Experience breathtaking panoramic views of the city’s landscape in a tranquil ride uphill in a cable car.
Gondolas in New Zealand are what you know as cable cars. A type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel wire rope that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. It should not be mistaken for the traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat.
The Gondola offers stunning panoramic views of the city as it elevates you few meters above sea level. It may become unadventourous if that’s all you do as such, all providers of this service offer extra activities at the summit. Admission fees will vary depending on age, activities you plan to do and whether you buy tickets online or over the counter. Online ticket purchases are cheaper by a few dollars.
Let’s explore the many gondolas of New Zealand, the adventure capital of the southern hemisphere, if I do say so myself.
Skyline Rotorua
Skyline Rotorua is an all ages, all weather, family attraction located on Mount Ngongotaha, 487 meters above sea level. You can jump on board one of the eight-seater gondola cabins to experience Rotorua’s most spectacular views! Like lake Rotorua, cityscapes and the geothermal areas. It is tagged “New Zealand’s iconic adventure destination” which I figured will be because it is the only one with all those activities in North Island of New Zealand plus it is situated in the popular sulfur city, Rotorua.
Taking the Gondola up the mountain in Rotorua City is a fun way to entertain the whole family. At the top of Skyline Rotorua, you can relax while taking in the 180 degree panorama, take a walk on the nature trails or choose from one of the exciting activities on offer. Activities include mountian biking, Hyfly ziplines, nature trials, skyswing, 4D motion theatre, digger for the toddlers but the most popular and sort-after is the Luge.
The Skyline luge in Rotorua is a fun filled gravity ride downhill on a three-wheel cart. The luge is suitable for all ages. A unique braking and steering system means you can alter course and speed at will. There are two restaurants there, Stratosfare and Market Kitchen Cafe. Technically one restaurant and one cafe but both sell food so to me, they both are restaurants.
A gondola adult return ticket cost $43 (online price) but if you think you’ll make more than 2 trips in a year then it will be best to get the annual pass which cost $92. There are combo packages available for mixing-and-matching activities. Check out the Skyline Rotorua website for more information on prices. Note that you can also buy ticket over the counter.
It gets really busy during public holidays and school holidays and on those days, I recommend arriving really early otherwise finding parking will be a pain. Also expect long queues on holidays.
Open hours
9am to 9pm daily
I have been to Skyline Rotorua twice. Read about both experiences here.
Skyline Queenstown
The Queenstown gondola takes about 5 minutes to get from bottom terminal to top and the same amount of time to get down again. You’ll be carried 480 metres above Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu to the top of Bob’s Peak, where you’ll enjoy a spectacular 220-degree panorama with breath-taking views. There’s more to enjoy! The base or ground terminal is located at 53 Brecon Street which is at the top of Brecon street. You can spot it from downtown Queenstown.
Skyline Queenstown view is a perfect mix of town, lake, peninsulas and mountains and gives you a good idea of how amazing the scenery is in these part of New Zealand. Coronet peak, The Remarkables, Walter and Cecil peak are all in view from the top.
Just like in Rotorua, there are many things to do at the top beside enjoying the views. You can enjoy the fast-paced freedom from luge, experience Kiwi hospitality at Strastosfare restaurant, journey into hidden world through Stargazing, adrenaline rush from mountain biking, take guided walks or simply enjoy woodfired pizzas the Market Kitchen Cafe. It doesn’t stop there, you can do other activities like tandem paragliding, ziptrek and ledge bungy and swing. Details about Skyline Queenstown here.
Tickets are slightly more expensive here beginning at $59 adult ticket for Gondola only. But you get a better deal when you purchase an annual pass (cost $99)
Whenever in Queenstown, I recommend taking the scenic ride in the iconic Skyline Gondola and soak up the stunning views as you ride the steepest cable car lift in the Southern Hemisphere!
Open hours
9:30am to 9pm
I taken the Skyline Queenstown once. Read about the experience here.
Christchurch Gondola
An unmissable Christchurch experience! That’s how the Christchurch Gondola is described. The Christchurch Gondola is one of the best top attractions in Christchurch, whether you are afraid of heights or not. Gaze at the snow-capped Southern Alps, sprawling Canterbury Plains and the sparkling waters of Pegasus Bay and the Pacific Ocean.
Christchurch Gondola takes the panoramic views up a notch by offering stunning 360-degree degree views of the city, Lyttelton Harbour, and beyond. That’s a full circle compared to the other gondolas. You’ll be carried about 500 metres above seal level travelling some 862 metres up Mount Cavendish. As you ride, you will see spectacular views of Christchurch city, the dramatic hills of Banks Peninsula, the Canterbury Plains out to the mighty Southern Alps (if the weather is right).
Getting there is easy but you have to know how to search for it on maps. Maybe it is because it is nestled in Heathcote valley because my maps couldn’t figure out the location when I needed it to. Could also be because, you can drive up to a certain level via sumner road. So, when searching on map ensure to put base station in your team because the Christchurch Gondola base station is located at 10 Bridle Path Road, Heathcote Valley,
Once at the top of the Gondola you can relax to sights and sounds of the summit at the Red Rock Cafe, watch paragliders take off, or just go for a walk around the summit, or shop at the top. There are no luge and adrenaline activities but you can experience the Time Tunnel by taking the Christchurch Discovery Ride.
I found this to be the steepest of all three gondolas. I’ve only experienced it once and oh what an experience it was.
Gondola tickets start at $42. Ticket prices are similar to Rotorua’s Skyline Gondola. Purchasing the Christchurch Gondola combo pass will save you some money and give you access to other Christchurch attraction like Tram, Punting on the Avon.
Open hours
10am-4pm daily. Last ride down 60 minutes after closing.
I have been to Christchurch Gondola once. Read about the experience here.
Sky Waka
This is an iconic gondola ride providing views of Mt Ruapehu’s remarkable volcanic terrain., waterfalls, snow-covered peaks. In summer, you can see Mt Ruapehu, Mt Tongariro and its neighbour, Mt Ngauruhoe. If you are lucky, you might even see Mt Taranaki. It is New Zealand’s longest gondola ride travelling a distance of 1.8km from the base of the ski field field, 2020 meters above sea level to the Knoll Ridge Chalet. That’s high and long!! Now you can understand why it takes about 12 minutes to carry guest each way.
Although I have been to Mt Ruapehu twice, I am yet to take the Sky waka.
Opening times
10am to 4pm (weather permitting)
Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Dec
