The TSS Earnslaw is Queenstown’s floating landmark. Launched in the early twentieth century and still steaming across Lake Wakatipu, or Whakatipu, she is the oldest commercial passenger-carrying steamship in the Southern Hemisphere, and her plume of steam is part of the view from every waterfront café. On board you can watch the stokers and the gleaming steam engines below deck, browse a small museum, and grab a coffee from the café while the mountains slide by. The plain lake cruise is a 1.5-hour return trip, but most visitors sail on to Walter Peak High Country Farm, a 45-minute crossing each way, and choose an experience there: a farm tour with a sheepdog demonstration and afternoon tea, a gourmet barbecue buffet with a farm dog show, a garden-to-table tour with a lakeside high tea, or a small-group horse trek. RealNZ also runs the modern Spirit of Queenstown catamaran on a separate lake cruise. This page links to the official RealNZ page for the Earnslaw and Walter Peak.
How to visit: the Earnslaw sails from Steamer Wharf in the centre of Queenstown, a short walk from everywhere in town. Book through RealNZ, choosing the plain cruise or one of the Walter Peak packages; Walter Peak experiences take about three hours and 45 minutes return, and the dinner sailings are especially popular in summer. The ship runs every day of the year except during her annual maintenance survey, when the Earnslaw and the Walter Peak experiences do not operate, so check dates if you are travelling in the colder months.
What to expect: a relaxed crossing with time to explore the ship, plenty of deck space and the chance to watch the engine room crew at work. At Walter Peak the homestead gardens sit right on the shore, with the farm rising behind them, and the barbecue is a generous spread of local produce.
Making the most of it: book the farm tour if you are travelling with children, the barbecue if you want a long, relaxed lunch or dinner, and sit outside on the way back for the best views of the town and The Remarkables. It is a perfect gentle day after the long Milford Sound trip, and a good choice on a day when the weather rules out the higher activities.
What to expect
The experience
A heritage steamship cruise across Lake Wakatipu, either as a 1.5-hour return trip or on to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a tour or a meal.
Best time
A fine afternoon or a summer evening dinner sailing, sitting outside on the return leg.
How long
About 1.5 hours for the cruise alone, or three hours and 45 minutes with a Walter Peak experience.
Tips
Book a Walter Peak package rather than the plain cruise, visit the engine room, and check the survey dates if you travel in the colder months.
Quick picks
- Best for
- A gentle, scenic half day on the lake that suits every age.
- Families
- The farm tour with its sheepdog demonstration and farm animals is a favourite with children.
- Couples
- Take the evening barbecue sailing and ride back across the lake as the light fades.
- Pair with
- A day after Milford Sound, or a stroll through the Queenstown Gardens from Steamer Wharf.
- Time needed
- Two to four hours.
Good questions
How long is the TSS Earnslaw cruise?+
The plain lake cruise is a 1.5-hour return trip from Queenstown. Walter Peak experiences take about three hours and 45 minutes return.
What can you do at Walter Peak?+
Choose a farm tour with a sheepdog demonstration, a gourmet barbecue, a garden-to-table high tea or a horse trek. All are combined with the cruise across the lake.
How old is the TSS Earnslaw?+
She has sailed Lake Wakatipu for more than a century and is the oldest commercial passenger-carrying steamship in the Southern Hemisphere. You can watch her steam engines at work below deck.
Does the TSS Earnslaw run all year?+
It runs every day except during its annual maintenance survey. During the survey, the Earnslaw and the Walter Peak experiences do not operate.
Where does the TSS Earnslaw depart from?+
It sails from Steamer Wharf in central Queenstown. The wharf is a short walk from most town-centre hotels.