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
1,318 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
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.
Worth the time, for sure.
Bruce S,May 29, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00A wonderful mid-day trip. The boat ride was very pretty and informative, although it was often difficult to hear the narration. Unfortunately, we were unable to ride the TSS Earnslaw because May is the month they do maintenance on the 114 year old ship. Our time at the farm was delightful and the buffet was quite nice. We enjoyed the sheep show demonstration of shearing a sheep as well as the working dog demonstration. Overall, we thought it was a great experience and would certainly recommend it to others.
What a beautiful...
Rose F,May 26, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00What a beautiful experience! The stream boat, the music, the station, the food and the show. All 100% perfect!
Great birthday celebration at Walter Peak High Country Farm
G5404VGlindam,May 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00We had a great day at Walter Peak High Country Farm with the Gourmet BBQ Dining experience aboard the TSS Earnslaw. The whole experience was very well organised, the food was beautiful with plenty of variety, and the farm tour was enjoyable and entertaining. The only downside was that it was quite difficult to find seating on the steamship during the trip.
Lovely Day!
Mama2AnE,May 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Comfortable boat. Friendly crew. Clean windows (so important when visualizing the beautiful sights!). Lunch was *amazing*. Incredible spread (bring your appetite!). Service and amenities great. Farm show was sheep shearing/herding demo. Nicely done. I was sad to not see the highland cows as pictured in the ads for this tour. Overall, a lovely day of beauty and deliciousness!!!
Perfect Sunday cruise and lunch
dac d,May 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What a beautiful experience to cruise through stunning nature on a steam boat with a pianist to add musical background to a dreamy Sunday sail for a delicious lunch, attentive staff in a magical location. Excellent value for money and a truly breathtaking experience which we’ll never forget. Highly recommend to others. Definitely a 5* experience for us.
BBQ Lunch worth it!
Annapa M,May 13, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00My second time with this cruise. BBQ Lunch worth it! Had a pleasant time on the cruise. Enjoyed the Sheep Shearing show.
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