Queenstown's own big mountain: from the gondola through beech forest and golden tussock to a saddle, then a steep, rocky final hour to a summit with Mount Aspiring, Earnslaw, the Remarkables and the whole length of Lake Wakatipu spread below.
Ben Lomond, Te Taumata-o-Hakitekura, rises straight behind Queenstown. Its track is the classic big day out from town: no transport needed, and a summit view that takes in most of the southern lakes.
The track starts at the gondola's top station on Bob's Peak and climbs through mountain beech, then open tussock, to the saddle at 1,326 metres in about two hours. A steep, rocky final hour leads up the ridge to the 1,748-metre summit, with views of Mount Aspiring, Earnslaw, the Remarkables and the length of Lake Wakatipu.
Walking up from town via the Tiki Trail adds 450 metres of climbing but avoids the gondola ticket. Snow and ice cover the summit ridge from May to October, and the saddle makes a worthwhile turnaround in bad weather. Go early, before the paragliders and the afternoon wind.
Out and back on the same track; the descent is quicker but hard on the knees.
Ride up or walk the Tiki Trail through the Douglas fir forest, then follow signs for the Ben Lomond Track past the paraglider launch.
A good track climbs through beech onto open tussock slopes, with Queenstown and the lake falling away behind.
The view opens north over the Moonlight valley. A good turnaround point if the weather is closing in.
A steep, rocky climb on a rough path to the 1,748-metre top, with Aspiring and Earnslaw to the north-west.
Descend the same way. The last gondola runs into the evening, or walk the Tiki Trail into town.
Skyline's gondola leaves from Brecon Street in town. A one-way ticket up is a popular compromise: ride up, walk down.
The steep path under the gondola takes about an hour up from Brecon Street to Bob's Peak.
From May to October the ridge holds snow and ice; go only with crampons and experience, or stop at the saddle.
Queenstown practical notes →Wikimedia Commons photographs are used under their licences; Pexels photographs under the Pexels licence.
