showstopper of the tour was the otherworldly views we got to enjoy at the summit of the trail. We switched off the engines and stepped out to a breathtaking, panoramic 360-degree view of the Coronet Peak, Arthur's Point and the deep turquoise ribbon of the Shotover River canyon winding far below.

Without us even having to ask, our awesome guide proactively offered to capture some epic photos of us together against that massive alpine backdrop. Cameras full of memories, and hearts full of joy, we turned back to enjoy the thrilling ride one last time down the mountain.

Tip: You can book your off-road adventure at Queenstown by clicking here.

Our Queenstown journey technically ends here with these epic adventures, but the South Island still beckoned us with so many more beautiful landscapes yet to be discovered. Our road trip continues next week, so don't miss what's coming next!

(You can find our South Island trip itinerary here)