The Founder's Trip — Queenstown, 2026 — Day Two
Our Founder's Queenstown Diary: Favourite Places, Tips & Highlights - Day 2
Day two started with skiing and ended with a birthday sing-along in a bar behind a blue door. In between: a second day at Cardrona, an Aperol Spritz at the top of the mountain, and a sunset stop at Lake Hayes. August 14, my birthday, was one for the books.
Getting Dressed
Base Layers First, Always
I get dressed for skiing the same way every year: base layers first, Uniqlo, always, they're my go-to for warmth without any bulk, then whatever I'm skiing in on top of that.
This year that meant a full Moncler jacket and pants, plus one of my favourite pieces of the whole trip: a red, white and navy chevron knit from Perfect Moment, with a matching scarf. It doubled as my mid-layer on the mountain and my whole outfit once the jacket came off at the top.
Why Cardrona, Again
Back to the Mountain We Know Best
Every year when we get to Queenstown, the first mountain we head to is Cardrona, it's bigger, more spacious, and it's simply the one we prefer. This year, that wasn't quite the right call: Cardrona was busier than we'd ever seen it, and you'll understand why in the next posts.
But I love the views there so much that we ended up going back two days in a row anyway.
The Drive Up
A Postcard-Perfect Detour
The drive from Queenstown to Cardrona is one of my favourite parts of this whole trip. We stopped along the way at a few lookout points to photograph the landscape, and, as always, made the obligatory stop at the Cardrona Hotel, that beautiful old yellow building with the vintage car parked out front. It's impossible to drive past it without pulling over.
A scenic detour on the way up the mountain
On the Mountain
A Perfect Day to Turn a Year Older
Once we got to the mountain, I changed into my Moncler jacket and pants and we started skiing. It was a wonderful day, exactly what I love most about this trip. Skiing on my birthday, in the place I love skiing most, is honestly hard to beat.
On the slopes at Cardrona
"Skiing on my birthday, at the mountain I love most, that's really all I ask for."Mariane, Founder of 2nd LANE
Après at the Top
An Aperol Spritz With a View
Midway through the day we stopped at the pub right at the top of the mountain for an Aperol Spritz, 10/10, and one of the best spots on the whole mountain to sit down for a minute. We kept skiing until about 4:30pm.
It was busy, easily the most crowded I've seen Cardrona, but nothing could take away from how perfect the day felt.
Skiing until the lifts started thinning out
Where we spent day two
Sunset at Lake Hayes
One Quick Change, and Straight to the Water
We came off the mountain and drove to Lake Hayes for sunset. I changed in the car, just swapped the jacket for my Gucci puffer, kept the Moon Boots on, and we watched the light go down over the water.
It's one of those in-between moments of the trip that ends up being one of my favourites: quiet, no plans, just the lake and the ducks.
Lake Hayes, just before the light went
One last look at the lake before heading into Arrowtown
An Arrowtown Birthday
The Bar I'd Been Waiting All Year to Go Back To
From the lake, we drove into Arrowtown, such a cute little town, all gold-rush-era buildings and cobbled footpaths. There was one bar in particular I'd been wanting to go back to for my birthday, so that was the whole plan for the night. We got there a little early, so we ducked into a pub in town for a glass of wine while we waited, until about 7:30.
Then we made our way to The Blue Door, a hidden little bar tucked behind an old blue door in a stone wall, easy to walk straight past if you don't know it's there. 10/10, genuinely one of my favourite bars in the whole Queenstown region: a great crowd, and a band that was honestly unmatched. We ended up making friends with the people at the next table, they sang happy birthday, and we didn't leave until about 9pm.
Between skiing, an Aperol Spritz at the top of Cardrona, a sunset at Lake Hayes and a birthday sing-along behind a blue door, it was a lot to fit into one day, but it's one of the best birthdays I've had in years.
A walk through Arrowtown before the night began
Easy to walk straight past, if you don't know it's there
Settling in behind the blue door
Planning Your Own Ski Day?
Cardrona & Queenstown — Your Questions Answered
What should I wear skiing at Cardrona?
A proper base layer, a mid-layer you can wear on its own once it warms up, and a weatherproof outer jacket and pants. Renting from 2nd LANE means you can pack one performance base layer and let the rest travel with you already sorted.
Is Arrowtown worth visiting on a Queenstown ski trip?
Yes. It's a short drive from Cardrona and Lake Hayes, and makes an easy, scenic stop for an evening out after a day on the mountain.
How busy does Cardrona get in peak season?
Mid-August can bring some of the busiest days of the season, as we found on this trip, so arriving early and building in an après stop makes the day feel less rushed.
Can I rent a full ski outfit for a Queenstown trip like this one?
Yes, jackets, pants, knitwear and accessories from 2nd LANE ship within Australia before you fly, so your outfit is ready to wear from day one in Queenstown.
To Be Continued
Day two is done, but Cardrona wasn't finished with us yet.
Between the crowds on the mountain, an Aperol Spritz with a view, a sunset at Lake Hayes and a birthday behind a blue door in Arrowtown, day two gave us plenty to remember. There's more from Cardrona coming, including why we ended up back there for round two, in the next post.
Mariane
Founder, 2nd LANE