Tours and Tickets
TSS Earnslaw & Walter Peak Farm Experience with Afternoon Tea
4.5
LIKELY TO SELL OUT*

TSS Earnslaw & Walter Peak Farm Experience with Afternoon Tea

By RealNZ
About
This Walter Peak farm tour and vintage-ship cruise is ideal for travelers who would like to spend a few hours outside of Queenstown without traveling too far. Combine a variety of magical experiences in one trip: take a cruise across Lake Wakatipu on a classic steamer, stop for tea, and explore a working farmyard, where you can watch a sheep-shearing demonstration.
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from
$79.58
per adult

Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 0-99, max of 100 per group
Duration: 3h 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
English

Highlights
  • A unique experience just outside of Queenstown
  • Maritime history buffs will love the lake cruise on a vintage steamer
  • Take a guided walking tour of the farmyard with our rural host, view a live demonstration of the farming lifestyle and enjoy a delicious morning or afternoon tea.
  • Spend a low-key morning or afternoon outdoors

  • Cruise on the steamship TSS Earnslaw from Queenstown to Walter Peak
  • Farm tour at Walter Peak Homestead
  • Afternoon tea
  • Live commentary on board
What's not included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Food and drinks, unless specified
  • Gratuities

Your scenic cruise by vintage ship begins at the steamer wharf in Queenstown, where you board the TSS Earnslaw—one of the only passenger-carrying steamships in the southern hemisphere—for a cruise across Lake Wakatipu. An onboard pianist plays old tunes during the journey. Check out the ship's original steam engines or the historical displays. Upon arrival at the Walter Peak High Country Farm, enjoy tea and homemade snacks or baked goods. Wander through the lakeside gardens and head to the farmyard for a tour. See resident sheep, cattle, deer, and goats, as well as a sheep-dog demonstration. Get back on the boat for the journey back to Queenstown, and get dropped off at the wharf.

Departure details
  • 88 Beach Street, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand Please arrive 30 minutes before departure and queue directly outside the TSS Earnslaw, you will be checked in by name. (You are not required to check in at the office prior to this time)
Return details
  • Returns to original departure point

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Transportation is wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 2264RJ501

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 100 travelers

  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

What you can expect during your visit
  • Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
  • Guides required to regularly wash hands
  • Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
  • Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
  • Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.

How much is TSS Earnslaw & Walter Peak Farm Experience with Afternoon Tea?
TSS Earnslaw & Walter Peak Farm Experience with Afternoon Tea price starts from $82.01. Discover and book TSS Earnslaw & Walter Peak Farm Experience with Afternoon Tea on Tripadvisor
What is the TSS Earnslaw & Walter Peak Farm Experience with Afternoon Tea cancellation policy?
TSS Earnslaw & Walter Peak Farm Experience with Afternoon Tea cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book TSS Earnslaw & Walter Peak Farm Experience with Afternoon Tea on Tripadvisor
How much time do I need for TSS Earnslaw & Walter Peak Farm Experience with Afternoon Tea?

If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 2264RJ501

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Similar experiences

Itinerary
  • You'll start at
    88 Beach Street
    88 Beach Street, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
    Please arrive 30 minutes before departure and queue directly outside the TSS Earnslaw, you will be checked in by name. (You are not required to check in at the office prior to this time)
    See address & details
  • 1
    Lake Wakatipu
    Stop: 3 hours
    Travel across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak High Country Farm and return.
    Read more
  • You'll return to the starting point
+
About the operator
RealNZ
5,867
Queenstown, New Zealand
  • Trip29084258354
    Trip29084258354
    0
    0
    Best meat! Relaxing boat ride!
    The steamboat was a cool trip, I enjoyed the piano and mulled wine, and the buffet lunch was amazing! Can't beat that food!
  • davidfZ7310UN
    davidfZ7310UN
    0
    0
    worth a go
    A good trip at a busy time on a sunny day. Good to look around the ship/boat and see the engine room in action, along with the history of the boat in notes and pictures - very interesting. Disappointed there were no refunds when one of our party was not well enough to take the trip. A tad expensive, particularly considering the previous sentence.
  • atahua28
    atahua28
    0
    0
    Beautiful Day Out
    Absolutely beautiful experience, the Kai was amazing! Just an overall great experience! I would love to bring my family here one day!
  • kiwileighj
    kiwileighj
    0
    0
    Treat yourself
    From start to finish this trip was exceptional. Beautiful boat with a glass of the delicious Mulled Wine. Stunning views all throughout the day. Walter Peak Farm is an absolute beauty, the BBQ lunch was spectacular, best beef I have ever tasted. Farm show was just the icing on the cake.
  • FayaTashakori
    FayaTashakori
    0
    0
    It was amazing experience. The food was amazing and the hospitality.
    The lunch and the farm show. Before the ship land the staff were waving and it was beautiful.. Highly recommended.
  • Jessica K
    Jessica K
    0
    0
    Must do
    This was an amazing experience. From the boat to the farm to the amazing food the whole trip was perfect. The food was fabulous, they were so organised and professional. Dog show was great for adults and kids. The boat was an experience in it self. Would do this again.
  • AnnaGB-Australia
    AnnaGB-Australia
    0
    0
    Fabulous lunch & historic boat cruise
    This tour was recommended by one of our neighbours, I'm so glad he told us about Walter Peak Farm. We loved the cruise over lake Wakatipu on the historic TSS Earnslaw, it's a beautiful steamer with loads of character and charm. It was great to be able to watch them shoveling coal into the engines and also a great spot to warm up on a very cold day. The Walter Peak property is gorgeous, well maintained gardens and buildings and like everywhere on the lake the views were stunning. As a couple we were lucky enough to get a spot by the window to enjoy the views throughout our lunch. Service was friendly and attentive, we ordered a drink while we waited for our turn to get food. Glad they do it like that, it would be a mad house if they let people go all at once, it ran really smoothly. It is buffet, but it was by far the best buffet we've ever had, perhaps the best meal we had during our time in New Zealand. Buffets are usually mass produced and average quality but this was delicious fresh local produce cooked to perfection. Loads of choice, meats, vegetables, salads, breads, cheeses and sweets. It was honestly so so good! Following lunch we could wander the property, watch a shearing and farm dog demonstration or check out the gift shop before heading back to Queenstown. A thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.
  • Philip S
    Philip S
    0
    0
    Cruise Lake Whakatipu in historic comfort
    It's just wonderful being out on Lake Whakatipu, but extra special to do it in the over 100 year old steamship. Lounge in comfort with a drink from the bar. Wander the deck for alpine views. Or gaze upon the precision engineering of the coal fired steam engine.
  • 808giggles
    808giggles
    0
    0
    cool ride on a historic ship
    The ride aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak High Country Farm was nice, especially during sunset. It was cool to see how the steam engine worked. One can purchase drinks and snacks during the ride or wait for a gourmet barbecue dinner at the Farm. The barbecue dinner has so many options: seafood, organic chicken, pork and beef. There were so many desserts to choose from.
  • 813kellyannep
    813kellyannep
    0
    0
    A great allround experience.
    This is a beautiful old ship and the experience is priceless for kids. The food at Walter Peak is gorgeous and the process of getting through lunch well thought out. Staff are well equipped to deal with a large number of diners and every event is well timed. There are alot of people and lining up is never pleasant but they made the process very smooth and functional.
  • sarahdK4445MV
    sarahdK4445MV
    0
    0
    Memorable Day! Highly recommended. Loved it!
    We really enjoyed the cruise on Lake Whakatipu on the TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Station for a memorable Gourmet BBQ lunch. Then a sheep Sharing,Dog trial of rounding up the sheep. Absolutely loved it! Lovely way to spend the day. Would definitely recommend to anyone visiting Queenstown. Hope to do again in future with friends from UK to share this beautiful experience again
  • Blincs1
    Blincs1
    0
    0
    Off the grid and loved it!
    We did a two night cruise on Doubtful Sound which was amazing. While there was no rain, which is what everyone wants on this cruise as you get amazing waterfalls, we did have beautiful fog and mist which made the cruise quite magical. The food, staff, services were first class, and our cabin was just as fabulous as a hotel room. Beautiful crisp linen; fabulous shower and perfectly comfortable. I can't recommend this cruise highly enough, and everyone on baord just loved their time on the water. The photographic opportunities were fantastic. We sailed out to meet the Tasman Ocean, which was exhilerating but a little nerve-racking as the Ocean was quite rough. This is an experience not to be missed.
  • Rjbrownmalta
    Rjbrownmalta
    0
    0
    No Earnslaw
    It was disappointing that the Earnslaw was undergoing a service and was unavailable, so a substitute boat was arranged, which whilst perfectly adequate, did not have the same charm and history to it. Once we reached Walter Peak, we enjoyed the sheep sheering and sheep dogs , especially the latter, but the highlight of the day was lunch which had a huge variety of quality food, innovative salads and a good dessert mix including NZ confectionary favourites. Service was attentive. All in all a great day, but arguably there should have been a small discount to compensate for the lack of the Earnslaw Experience
  • n8th8n
    n8th8n
    0
    0
    Production-line tourism at its finest
    Overall, it was OK, however you should realise that you will feel like one of the cattle-station sheep by the end. Jam-packed boat with a piano playing music you can't hear, but a nice old boat that's been maintained well. Then you're herded into the restaurant, and assigned a table number and sequentially given permission to approach the buffet. Most food is served cold - cold meats and deli type dishes, tasteless cold seafood. The roast lamb, chicken and pork are all very safe recipes, but reasonable quality. Dessert was the highlight. The sheep show following dinner was nice - the cattle dogs are incredible. Then you're herded back into the boat where the next bolus of tourists are disembarking. These tours run constantly one after the other - production line tourism at its finest. I don't think the price reflects the 'economies of scale' experience - they must have very significant profit margins.
  • Kylie M
    Kylie M
    0
    0
    Sad we didn’t get to experience it!
    Unfortunately we had a medical emergency that pulled us from this - the team at Walter Peak we’re helpful during the medical emergency and ensured we would be refunded. However, it’s been two months and we still haven’t been refunded and missed the entire activity.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

4.5
116 reviews
Excellent
89
Very good
14
Average
6
Poor
2
Terrible
5

Molly M
Sacramento, CA3 contributions
Jan 2020 • Solo
Beautiful trip on the Earnslaw; lots of people but didn’t feel too crowded, easy to move around. Sheep-shearing and sheepdog demonstrations were excellent but should include an announcement for people to be quiet during, could barely hear the employee. Feeding the animals was really fun and “teatime” was delicious. Gift shop is great, broad selection of sale items. Biggest thing was that there was no wool-spinning explanation or demonstration, as was promised in the description. Asked specifically about it in the gift shop and the salesperson basically shrugged. Waiting on a partial refund due to that.
Written January 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

melanie s
Nelson, New Zealand108 contributions
Brilliant trip, recommended by a family member and we booked the 2pm sailing from Queenstown. Oh my, what a total treat. Everything was perfect, from the Earnslaw itself (polished brass, very polite staff, the chance to watch the boiler being stoked plus good coffee and snacks) to the farm experience. The weather could have been better but we didn't care it was absolutely perfect for us all.
The opportunity to meet and feed the farm animals, learn about their personalities, watch the dogs at work, chat with the guide then yummy high tea ! Sadly not enough time to browse in the shop there, full of tempting goodies... But maybe my husband thought that was a good thing!
Do go.
Written September 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kiwigal2015
Mount Maunganui, New Zealand106 contributions
Great experience overall. Great trip across the lake, interesting and informative visit to the animals, followed by a beautiful afternoon tea. This was followed by a demonstration on sheep dogs rounding up sheep. This excursion gets the thumbs up from us all!
The only bad point was I walked into stinging nettle that was going across a designated walking path - it stung quite a bit and when I mentioned it I felt it was dismissed. Other than that small factor a great day out!
Written July 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Abby28
Forresters Beach, Australia9 contributions
Nov 2022
Had the afternoon on the Earnslaw over to Walter Peak farm with the farm tour/afternoon tea. The experience on the Earnslaw is spectacular, from the piano player, to the viewing area of the workers fueling the ship, everything about this experience was so special and a must do! We jumped off at Walter Peak and had a tour of the farm with Tim who was incredibly informative about all of the animals and the workings of the farm. The animals were so cute!!! We had afternoon tea and were given a seperate plate as vegans (I can't remember the ladies name but she was so kind and considerate of us, making sure we were looked after and offered us plant based milk for coffee/tea. Thank you so much for caring for us!) Following this we watched the dogs round up some sheep while Tim commentated. The whole experience was so much fun. Thank you so much to all the staff who are a part in this trip for making it such a fun and memorable experience.
Written November 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TravelLoverNZx
Auckland Central, New Zealand262 contributions
The Earnslaw boat trip to Walter Peak Station was great with the amazing views and history. Able to see the engine room in action is an added bonus. The buffet lunch at the Honestead is delicious with a huge variety of food. The farm tour with show is interesting to watch even coming from a farming background!
Written July 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

senorita08
Perth, Australia156 contributions
There aren’t too many family friendly things to do in Queenstown, so we booked the cruise & farm tour to do as a family with a young child. And it was even better than expected, with beautiful scenery across Lake Wakitipu, a friendly and informative farm tour, including feeding the friendly animals. And a huge and delicious afternoon tea with cakes, scones, sandwiches and more!
Written September 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jade c
Vancouver, Canada6 contributions
Oct 2022
Probably great for people with children. Journey on the boat had someone playing piano and seemingly anyone in the crowd singing.. including children.. once on the "farm": difficult to determine how it's a "working farm", we did not see any sheep shearing or herding dogs in action or anything of interest whatsoever, if you've ever seen cows, goats and sheep and basic farm animals in your life, this probably isn't the experience for you. "Afternoon Tea" consisted of black tea, coffee, water, and some sweet scones. Really should be marketed as a petting zoo experience for kids. Nothing wrong with it, just ... take your kids.
Written October 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jules
Auckland, New Zealand230 contributions
I love this trip! This was my third time and I would go again. The TSS Earnslaw is a beautiful vintage steamboat with an excellent cafe and bar. Visit the engine room and see them shoveling the coal. Walter Peak farm is in an idyllic situation, a magical place where time seems to stand still. The animal feeding is great fun (especially Dougal) and the sheepdog demonstration is very impressive. The dogs can be patted and stroked, and love the attention. The afternoon tea was very upmarket with beautiful little cakes, savoury and sweet scones and mini sandwiches. You can eat as much as you like! The staff at the farm are outstanding. Our guide Peter was so knowledgeable and interesting and clearly loves his job and his super intelligent dogs.
Written August 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

anonym
5 contributions
Dec 2022
Very wholesome experience that I'd highly recommend to anyone. You can get insights into how the steamship ship works while it is heading to the farm, enjoy the fantastic view or listen to Bob's beautiful piano play (his appreciation after I told him that it was really nice made my day). Tim gave as a tour of the farm and we could meet + feed all the animals. If you're not as quick on your feet, make sure to tell Tim in advance. The afternoon tea was absolutely lovely with a buffet of cupcakes, cake, tartes and scones alongside cream, jam, coffee, tea, sweat tea etc. There was even a gluten free cake option! Everything was delicious and we enjoyed a little demonstration by Tim before we had some extra time to pet the animals and were headed back to Queenstown.
Written December 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RonnChris K
1 contribution
Dec 2021
From boarding to the cruise to the farm was delightful BUT when we arrived for the luncheon we were the only table that had a table cloth, large lily flowers and a note stating "Happy Anniversary", Wow wasn't that special.
The food, service and atmosphere was exceptional and will remember the occasion for a very long while.
Absolutely delightful and worth every cent.
Thanks to the Staff on the TSS Earnslaw & Walter Peak Station, you made our first visit to Queenstown so memorable.
Written December 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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TSS Earnslaw & Walter Peak Farm Experience with Afternoon Tea provided by RealNZ

Product Overview: TSS Earnslaw & Walter Peak Farm Experience with Afternoon Tea

Prices From

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Number of Reviews

116

Number of Photos

206

Duration

210 minutes