This is a great experience. First, there is a 35-minute cruise to the farm, on a coal-fueled steamboat that is 113 years old. There is an observation area where you can learn about the inner workings of the vehicle. The cruise is scenic, and so is the farm itself, with many flowers and a small beach. The farm show is relatively short but fun, with a demonstration of how a dog herds the sheep and a demonstration of shearing a sheep. We purchased the lunch buffet on the farm, offering a fantastic array of delicious food, with BBQ and vegetarian options. MUST DO!

We really enjoyed this experience. The ride over and back on the steamship was fun, the animal experience was really cool, food was really good as well.

This is a condensed review because the Trip Advisor app ate my last one. Amazing trip. Friendly crew from checkin at Manapouri. Bring bug spray. Some nice all-natural for sale at checkin in. Bring bathing suit for kayaking on the sound in the evening. No need to bring snacks. They keep you fed (boarding snack, mid-afternoon snack, delicious buffet dinner, dessert, cooked and continental breakfast). Coffee, tea, water free and other drinks can be purchased on a tab. Rooms small but great. Every door has a large threshold, including the one to your private bathroom (if you have that type of room). Good for teens, but not for small children. Too much just sitting and looking at scenery to keep children engaged. Bed comfy. Bring sleep mask because blinds don’t block all light from hallway. Captain moored in a protected cove overnight so it didn’t even feel like we were on water. Make sure to go out after dark and stargaze (if it’s clear but be careful not to trip over thresholds or down steps). Bring rubber bottomed shoes for traction. Some of the steps are slick. Our bus driver, Harry,from the lake to the sound was hilarious and informative.

My husband and I are cycling around New Zealand and stopped in for the Bar B Q and it was absolutely delicious! Service was 💯 and we highly recommend.

This is a wonderful tour. Fun and interesting boat trip. Loved the English Tea at the farm and the sheep shearing was a treat to watch ( sheep dog was the star of the show). Excellent coordination and good guides for the farm tour.

The steamer was fantastic The whole trip is worth it HOWEVER our experience with an elderly person in a wheelchair was discouraging We had plenty of support and help on and off the steamer When we arrived at the station there was no help pushing the wheelchair over the gravel and up an incline to the restaurant. No facilities to accomodate a wheelchair. A young man - Charlie helped us push the wheelchair to the shearing show. Getting back to the steamer over stones was difficult. No disability car spaces in Queenstown - found 1 outside St Peter’s.

A perfect day, ship is magnificent, staff are friendly and helpful, the views amazing the best surprise was the wonderful entertainment onboard by Kate Blomfield on piano with a dreamy vocals. The gourmet lunch stop in a beautiful restaurant on the waters edge was so very good, the variety of meats, salads, cheeses and deserts was exceptional. The farm show was an added bonus, entertaining and informative. All in all, a perfect day, worth every cent and a highly recommended experience.

The boat cruise was exceptional - we thoroughly enjoyed being able to see someone shovelling coal into the ship's boiler and all the machinery. The onboard pianist gave the cruise a charm you don't get on many 30 min boat cruises. The buffet was excellent and catered well to us vegetarians - they provided BBQ schezwan cauliflower and many vego friendly salads, cooked items and antipasti. The farm show was cool, we saw a sheep being sheared and a dog rounding up the sheep (in that order). I would say the lunch session might be better as it was too dark after dinner to explore the farm. I was disappointed I didn't have an opportunity to pat Dougal the Highland cow.

A great excursion from Queenstown. The whole thing was very well organized. The BBQ lunch was substantial and delicious. The sheep shearing and sheep dog demonstration was interesting and entertaining. A lovely was to spend an afternoon in the Queenstown area.

My husband and I loved the steamship boat ride to Walter Peak Farm. Such a piece of history and the lake is beautiful. The farm was wonderful. We had the tea with snacks rather than the dinner. The guide was great with his dog Spree. We could feed the animals. We saw sheep shearing and afterward Spree gathered up the sheep. It was a very enjoyable day and I highly recommend.

The trip was much more than we expected. The ride on the 100 year-old ship was delightful. The ship is a true coal fired steam powered boat and you could actually view all the mechanical actions of the steam engine as well as viewing coal being shoveled into the boiler. The tour of the farm was fun and educational. We viewed some cows that I’ve never seen before descendants of Scottish imports many years ago. Our guide was entertaining and very knowledgeable. He concluded with a sheep shearing demonstration, which was fascinating to see.

We thoroughly enjoyed the boat ride, dinner and show! One of our party needs gluten free and the Walter Peak staff took great care of meeting her needs. Would highly recommend.

Awesome cruise with spectacular views . The bbq was great all the meats were tasty and tender. The show was enjoyable and Kim the dog was a star

Doubtful sound is stunning and this is the way to see it. The ship is comfortable, the food is fabulous, the crew, including a nature specialist, is professional and friendly. The cabins are simple accommodation, you’ll want to spend any time you’re awake up on deck. We were able to kayak and swim in the sound when the ship was at anchor for the evening and this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

The Earnslaw has been in service since 1912 and it’s a wonderful experience of another time. You can look into the engine room with its steam boilers and watch the coal being shoveled into the fire, it’s fascinating. The staff is lovely both on the ship and at Walter Peak, and the food is excellent. It does get crowded although there are places on the ship to get away from the hordes. Recommended.