Queenstown in June is the start of the ski/snowboarding season! But will the snow have arrived and the ski fields open?
After all, there’s a popular saying in the area:
“Snow in May it won’t stay. Snow in June, it’s still too soon. Snow in July, you can rely.”
Snow or not, there are lots of fun reasons to visit Queenstown in June.
7 REASONS TO VISIT QUEENSTOWN IN JUNE
1. SHOULDER SEASON TRAVEL PERKS
There’s a definite chill in the air throughout June as they build toward the busy snow season. But it’s a funny time to be in Queenstown. A good one if you’re not a snow bunny and like to visit places in quieter periods.
The tourists who come to Queenstown for the summer vibes, hot days, and the opportunity to do some of the beautiful walks in the area aren’t long gone and there are no school holidays in June so families are not around. And the ski season doesn’t start until halfway through the month if snow has fallen. And because the opening is often delayed, people don’t generally start coming down for the ski season until the end of the month.
Tat means Queenstown is relatively quiet, winning! You’ll need to book lots of your Queenstown activities in advance still, but there’s no so much chaos which is awesome.
2. SKI FIELDS ARE OPEN
So while the shoulder-season is going on, if all goes to plan the ski fields near Queenstown (Coronet Peak and The Remarkables) will usually open up around the middle of the month. If there’s a lack of snow though, this can be delayed a couple of weeks.
If they open up on time like they have this year, you can look forward to relatively empty ski fields for the first week or two (Matariki might change that towards the end of the month).
The locals are loving the first few days of the season! No queues for the chairlifts at all.
RELATED: WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT QUEENSTOWN?
3. LUMA
LUMA attracts thousands of people over the weekend to Queenstown Gardens.
Note: In 2022 there was no LUMA held for a few reasons. Instead, they did something a bit smaller which they called Lumify. Fingers crossed LUMA will be back better than ever in 2023.
On my first LUMA experience in Queenstown, I found myself going on all three days. While you can see all fo the displays in a day, I enjoyed being able to just wander freely around the park and it did feel like there was something new to discover each day. And there are all the food trucks.
It’s a weird experience being in the gardens at night…I definitely lost my bearings a few times!
While I wouldn’t come to Queenstown just for the LUMA festival, it’s something you’ve got to attend if you happen to be in town then.
Follow the LUMA Facebook page for updates.
4. SMITH’S IPA CHALLENGE
This event is growing bigger and better each year. Smith’s Craft Beer House is one of the best places to drink craft beer in Queenstown, and you can’t miss the three-day IPA festival in June.
Kiwi brewers are the main attractions at the event, but they’ve got some international partners involved throughout the years. They don’t release all of the beers and brewers until closer to the time, but you can expect to see the likes of Fork and Brewer, Deep Creek Brewing Co., Altitude, and a few others each year.
The event runs over three days, so there’s no need to go crazy trying to get them all in on the first day. And yes, there’s a winner with the Best Overall NZIPA awarded at the end of the weekend (as well as the people’s choice).
For beer drinkers, this is the place to be.
It’s usually held towards the end of the month. Keep an eye out on their Facebook Page in early June for the exact dates.
Bonus mention: In June 2022 Beech Tree hosted a dark beer event which was awesome!
5. MARDI GRAS
Mardi Gras doesn’t need much of an explanation…but it does mean all the hostels in Queenstown are booked out in advance for that weekend, something to keep in mind.
While the festival is held outside of town, enviably a lot of people head into the clubs in town after the event and you’ll see lots of fun costumes.
And yes, it’s held in June…which is weird as it should be held in February (most of the time) based on the real reason for the carnival.
The tickets do sell out in advance, but the best place to keep up with what’s what is by checking out the Mardi Gras Instagram page.
6. MATARIKI ARROWTOWN LIGHTS
With New Zealand celebrating Matariki (Maori New Year) as an official public holiday in 2022 for the first time, Arrowtown has gone ahead and launched an event they’re calling Matariki Arrowtown Lights.
There’s a full schedule they’ve organised and the best part is you can kind of head along to Arrowtown with minimal plans and find something to do as each even you’ll at least be able to check out the light displays on Buckingham Street.
Arrowtown is a great little town in its own right, it’s easy to reach from Queenstown and there are some stunning walks in Arrowtown you can do to make a lovely day in Arrowtown happen.
8. WINTER SOLSTICE
If you’re a fan of celebrating the shortest day of the year, Queenstown is a solid spot to do so.
So what about a jump in Lake Wakatipu? There’s no formal mid-winter swim in Queenstown, but there’ll be locals taking a quick dip throughout the day.
Why not do that yourself and then warm up with some mulled wine at Perky’s? Sounds like a great way to celebrate winter in Queenstown.
And there we have it. That was seven compelling reasons to visit Queenstown in June.
If you’ve got any questions about June in Queenstown, email jub@churnewzealand.com or leave a comment below.
Hey, it’s Jub here. I’m the guy behind Chur New Zealand, helping you have the best time hiking, trekking, walking…whatever you want to call it…in NZ. I’m based in Queenstown and am always out and about exploring trails, old & new. If you have any questions, reach out.