I was a little disappointed with the offer of long day hikes in Queenstown. The town has famous long-distance hiking trails in Fiordland and Mt Aspiring national parks (the Routeburn and Rees-Dart tracks) on its doorstep and plenty of shorter tracks close by, but I don’t believe Queenstown can match Wanaka’s offer of world-class day hikes.

There is one track however that ticks all the boxes – a demanding full-day hike with a 1438m elevation gain and magnificent 360-degree views over Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown, The Remarkables range, and Mt Aspiring: the Ben Lomond Track.

Starting from the upper gondola station (or lower gondola station if you want to walk the Tiki Trail as well), the trail climbs steadily to Ben Lomond Saddle at 1326m where it transitions into a marked route that steeply zigzags up to the 1748m.

While the walk to the saddle is easily done on a wide, well-graded track, the scramble to the top is in rougher alpine terrain and should only be attempted in fine weather by hikers with moderate hiking experience.

This was my birthday treat and I wasn’t disappointed, although we did miss the trailhead near the gondola station after coming off the Tiki Trail.

Regarding the Tiki Trail: I have seen the Tiki Trail being promoted as one of Queenstown’s best and for the world of me can’t think why. We walked both up and down this track to get to the Ben Lomond Track trailhead on Skyline Access Road and back into Queenstown city centre, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

It’s a remarkably unprepossessing stretch of wood and unless you want the extra exercise of a 3km up- or downhill slog with a 420m elevation gain or save money on the rather pricy gondola ticket ($44 return at the time), skip this trail.

When we reached the upper gondola station, we promptly went off-trail, turning right towards the restaurant and luge instead of continuing uphill to the left. A little frustrated at first about the missing signage on what is supposedly Queenstown’s premier day hike, we quickly realized that our route – via the Skyline Loop, paragliding launch site, and across the ridgeline that runs adjacent to the official track – is more scenic and varied in fact and comes with the company of wild goats with kids roaming the hillsides.

A local, who told us she walks here regularly and saw us on the ridge east of the official track, was delighted to have found a more picturesque and off-the-beaten-path alternative to the official route.

Regardless of which route you’re taking – if you’re unsure of where to walk when coming off the Tiki Trail or gondola, ask the Skyline staff who can point you in the right direction. Also know that if you’re taking the more scenic route, you’ll not miss out on sections of the official track because you’ll be coming down that track on your descent later anyway.

The two routes meet just below Ben Lomond Saddle and we continued on the official track to the intersection with the Moonlight Track and a bench with the most amazing views.

The saddle at 1346 metres is the starting point of the poled route to the summit which should not be attempted in poor weather and may require hands for balance on some steeper rocky sections. On a fine day, this climb is a treat though with the sweeping views over the mountains improving by the minute as the track wraps around the mountain in sharp switchbacks, steadily drawing nearer to the summit.

When the path tops out on a rocky plateau, you’ll be met with a sublime 360-degree panorama over Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown, The Remarkables range, and Mt Aspiring.

On the way back, retrace your steps to the saddle and follow the marked trail back to the Skyline gondola station.