There’s only so many selfies you can upload to Instagram before even your most devoted followers react with a collective “meh”. Trust me, even if Rihanna posted a slight variation of the same selfie over and over again, eventually people would tire of seeing Rihanna’s face. Yes, even Rihanna isn’t above the dreaded selfie fatigue.
Thankfully, we’re here to inspire and motivate. Forget Boomerangs of clinking champagne glasses, discard snaps of coffee mugs carefully placed in the forefront of an open fire, dog photos are always welcome so just momentarily pause the output of those, and say hello to the glorious winter wonderland that is Queenstown, New Zealand.
Whether you’re knee-deep in powder-white snow or snuggled up by the fire admiring the views, you’ll be so emersed in the entire experience you might even forget to touch your phone. Unlikely, it is 2018 after all, but you never know!
For snow-spiration (sorry, it sounded good in my head), check out some prime locations below.
The Remarkables
If you lean a little more to the adventurous side, you can venture your way up to Shadow Basin from The Remarkables, take a quick snap of the breathtaking view over the lake (remember, this is all for the ‘Gram folks), and then ski your way down like the pro you are.
Alternatively, if you’re all about that convenience, The Remarkables is located on the southeastern shore of Lake Wakatipu as part of what’s known as the Wakatipu Basin. So, if you’re a normal skier who wants to smash out the different paths as soon as possible to ensure bulk brewski time, this is the place to do it.
Queenstown Sunset
Make sure you thoroughly document the Queenstown sunset while you’re there. The colours (as seen above) are legit off the charts, and if you’re lucky, it’ll be a clear winter night. What more could you want in an Insta post? Snow, sunset, a cheeky bev sitting off to the side. Perfect. If your post doesn’t make your friends feel bad about their own lives, you have permission to write me angry emails. (Please refrain though, I’m very sensitive.)
Plus, what’s better than winding down with an adult beverage after an intense day of falling on your butt and yelling at your ski instructor for inadvertently making you uncoordinated? Next to nothing.
Afterwards, you can mosey around to check out some other après-ski events on offer.
Lake Wakatipu
Now, look. We’re not saying that the best way to experience Queenstown is to cosey up on a fancy boat smack bang in the middle of Lake Wakatipu, gripping a cup of hot Milo while nestled in the warmest blanket imaginable but…wait…no, that’s definitely a great way to do it.
Definitely do that.
Coronet Peak
Okay seriously, even with the fog, this view is ridonk. Your best bet is to snag yourself a GoPro and record your snowboarding journey down the mountain for the ultimate Instagram impact.
Landing
While you’re sitting on your direct flight to QT in economy class, slowly plotting ways to steal a stranger’s in-flight meal because you’re still famished, take a look out the window to distract yourself. Snow! So. Much. Snow. If you’re an antsy kinda gal or guy and you’re about to gnaw your arm off out of frustration for not already being up on the slopes, stress not m’dear.
The mountains are so close to the airport that you can basically smell the stench of amateur skiers’ failure, and if you’re super desperate, it can take around 35 minutes to be up amongst the flailing ski poles and just minutes to the hundreds of bars and restaurants in town.
You don’t really need to get your bags from baggage claim, I say ditch them and just start sprinting in the direction of snow. Someone will grab your luggage for you.
