I’d been in Queenstown for two days before I finally stood on Steamer Wharf and looked up at the TSS Earnslaw. Hard to miss – white hull, red and black funnel, ropes as thick as your wrist. It launched in 1912 and has been running on Lake Wakatipu ever since. Over 110 years on the same body of water. Standing there in December, smoke curling from the funnel and crew moving around on deck, I kept thinking: this thing still runs on coal.
We had the lunchtime cruise with the Walter Peak Gourmet BBQ Dining add-on. The whole trip takes around three and a half hours. Here is what I found.
What is the TSS Earnslaw?
The TSS Earnslaw is the oldest commercial passenger-carrying steamship in the Southern Hemisphere. TSS stands for Twin Screw Steamer. It was built in Dunedin by the New Zealand Railways, then dismantled, railed to Kingston at the lower end of Lake Wakatipu, reassembled, and launched on 24 February 1912. Maiden voyage: 18 October 1912.
The ship is about 168 feet (51.2 m) long, 24 feet beam, around 7 feet draught. The twin triple-expansion, jet-condensing steam engines produce around 500 horsepower combined. Coal still powers the boilers, loaded by hand, and visitors can watch the stokers at work during the crossing.
RealNZ operates it today.
The cruise: Queenstown to Walter Peak
The crossing to Walter Peak is about 45 minutes each way. That sounds short. When you are on the water with ridgelines dropping into the lake from both sides, it isn’t.
We boarded at Steamer Wharf on Beach Street – central Queenstown, five minutes’ walk from most accommodation. They check the ticket at the gangway and then you are free to go wherever on the ship.
The upper deck is open. In December it was fine with a light jacket – cool when the ship was moving, comfortable once we were further out. I spent most of the outward journey up there. The views open up as you pull away from town. The mountains close in from both sides, ridgelines going straight into the water. A few peaks had cloud sitting on them. The lake was that blue-grey you get in glacial water, darker when the cloud thickened overhead.
The engine room is open during the crossing and worth going below to see. The information board outside it has all the specs – including one tonne of coal per hour at full speed. It’s oddly impressive.
There is also a small onboard museum with historical photos. Worth a look if you want the full backstory.
Walter Peak High Country Farm
Walter Peak is a working farm on the western side of Lake Wakatipu, at the base of the mountain range of the same name. The boat docks at a private jetty and it is a short walk from there to the Colonel’s Homestead Restaurant.
You can already see the farm from the water before you arrive – heritage buildings sitting at the foot of the mountain, land rising steeply behind. Staff were on the jetty when we docked, directing people toward the farm show or the restaurant depending on what each group had booked.
With the BBQ dining package, you go straight to the Colonel’s Homestead. It is a proper dining room with a garden area outside. The BBQ is a New Zealand wood-fired spread – lamb, beef, salads, breads, desserts – served buffet-style so you go back as often as you want. The lamb was properly cooked and the selection was wider than it looked at first. I went up three times.
Drinks are not in the package – you buy them separately at the bar inside the Homestead. The room fills up and there is no pretending it isn’t a tourist operation – but the food holds up regardless.
Guests who have not booked the BBQ can walk parts of the farm. A sheep shearing and working dog show runs separately and is included in some packages.
Photography tips
The engine room is dim. I had the Nikon D850 with the Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 in aperture priority mode. The red engine covers against the dark machinery are a good subject but the engine room is dim enough that you need to watch what the camera is doing, and the shots still need some work in post.
On the upper deck, the stern gives you the best mountain views looking back toward Queenstown. For the funnel with steam, stand facing forward and shoot toward the bow when there is a good cloud going up. Both shots work in overcast light – possibly better than bright sun, since you are not fighting shadows on the mountains.
The most dramatic lake views come mid-crossing, when you are equidistant from both shores and the ridgelines sit on either side. The cloud on the peaks that day added depth to every frame. A clear blue sky behind those mountains would have been fine, probably less interesting.
At Walter Peak, the best position for shooting the ship is the small beach to the left of the jetty as the Earnslaw arrives or departs. That is where you get the full length of the ship with the mountain backdrop. I walked down there while everyone else headed toward the restaurant and waited for the ship to come in to dock. The shot takes patience.
The farm faces east, so the lunchtime sailing has better light on the homestead and surrounding hills than the evening. By mid-afternoon the mountains behind the farm are already in shadow. If photography is the main reason you are going, the lunchtime sailing is the better choice.
How to book
RealNZ runs all TSS Earnslaw cruises directly. You can also book through Klook, which sometimes has better pricing.
Australian NRMA and RACQ members can access discounted rates – book through your RACQ or NRMA membership directly to get the discount.
RealNZ runs the BBQ dining on both the lunchtime and evening sailings. The cruise-only option is shorter and cheaper – it includes the farm tour and working dog show but not the BBQ meal.
Book well ahead if you are going in summer. December is peak season and the BBQ sails sell out weeks in advance.
Best time to visit
December and January are peak summer in New Zealand – long days, warm, and the most reliable weather on Lake Wakatipu. We were there in December and had overcast but dry conditions all afternoon. Rain is possible any time of year in this part of the South Island.
March through May is a solid alternative. Some autumn colour comes into the vegetation on the mountains and the crowds drop off noticeably. June to August is winter; some sailings run less frequently in the off-season.
The lunchtime sailing departs around 11am and returns by early afternoon – good light on the mountains for most of the crossing. The evening sailing departs around 6pm in summer, which puts you on the lake at sunset on the return leg. Both have the BBQ dining option.
Where to stay in Queenstown
We stayed at the Alexis Motel and Apartments in Queenstown. Clean, comfortable, no surprises – about 10-12 minutes on foot to Steamer Wharf. Good value for central Queenstown.
Practical tips
- Book the BBQ dining well ahead – in peak season it fills up fast
- Take a layer for the upper deck even in summer – the lake air when the ship is moving is noticeably cold
- The bathroom on the Earnslaw is at the bottom of steep, narrow stairs – worth knowing if mobility is a concern
- Arrive at the wharf 20-30 minutes early to find a good spot on the upper deck before it fills
- Spend a few minutes with the history board outside the engine room – the 1912 technical specs are genuinely interesting
- No tipping expected in New Zealand
If you are planning a wider trip around New Zealand’s South Island, visit my New Zealand travel guide for more destination guides.
FAQs
How much does the TSS Earnslaw cruise cost?
Check the RealNZ website for current pricing – rates change seasonally and there are different packages available. The cruise alone is one option; the Walter Peak experiences including BBQ dining are priced separately and higher. Drinks are bought separately at the bar on the farm.
How long is the TSS Earnslaw cruise?
The round-trip lake cruise is 90 minutes. With the Walter Peak BBQ dining, the full trip runs around three to four hours from boarding to return, depending on whether you take the lunchtime or evening sailing.
Is the Walter Peak BBQ worth the extra cost?
For us it was. The food was better than I expected – good BBQ lamb and beef, a proper buffet spread, a decent room to sit in. If you are already doing the cruise, the step up to the BBQ package turns it into a proper half-day out rather than just a 90-minute boat ride. Queenstown is not a cheap town and this holds its own.
Is there food on the TSS Earnslaw itself?
There is a small bar on the boat with drinks and snacks during the crossing. The Earnslaw itself is not a dining experience – that is at the farm.
What is the best time of day for the TSS Earnslaw cruise?
Daytime is better for photography – cleaner light on the mountains and the farm. Evening gives you sunset on the return leg and dinner at Walter Peak. It comes down to what you are there for.
