Sitting on top of Queenstown, this is a 800 metre race downhill in a go-kart through twists, turns, tunnels and bumps. Although this activity is friendly for all ages, do not underestimate the potential speed of these go-karts, which can give you an exhilarating experience. In any event, given how convenient this activity is from Queenstown and the splendid views of Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu from Bob’s Peak – don’t miss out.
Verdict: Easy to access, fun to play for all ages. While this isn’t really a standalone attraction for visiting New Zealand, it’s definitely something to do during your stay at Queenstown
Okay, so this activity’s got a funky name – they call it the luge. To be honest, it’s just actually a mix of tobogganing and good last mixed into one and perched on a hill overseeing Queenstown. It’s basically just a race downhill in your little kart which is fuelled by gravity.
In terms of logistics, it’s relatively easy to get to the luge from Queenstown. The luge is located at the top of the gondola station, and upon reaching the top station, I was directed to another ski-lift to get there. One little tip is that there are different gondola packages – coming with 2 rides, 3 rides or 5 rides. I’d suggest going for the package with 3 or more rides, given that each ride lasts a little more than two minutes and your first ride will inevitably be a warm up ride.
When I went, the queues appeared to be reasonable in late afternoon. Although the computer screens indicated a 20-30 minutes wait, it ended up being only a one to five minute queue per luge ride for me.
After fitting my helmet, I was ready to roll. On my first ride, I was lectured by the staff on how to operate the kart, which wasn’t difficult. It’s just pulling back the lever to accelerate and pulling back the lever all the way to stop. I was then told to start my first ride on the blue aka the “scenic” route first. There were also a couple of rules such as no racing with other karts or crashing into other karts.
Being the rebel I am, I quickly disregarded these rules. I immediately set off and tailed behind the person starting in front of me (aka my sister) – determined to overtake her. It took me a turn or two to familiarise myself with the steering, acceleration and breaks. But once I did, I managed to go near full speed to overtake her in one of the bends. Surprisingly, these karts can go surprisingly fast. Each ride only takes around two minutes. Also, if you make sharp turns at speed without breaking, you can actually feel that your kart will drift or skid. Obviously, exercise a little caution, as you can be sent hurtling down hill.
On my second ride, I was now able to take the red route (i.e. the “advanced” route). The red route is slightly more challenging with more turns, a tunnel and longer downhill sections. One downhill stretch was particularly fun, as you’ll hit a small speed bump which will give you a bit of a flying sensation if you hit it at full speed. My only complaint about the red route is that it’s not much longer – and only takes around 2 minutes.
Seeing that no one really cared about us racing, I again tailed my sister as soon as she set out. This time, though, she was prepared for a fight and wasn’t going to let me overtake her. After battling her for a while, I eventually resorted to the dark arts of gently “bumping” into her kart at the side to overtake her.
One common question I get is what we can or cannot being with us on the kart. You can bring your Go Pro and fix it on your helmet. You can also bring small backpacks with you on the ride. If you have bulkier items, you can leave them in coin lockers at the side but make sure you have some spare change for this. Personally, unless you have bulky luggage with you, I’d say screw the lockers.
Additional information
| When to do it? | Best to do it in summer and when it’s not raining. |
| How to book? | Purchase tickets at the Gondola or online in advance. |
| How much does it cost? | Gondola plus 2 rides – NZD49Gondola plus 3 rides – NZD52Gondola plus 5 rides – NZD56 |
| How to get there? | Short walk to the Gondola from Queenstown. |
| How long does it take? | Each luge ride takes around 2 minutes. |
| Is it difficult/safe? | Ride is quite safe, so long as you control yourself and don’t go crazily fast in sharp turns. |
| What to wear? | Dress comfortably. |
| Language | Staff speaks English. |