Queenstown Luge

Although most of us imagine the Luge as something fast and terrifying fun for extreme sports fans, at the Luge in Queenstown you can go for the thrill, or enjoy the experience in a more sedate way.

To get to the Luge you need to go to the Skyline Complex (the gondola ride is fun). The two tracks are both made in concrete and are 3 meters wide. The carts you travel on have 3 wheels and quite lightweight; only 30kg. The steeper track has a higher gradient and you can travel down the 800m going up banked corners as well as dips in the path. The gentler track has a slower gradient and there are little areas off of the track where you can pull in and enjoy the view or take photos.

Most people assume in a Luge you don’t have any control over the cart but in fact these carts come with good brakes and a responsive steering system. When you get down to the bottom of the track you will want to hop on the chairlift so that you can go back up and have another go – apparently the Luge can be addictive.