Walter Peak Gourmet BBQ Lunch & Queenstown Lake Cruise
Overview
Available languages
3 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
A return scenic cruise from Queenstown Bay, across stunning Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak High Country Farm on a vessel of your choice, a farm demonstration and a delicious BBQ Lunch at the Colonel’s Homestead.
The rural demonstrator will give guests an insight into life in the New Zealand high country by providing an entertaining farm show including working sheep dogs.
Enjoy a unique dining experience at Walter Peak where the menu showcases food and wine from the wider Central Otago region. Chefs prepare a tasty selection of meats on the outdoor grill, while fresh, seasonal salads and vegetables are available from the dining area of the Colonel’s Homestead. Top off lunch with a selection of delicious sweet treats and local cheeses.
Choose between sailing on the iconic 1912 TSS Earnslaw Steamship or the spacious and modern Spirit of Queenstown Catamaran.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Note: Menu items are subject to change based on chef's discretion and seasonal availability.
Note: Please let RealNZ know in advance if you have dietary requirements via messaging through Viator
Note: The TSS Earnslaw is cash free and we reserve the right to refuse cash as a means of payment when purchasing products or services.
Note: When the TSS Earnslaw is on survey, the modern catamaran will be substituted
Note: The TSS Earnslaw will undergo annual maintenance between May 18th - June 27th 2026. The Spirit of Queenstown vessel will be available during this time
What To Expect
Lake Wakatipu
Return Cruise on Lake Wakatipu on the either the Vintage Steamship, the TSS Earnslaw or the Modern Catamaran, Spirit of Queenstown. Your vessel of choice will travel from Queenstown to Walter Peak. Stop at Walter Peak for lunch and a sheep shearing demonstration, before returning across the lake to Queenstown.
Enjoy a quintessential Kiwi experience – a delicious gourmet BBQ lunch and a farm demo in a stunning lakeside setting. Your lunch starts with a cruise across Lake Whakatipu to Walter Peak High Country Farm. Once there, you can sit back on the lakeside terrace of the Colonel’s Homestead Restaurant and savor the delicious aromas as our chef has the best of local produce, sizzling away on the grill. Our lunch menu has been refreshed with the introduction of our new executive chef, so you'll have a plenty to choose from our seasonal menu - salads, vegetables, succulent meat cooked on the outdoor rotisserie or grill. If you’re vegetarian, don’t worry, you are well catered for too. Then finish your meal with a scrumptious dessert. After your lunch, you can join an entertaining farm demonstration or explore the beautiful lakeside gardens. Return cruise back to your original starting point in Queenstown, convenient to continue exploring.
Options
BBQ Dining & Cruise TSS/Spirit
Cruise across to Walter Peak on the historic and iconic TSS Earnslaw Steamship and return on the Modern Spirit of Queenstown
BBQ Dining & Modern Cruise
BBQ Dining & Modern Cruise : Cruise both ways on the spacious and modern Spirit of Queenstown Catamaran. Epic viewing platforms to take the best photos
BBQ Dining & TSS Cruise
Cruise both ways on the iconic TSS Earnslaw, a coal-fired steamship that’s been a part of the region’s history since 1912
What‘s Included
Cruise across lake Whakatipu and back to Queenstown
GST (Goods and Services Tax)
Live English commentary on board as well as interpretation handouts in English, German, Portuguese, Japanese, Thai, Korean and Chinese
Gourmet BBQ Lunch
Farm Show
Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
1,327 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
RealNZ Amateurs
AshCoker,Jul 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00Average at best No assigned seating on the boat so we were left to stand with our 2 year old in a pram and we arrived 20 minutes early The buffet food was okay however it cost $100 Better ways to spend $219NZD of you ask me The operators were quite rude and were on holidays visa so had next to no experience. Unless your rich safe yourself the disappointment
Great experience!...
Leann L,Jun 28, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Great experience! Efficient and friendly staff, food was good. Only suggestion for travellers, don’t sit at the top deck near the steam room due to the smoke. Wait until the boat leaves the pier. 😉
Fabulous boat trip and dinner.
Corinna G,Jun 21, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Well worth the time and money spent. Great commentary on the boat over to Walter's Peak estate and amazing dinner. They treated me well as a solo traveler. They also, I guess from my birthdate, that it was my birthday and they had set up the table with a special surprise birthday message and they also came out at the dinner service singing happy birthday and cake. The trip over and back in the boat was smooth and comfortable.
Excellent
776agb,Jun 16, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Excellent. Well looked after. Awesome food.and very good farm show.
Perfect Views & Food!
Jeanette T,Jun 14, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00We thoroughly enjoyed the lake cruise, BBQ lunch, and farm show. The meeting point was easy to find, making the start of the day stress-free. The cruise itself was lovely, and we enjoyed learning about the history of the area along the way. The BBQ lunch was fantastic, with a huge selection of food to suit everyone. Watching the meat being cooked fresh right in front of us was a highlight, and everything was absolutely delicious. The farm show was both informative and entertaining. It was great to see firsthand how much work goes into farming and how skilled the sheepdogs are. There are also plenty of cute photo opportunities around the property, as well as a gift shop if you’d like to pick up some Kiwi souvenirs. The staff were friendly, welcoming, and helpful throughout the entire experience. Overall, a 10/10 experience from us!
Bear full
Carmen C,Jun 7, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00I took this cruise for the reason of seeing Queenstown on the water and interested in the barbecue. This was a beautiful place to go to and after the barbecue, they had a beautiful show on how they heard the sheep and how they clipped the sheep, and the guy that did the presentation was very helpful and knowledgeable about how things run on the farm, most of all. The food was excellent.I can't describe more than excellent with maybe a superb. Ten stars instead of five
I’d go everyday for the food.
Michelle W,Jun 5, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Would highly recommend this trip. Will definitely do it again. Food awesome, staff quick/diligent, farm show brilliant. Just needed more time on land to browse the shop longer.
Walter Peak
Sahra R,Jun 5, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00An absolutely lovely afternoon, the lunch exceeded my expectation and the farm show was entertaining and quite funny.
Awesome the day went...
Julie L,Jun 5, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Awesome the day went really well fast The scenery amazing the food superb . The sheep and the sheep dog was a delight .
Walter Peak Reviews
Maberick I,Jun 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00The cruise and bbq gourmet lunch was nice. It was rainy though and the sheep shearing was did not happened.
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