Challenge Fifty-Two, a white woman with dark hair smiling at the camera as she is riding on a luge at Skyline in Queenstown, and driving down the track.

Riding the luge at Skyline in Queenstown

3rd February 2026 - New Experience Number 1.

Jump to 'Try it yourself'

Riding the luge at Skyline in Queenstown was the perfect way to kick-start my 52 New Things challenge for 2026.

A mix of adrenaline and a gorgeous setting, and getting there was pretty spectacular too.

Watching little kids zooming along the track with massive grins on their faces, surely this wouldn’t be too difficult?

What is Skyline in Queenstown?

If you visit Queenstown on the South Island of New Zealand, (which is a fantastic place to visit), take a glance upwards at Bob’s Peak and you’ll see there’s a hub of activity at the top. 

That, is Skyline, where people come for the views, food and of course, the luge.

A beautiful view across a lake at some big hills with a township at the bottom on the shoreline. At the top of a hill is a tourist attraction.
You can just make out Skyline on the peak in this picture.

One Of The Most Stunning Gondola Rides

To get to Skyline, it’s a 480 metre ascent up the hill.

Whilst there is the option of the Tiki Trail hiking track, we took the gondola. I hope I’m not the only one whose first thought when someone mentions a gondola is the long, elegant boats gliding through the canals of Venice. It turns out it’s also another name for a cable car.

Stepping into the large glass ball hanging from the thick metal rope, we were soon gliding upwards on the steepest cable car lift in the Southern Hemisphere.

A beautiful view over forests, lakes and the town, and a cable car is in view on a gondola ride taken for riding the luge at Skyline in Queenstown
The steepest gondola in the Southern Hemisphere

Leaving the base in Brecon Street beneath us, the view stole the show.

Often referred to as the Adventure Capital Of The World, Queenstown is the centre of the Southern Lakes region.

From our bird’s-eye vantage point we could see the imposing peaks of the mountain range known as The Remarkables, the beautiful blue waters of Lake Wakatipu and the white wake of the jet boats speeding across it.

As we climbed above the forest, the lively alpine town became smaller and smaller below us, little clusters of civilisation surrounded by mountains, lakes and trees.

This was pretty spectacular, and it’s absolutely worth taking the gondola even if you don’t do anything else when you get to the top.

However, it was on to the next part of our adventure.

Spectacular view on a sunny day looking down from up high over forests, lakes and a township in Queenstown, New Zealand
Spectacular views from the top

Helmets On - Riding The Luge At Skyline In Queenstown

After checking in at the desk, we picked up the only piece of safety gear we needed to ride the luge. A helmet.

If you take a go-pro camera with you, some of the helmets have a mount so you can easily attach it for a point of view video as you ride.

With small, medium and large sizes available, it was a bit of trial and error to find the size that felt like a good fit. And with that, we were a step closer to riding.

Nervous Anticipation

The perfect accompaniment to any adrenaline fuelled activity is drum and bass, and that was the soundtrack for our wait, which to be fair wasn’t very long.

The queue split into two – those about to ride for the first time, and those on their next laps.

As first timers, our queue meant that we got a safety briefing before setting off. People setting off on their subsequent rides made it look so easy as they swiftly collected a luge, and made a quick exit from the starting area, smiles still intact – which is always a good sign!

Getting Acquainted With My Luge

It’s like a cross between a go-kart and a toboggan and is powered entirely by gravity.

It reminded me of the trays you get at airport security, or an oversized tea tray with handlebars and wheels.

The safety briefing was concise. Once we were sitting safely on our luge, it was a reiteration of a small handful of dos and don’t’s, followed by a short test of stopping and starting to demonstrate that we could do it.

Driving it is super simple – pull the handlebars back to apply the brake and stop, and release them to accelerate.

All that’s left to do is steer your way around the 1,600m course and navigate the banked corners, drops, dips and tunnels along the way.

And with that, we were released onto the track.

Challenge Fifty-Two, a white woman with dark hair sitting on a luge which looks like a modified tray. She is wearing a helmet and smiling at the camera as she is about to go for a lap on the track
Getting to grips with the luge

Go! Go! Go! - Riding The Luge At Skyline In Queenstown

Cautiously venturing out of the starting area, I was aware of the more confident drivers who’d already done a lap or two, as they sped around me. I didn’t want to get in their way so tried to keep to one side.

As I released the handlebars, my luge lunged forwards.

Accelerating into the first corner, I nervously pulled back to slow down, my overexcitable imagination was thinking I might be going so fast that I’d lose control and fly over the edge into the undergrowth. 

Anyone watching would have seen the reality which was a nervous woman driving slowly, and going even more slowly as she entered a very safe and easy turn.

Challenge Fifty-Two, a white woman with dark hair riding the luge at Skyline in Queenstown and looking very serious about it
Taking it slowly and seriously - look at the concentration on my face!

Tackling The Track

The track split into two and as I veered off onto my chosen route, I saw a drop coming up. 

Now when I say a drop, it wasn’t as though the track suddenly falls away from under you leaving you to momentarily drive through the air until you reconnect with the ground. It was more like a small hill. But when you’re at ground level hurtling along in a plastic box on wheels, and you’ve never experienced it before, things looked far more perilous than they really were. 

Yes, there was a brief moment my luge left the ground, but it was quick and it was easy, and all four wheels were trundling along the track again in the blink of an eye. 

Laughing to myself at how I’d overdramatised something so small, I picked up speed, and felt incredibly satisfied as I overtook another rider.

Challenge Fifty-Two, a white woman with dark hair riding a luge at Skyline in Queenstown and about to drive down a hill in the track.
That drop looked much bigger from the driving seat

Overthinking Things

Somewhere along the course, I was too busy concentrating on steering through the turns and avoiding crashing into the sides or other people, that I forgot the basic instruction of releasing the handlebars to speed up. In fact, I was doing the total opposite, and wondering why I was going so slowly.

Pulling the handlebars towards me, I was certain there must be something wrong with my luge as it was making a sort of scraping sound. It was only as I was slowly slaloming into the finish line that a helpful member of staff reminded me that that was how to brake and stop. There was nothing wrong with my equipment; it was purely user error.

My first run was done. It hadn’t been fast. It hadn’t been furious. But it had been fun, and I took the ski lift back to the start.

Challenge Fifty-Two, a white woman with dark hair driving a luge along a track and concentrating
Still taking it steady and seriously

Finally Letting Go

It was a speedier and more assured start as I set off on my second run. I felt much more in control now I knew what I was doing.

Racing into corners and taking tighter turns, zipping into darkness through tunnels, and bumping over the dips, it was absolutely brilliant fun. As my confidence built, my speed increased, and I was soon keeping up with the Other Half. Almost.

Overtaking people nervously taking their first lap gave me a brilliant boost of confidence, and I smiled as I went by them, remembering my initial hesitation from just a few minutes earlier.

Challenge Fifty-Two, a white woman with dark hair riding the luge at Skyline in Queenstown and looking like she's enjoying it
Feeling more confident and catching up with other riders

Fantastic Fun With A View

Our ticket gave us six rides on the luge, and it was fantastic. Speeding along on a lovely sunny day, feeling on top of the world as the panorama of Queenstown provided one of the most gorgeous backdrops.

Before heading back down to town level, we ventured to the viewpoint. Pausing for a moment to drink in the scenery and commit it to memory. This was a fantastic way to get the 52 new things list started for the year.

Challenge Fifty-Two, a white woman with dark hair and a white man sitting on a chair lift as it goes up past an incredible backdrop of lakes and forests.
Brilliant fun in a fantastic setting.

It’s Ok To Start Slowly

Twenty minutes earlier I’d been nervously crawling around the first corner. By the end I was overtaking people. It’s funny what can happen when you give yourself permission to start slowly.

Nine years into this challenge and I still get nervous trying new things.

The difference now is that I’ve learned that nerves don’t usually mean ‘don’t do it’ – they usually mean ‘you haven’t done it yet.’

Want To Try It Yourself?

  • Our experience was on the Luge at Skyline in Queenstown, New Zealand.
  • Also in New Zealand, Skyline also operate a luge venue in Rotorua – home to the longest luge tracks in the world!
  • You can find Skyline Luge around the world in;
    • Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia
    • Sentosa in Singapore
    • Tongyeong and Busan in South Korea
    • Calgary and Mont Tremblant in Canada
  • Whilst not operated by Skyline, you can find similar luge

Cost Of Experience

  • There are several pricing options for the luge.
  • In 2026, our package cost NZ$104 (just over £45) which included the gondola and 6 rides on the luge. 
  • Take a look at the Skyline Website for details of the latest package options.
  • If you just want to take the gondola to experience the incredible views, it costs NZ$69 (£30) for adults and NZ$48 (£20) for children.
  • Photos are taken as you ride around the course, and you can pay extra to receive action shots to take home.

Recommendations

  • Check the forecast. Not just so that you know what to wear, but because the gondolas may stop running during extreme weather. It’s always worth checking before you go.
  • Don’t forget the sunscreen. This is an outdoor activity and the sun in New Zealand is exceptionally strong so make sure to cover up so you don’t burn.
  • Have a great time! And let me know how you get on if you give it a go.

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