Bay View Reserve Playground

If you want to escape the chaos of central Queenstown with a toddler in tow, this little reserve is worth knowing about. The views over the lake are genuinely hard to beat, and the sunset from here is the kind of thing locals quietly keep to themselves. It’s geared toward the younger kids — think 2 to 6 — so don’t expect anything elaborate, but the picnic tables and calm atmosphere more than make up for it. You can also reach it by water taxi, which makes the whole outing feel like more of an adventure than a typical park run.