.png)
RTW Trip Day #77: Jessica’s Birthday Fun at the Skyline Luge in Queenstown
- andrewsco3
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
14 December 2025
Steps: 13,765
Today was Jessica’s 11th birthday, and her uncle Michael had arranged a special surprise for her as a present. All he mentioned was that it involved taking the gondola to the top of the mountain - but nothing else!
Cue the jokes about him getting her a bungee jump for her birthday…
The Skyline Luge, Queenstown
The views over the lake were incredible, although it soon became obvious what the surprise was as we passed over the tracks where people were racing down the hill in the luge karts.
We’ve had a go on the skyline luge in Calgary before, as it's actually the same company, but the view certainly isn’t anything like this. There’s an amazing viewpoint at the top of the gondola, where you are treated to sweeping views over the lake.
From the top of the gondola you catch a short chair lift to where the luge starts.
Jess got straight into it, flying down the track, while it took Evelyn one run to get the hang of things.
By the third run, they were both flying down the track, leaving the adults in their wake! We all agreed that the skyline luge is one of the best things to do in Queenstown, especially for kids!
After the luge, we drove to Glenorchy at the end of Lake Wakatipu, which is a cute little town with some nice cafes and a pier. It’s definitely a lot quieter than Queenstown.
It was a little too cold for us to try swimming today (although there were a few kids that were jumping off the pier), but the girls had plenty of fun playing on the grass as the sun was out!
We also stopped at Bennett’s Bluff viewpoint and Bob’s Cove, as Jess was feeling a little car sick, which isn’t a great sign given how much driving we still have ahead of us.
For dinner, Jess got to choose since it was her birthday, and of course she picked Indian food. It was great and we all enjoyed it.
Afterward, we walked along the lakefront and spent almost an hour skimming rocks and letting the girls play on the playground. It was lovely.
Previous Day #76: Arriving in Queenstown, New Zealand