RealNZ Queenstown Visitor Centre, 88 Beach Street on Steamer Wharf, thirty minutes before departure. It is a five-minute walk from central Queenstown and there is no parking at the wharf.

Midday Sailing · Lake Whakatipu

Walter Peak BBQ Lunch Cruise

Q: How long is the Walter Peak lunch cruise?

Allow around 3½–4 hours including the return cruise, buffet and farm demonstration. The crossing takes around 45 minutes on the TSS Earnslaw or 35 minutes on Spirit of Queenstown. Check the return time on your selected option and allow extra time for check-in.

Q: Is lunch better than the dinner sitting?

Lunch is a useful choice for scenery, families and winter daylight. Dinner suits an evening occasion; summer sailings may still have daylight. Compare your dates in our lunch versus dinner guide .

Q: Which boat does the lunch cruise use?

The featured Gourmet BBQ package offers TSS Earnslaw steamship and Spirit of Queenstown catamaran options. Choose the named vessel for your date when booking and check for maintenance substitutions.

Q: Will I have time to walk the gardens?

There may be time before reboarding, depending on your sitting and the itinerary. Lunch offers daylight for the grounds, but garden time is not guaranteed.

Q: What is served at the lunch buffet?

Local meats cooked on an open wood-fired grill and carved to order, with salads, hot vegetables, fresh breads, New Zealand cheeses and a long dessert table. You serve yourself and can go back within your sitting. Tell RealNZ in advance about serious allergies — it is a buffet service.

Q: Is it good for young children?

It is one of the better options in Queenstown for them. The crossing is short, the buffet removes any set-menu negotiation, and the farm demonstration is built around dogs and animals rather than commentary. Daylight helps here too.

Q: Is lunch served aboard the TSS Earnslaw?

No. Lunch is served ashore at Colonel’s Homestead at Walter Peak High Country Farm.

Q: Is the cruise included?

Yes. The Gourmet BBQ package includes the return lake cruise, lunch and farm demonstration.

Q: Do I need to book ahead?

Yes, particularly for summer and school-holiday dates or if you need a specific vessel and departure.

Cross Lake Whakatipu in daylight for a buffet lunch and farm demonstration at Walter Peak. Explore the gardens if your sitting leaves time.

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From $99 per person Free cancellation

4.8 / 5 3,197+ Reviews
3.5 hours Duration
Wood-Fired BBQ Buffet
1912 Steamship Option
Free Cancellation

A Walter Peak lunch cruise combines Lake Whakatipu sightseeing with a Gourmet BBQ lunch at Walter Peak High Country Farm.

Lunch is served ashore at Colonel’s Homestead, not on the TSS Earnslaw.

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Check Availability & Prices

Select your preferred date and time. Instant confirmation — free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.

Why Choose Lunch?

Lunch gives you the most dependable daylight for:

Lake Whakatipu
mountain scenery
the Walter Peak gardens
photography
the farm demonstration

It is particularly good for families and winter visitors.

What Is Included?

return Lake Whakatipu cruise
Walter Peak visit
Gourmet BBQ buffet
farm demonstration
time to explore the gardens if your itinerary allows
return to Queenstown

Allow around 3½–4 hours.

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TSS Earnslaw or Spirit of Queenstown?

Choose your vessel within the Gourmet BBQ cruise options. For a first visit, the TSS Earnslaw is the more distinctive choice because the ship itself becomes part of the attraction.

Spirit of Queenstown is a modern alternative: RealNZ gives around 35 minutes for its crossing and 45 minutes for the Earnslaw. The separate catamaran BBQ listing is another option to check, but its available dates can differ. Confirm the named vessel when booking, including maintenance substitutions.

Lunch vs Dinner

Choose lunch for scenery and daylight. Choose dinner for couples and evening atmosphere. Check the actual sailing against daylight on your date; summer evenings can still offer scenery. Neither a sunset crossing nor identical lunch and dinner prices is guaranteed.

What Should You Wear?

There is no formal dress code. Wear comfortable clothing and bring a warm or wind-resistant layer because the open lake can feel cooler than central Queenstown.

What daylight changes

The farm demonstration. Daylight makes the farm setting easier to see as you watch the working dogs. The show is part of the BBQ package; it is not the same as booking the separate guided farm tour.

The gardens. The lakeside grounds lie around the homestead and jetty. A daytime sitting is a useful choice for garden photographs, but walking time depends on the schedule before reboarding.

The crossing. The lake and mountain views form part of the experience in daylight. Visibility still depends on the weather; bring layers so you can enjoy the deck when conditions permit.

What does not change

Lunch and dinner use the same buffet format at Colonel’s Homestead, with seasonal food rather than a fixed plated menu. Expect wood-fired meats, vegetables, salads, breads, cheeses and desserts. Our Gourmet BBQ menu guide covers the food and dietary planning. Tell the operator about dietary requirements before travelling and confirm suitable choices.

Drinks cost extra and the vessels are cashless. Compare ticket options for your date: the vessel and departure can affect the price, so do not assume the two sittings always cost the same.

Which vessel, and the practical caveat

The TSS Earnslaw is the historic steamship; Spirit of Queenstown is a modern catamaran. The vessel comparison explains the different onboard experience. If mobility is a concern, ask the operator about boarding and facilities for the specific vessel instead of assuming a modern boat has no access barriers.

When to take dinner instead

Dinner works well when you want the cruise and meal to be your main evening outing. Summer gives more daylight, but the result depends on your departure. Read the lunch versus dinner guide for the broader choice. For the setting and other activities, our Walter Peak Station and High Country Farm guide explains the working farm and visitor experiences.

Details checked on 23 September 2026 against RealNZ’s dining information. Follow your voucher for check-in and return times.

The Experience

Why Most People Should Take the Lunch Sitting

The same buffet as the evening trip, with the farm visible while you are on it.

Highlights

Take a return cruise across scenic Lake Whakatipu on your vessel of choice
Enjoy a gourmet BBQ buffet made from local and homegrown produce
Dine lakeside on the shore of Walter Peak High Country Farm
Enjoy a skilful farm dog show about life on a working farm
Savor morning or afternoon tea at the charming old woolshed on the farm

What's Included

Round-trip cruise across the lake and back to Queenstown
Gourmet BBQ lunch or dinner
Farm demonstration
Commentary onboard

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How the Lunch Cruise Works

Allow half a day and check the return time for your chosen sailing.

Book a Midday Departure
Lunch sittings leave late morning and around midday. The vessel is part of the option you buy — choose the TSS Earnslaw steamship or Spirit of Queenstown catamaran option for your date.
Check In at Steamer Wharf
RealNZ Visitor Centre, 88 Beach Street, thirty minutes before departure. It is a five-minute walk from the middle of Queenstown and there is no parking at the wharf.
Cross Lake Whakatipu in Daylight
Allow around 45 minutes on the TSS Earnslaw or 35 minutes on Spirit of Queenstown. Clear conditions give views of the surrounding mountains.
Eat, Watch the Dogs, Walk the Gardens
Buffet at the Colonel's Homestead, then the farm demonstration, then the lakeside gardens if your sitting allows — daylight makes it easier to enjoy the setting.

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Photo Gallery

Lake Whakatipu in Daylight

What the midday crossing actually looks like, from the water and from the shore.

The Colonel's Homestead at Walter Peak High Country Farm, its red roofs and cupolas rising above lakeside rose and hydrangea beds — The Colonel's Homestead — the only building at the far end of the lake, and where the BBQ is served

Cecil Peak catching low golden light above Lake Whakatipu, with pines silhouetted in the foreground — Cecil Peak at golden hour, the view from the evening crossing

A shingle beach on Lake Whakatipu in autumn, poplars turned gold against the steep grey flanks of the Walter Peak range — Autumn on the western shore — the quietest weeks on the lake

Deep blue Lake Whakatipu under scattered cumulus, tussock-covered mountains running down to the water on both sides — Looking down the lake towards Walter Peak Station on a clear summer afternoon

A gravel farm track curving through matagouri and tussock towards a fresh-snow-covered peak in the Southern Alps — High-country farmland behind the station after the first snow

Cloud tearing across a snow-dusted summit above Glenorchy, with beech scrub and a farm road below — Weather moving through the head of the lake — why the cruise timetable can change

Lunch, Dinner, or Skip the Buffet?

All three cross the same lake to the same jetty. What changes is the light and the meal.

Feature	SAFEST CHOICE Lunch Sitting	Dinner Sitting	Farm Tour, No Buffet
The meal	Wood-fired BBQ buffet at the Colonel's Homestead	The same wood-fired BBQ buffet, evening service	Morning or afternoon tea in the old woolshed
Daylight on the farm	✓ All year	Depends on date and departure; less daylight in winter	✓ All year
Lakeside gardens	✓ Usually time to walk them	Depends on daylight and time before reboarding	✓ Usually time to walk them
Farm demonstration	✓ Working dogs and shearing after the meal	✓ Working dogs, under lights in winter	✓ Dogs, shearing and the farmyard walk
The crossing	Around 35–45 min each way, depending on vessel	Around 35–45 min each way; daylight varies	Around 35–45 min each way, depending on vessel
Best for	Families, first visits, anyone travelling in winter	Couples and long summer evenings	Anyone who came for the animals, not the food
Free cancellation	✓ Up to 24 hours before	✓ Up to 24 hours before	✓ Up to 24 hours before
Indicative USD price (6 September 2026 snapshot)	From $99 per person	From $99 per person	From $82 per person
	Check Dates	Check Dates	View Options

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Guest Reviews

What Daytime Guests Say

4.8/5 from 3197 verified GetYourGuide guests

Ratings and review counts are the tour operators' live figures on GetYourGuide and may shift slightly day to day.

"The activity was absolutely fantastic! Everything from the cruise and stunning views to the delicious food and overall experience was amazing. We had such a great time and thoroughly enjoyed every moment!"

"Loved it, the boat ride was beautiful, food was incredible and the show was really insightful as well. Only thing doing the 5pm booking was it did get dark relatively quickly once we arrived at Walter peak station so after you ate you couldn’t really explore that much - if you wanted to view things on the way to / from Queenstown I’d suggest an earlier trip but we loved it as we were in a food coma by the end and was a lovely end to the night !"

"Perfect! Amazing food, boat history and spectacular views on the way to the farm."

"The food was amazing. The singer on the boat was the perfect fit for the experience. The staff were friendly and accomodating. Worth the trip!"

"went as a young family for a gourmet BBQ lunch. the food was exemplary. the cruise short enough to be enjoyable but not draining. being able to view the steam ship in operation is exciting for the kids. would highly recommend"

"Fantastic day with the Earnslaw ! We throughly enjoyed ourselves and the lunch was beautiful with lots of options. Would highly recommend this cruise"

"Exquisite views, amazing food, and lovely trip over the lake in an incredible old steamer ship. The only thing that could have made the day perfect was an extra half hour so that dining & show wasn’t so rushed."

"Such a unique and beautiful experience! We were a little overwhelmed by the number of people lining up to board the boat, but once onboard, we still had plenty of our own space and never felt crowded. We were warmly welcomed by the amazing staff on the island and had our own table, which made the whole experience feel like a special date. The views were absolutely spectacular! Everything was so well organised, and the home-style food was incredible. The meat and vegetables were especially delicious. We also loved watching the sheep show and getting to meet Mia, the beautiful Border Collie. The history behind the steam boat was fascinating and really added to the experience. Overall, this was such a fantastic tour and excellent value for money. We absolutely loved it and would highly recommend it!"

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Take the Midday Boat

Book a daytime crossing, Gourmet BBQ buffet and farm demonstration. Select your preferred vessel and departure, and confirm the return time before planning the rest of your day. Starting from $99 per person.

Check Lunch Availability