Crown Range Road (1,076m), Lake Wanaka, Roys Peak & Queenstown's Four Ski Fields

Just one hour's drive north of Queenstown over the tussock-covered spine of the Crown Range lies Queenstown's quieter alpine sister town, Wānaka, while along the ridges between the two towns sit the four premier ski and snowboard fields of the Southern Lakes.

1. Driving the 1,076-Metre Crown Range Road to Cardrona & Lake Wānaka

• New Zealand's Highest Sealed Main Highway (68 km, 1 Hour): Turning off State Highway 6 just past Arrowtown, the Crown Range Road climbs a dramatic series of hairpin switchbacks up the Crown Terrace to the Crown Range Summit Lookout (1,076 metres above sea level), looking straight back down the Arrow River gorge to the Frankton Arm and The Remarkables. Descending into the golden tussock of the Cardrona Valley, pause for a photograph or fireside drink at the timber-fronted 1863 Cardrona Hotel, one of New Zealand's oldest surviving gold-rush inns.
• Lake Wānaka, #ThatWanakaTree & Roys Peak (1,578m, DOC Seasonal Closure Rule): Set on the southern curve of 45-kilometre-long Lake Wānaka against the glaciers of Mount Aspiring National Park, Wānaka is famous for the solitary willow tree growing out of the shallows of Roys Bay (#ThatWanakaTree), boat trips to predator-free Mou Waho Island (an island in a lake that holds its own hilltop lake, Arethusa Pool), and the Roys Peak Track (16 km return, 1,228 metres elevation gain, 5 to 6 hours return). Important DOC planning rule: Because the Roys Peak Track crosses private high-country farmland, it is closed every year from 1 October to 10 November for spring lambing; if visiting during those six weeks, hike equally scenic Isthmus Peak (1,385m) between Lake Wānaka and Lake Hāwea or short Mount Iron (548m) just outside town.

2. Comparing Queenstown & Wānaka's Four Winter Ski Fields (June to October)

• Coronet Peak (16 km / 25 Minutes from Queenstown, 1,649m): Opened in 1947 as New Zealand's first commercial ski field, Coronet Peak features a fully sealed access road, fast express chairlifts over rolling groomed runs, and floodlit Night Ski on Wednesday and Friday evenings.
• The Remarkables (24 km / 40 Minutes from Queenstown, 1,943m): High alpine north-facing bowls (Shadow Basin and Homeward Bound), sheltered learner areas, and three freestyle terrain parks, plus in summer, a sightseers' chairlift and walking trail to glacial Lake Alta (1,800m).
• Cardrona Alpine Resort (1,860m) & Treble Cone (2,088m): Halfway between Queenstown and Wānaka above the Cardrona Valley, Cardrona offers wide intermediate basins and Olympic-grade halfpipes, while Treble Cone (26 km west of Wānaka) boasts the South Island's largest skiable terrain (550 hectares) and longest vertical drop (700m) above Lake Wānaka.