Queenstown, New Zealand

City Guide

Introduction

Aerial view of Queenstown

Without doubt the adventure capital of New Zealand – that’s Queenstown!

Set on the shores of Lake Wakatipu with the Remarkables mountains standing majestically in front, Queenstown is a stunning place to visit. With a permanent population of about 9,000, Queenstown itself is not particularly large, but thousands of visitors flow through town every year to get their adrenaline kick.

With four unique seasons, Queenstown welcomes everyone from skiers to hikers, and is also growing in stature as a wine producing region. Visitors have a choice – relax, kick-back and enjoy the fantastic scenery, or make the most of the bungy jumping, jet boating, skiing and much more in this action-packed adventure playground.

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Attractions

Mountain bikers cruise downhill

There is plenty to do in and around Queenstown, particularly for those who love the outdoors and a bit of adventure.

The first commercial Bungy Jump started here, and for that ultimate adrenaline rush, visitors have the choice of four bungy sites located close to the town centre. Several jet boat operators provide a white knuckle experience on the local rivers - some parts of the river have spectacular canyon-like sides. White water rafting and river surfing are also fun and popular activities operated on the rivers. Canyoning and abseiling are great fun and the Canyon Swing over the Shotover River is recent addition to the adrenaline-junkie’s list of things to – this is meant to be quite a rush!

 

White peaks of The Remarkables

Skiers and snowboarders will enjoy the Coronet Peak and Remarkables ski fields, which both receive quality snow during the winter season. The Cardrona field, just 45 minutes from Queenstown, offers excellent intermediate level skiing. Heli-skiing is becoming increasingly popular and is a great experience for those with deeper pockets.

Skippers Canyon just out of town was once one of the richest gold fields in the area, but due to difficult access, was never a very profitable venue. Today visitors can take a 4WD adventure through the scenic canyon, to the Skipper’s Settlement and perhaps try their luck with a bit of gold panning.

Lake Wakatipu itself is a scenic lake, and a leisurely trip on the steamship TSS Earnslaw is a great way to soak up the surroundings and visit the historic Walter Peak High Country Farm. Kayaks and canoes can be hired to head out on the lake, and parasailing behind a jet boat offers a great view of the Queenstown centre.

Scenic flights and helicopter trips are popular from Queenstown. Flights can shorten the trip to Milford Sound, which is otherwise a long day trip by road. Hang gliding or skydiving are a spectacular way to see the whole of the city from the air.

The historic Arrowtown Gallery

Activities in the city centre include ice skating and lake side walks or simply a stroll through the pleasant Queenstown Gardens.

Other local activities which are offered by tour operators and local guides include horse riding, mountain biking (some excellent trails), rock climbing, 4WD trips, rock and mountain climbing. There are plenty of hiking trails around the Queenstown area with the well known Routeburn Track (one of the Great Walks) starting from a point about one hour’s drive from the city. Golfers can play on the local courses – that’s when there’s no snow, of course!

Guests with their own transport will enjoy driving around the area and taking in the many scenic spots. The 45 minutes each-way drive to Glenorchy is a picturesque and highly recommended trip, following the lake and offering great views of the surrounding mountains. Arrowtown just 20 minutes drive from Queenstown is former gold mining town. This pretty town retains that gold rush feel with many historic buildings lining the town centre and grand old trees gracing the surrounding streets.

The Queenstown area has a number of Lord of the Rings sites where filming for the movie trilogy took place. Tours to visit these sites can be arranged.

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Entertainment and Eating Out

Queenstown offers plenty of eating options ranging from good old pub meals and a pint of international cuisine including Thai, Japanese, Chinese and Italian. Due to the transient nature of staff through Queenstown, some of the restaurants leave a certain amount to be desired in terms of food quality and service, but there are some good eateries and bars in town. The centre of Queenstown is very compact and much of the entertainment resides in an area of about 500 metres square, based around Shotover, Camp and Beach Streets.

 

The Queenstown Mall covered in snow

There are some lively after-dark pubs and nightclubs, and the night spots hum along during much of the year with the height of the ski and summer seasons particularly busy. Cow Lane has a few groovy bars with The Mall and Beach Street worth a stroll to check out the local action.

New vineyards are popping up all the time around the Queenstown area. Well established is the Gibbston Valley area just 10 minutes drive out of Queenstown. Lunches at the wineries are popular during the summer months and, together with a spot of wine tasting, make for a great afternoon. Gibbston Valley Wines is extremely popular for lunch together with wine and cheese tastings. Wine tastings are also available (some by appointment) at Chard Farm, Peregrine, Waitiri Creek Wines (with café), Mount Edward and Van Asch Wines (with a restaurant).

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Shopping

 

Lights illuminate the shops of Queenstown

The compact centre of Queenstown has a remarkable number of shops offering everything from outdoor clothing and sports gear to books and souvenirs, including jewellery, sheepskin and wool products.

A couple of small but adequate supermarkets reside in the centre of town with a much larger and well equipped option located 6 kilometres away in Frankton.

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Cyber Queenstown
Internet cafes are dotted around the town and many of the hotels have internet kiosks.

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Getting From A to B
Once in Queenstown, getting around is relatively easy with the centre of town compact and walkable. Many of the organised trips commence from the centre of town and participants are dropped back in town, taking the hardship out of getting to the start point.

Sheep make their way to greener pastures

“Shopper” buses serve the hotels and centre of town all year round, and during the ski season, shuttle buses to the mountains operate from most of the hotels.

Queenstown Airport is located 6 kilometres from the centre of town with taxis and buses regularly serving this route.

Rental cars are available at the airport for pick up and drop off, and can also be arranged for inner city collection by hotel tour desks. Having your own transport is recommended in order to make the most of Queenstown’s stunning surroundings.

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Boating on Lake Wakatipu

Tours
There are tours aplenty operating from Queenstown including many of the organised trips mentioned earlier (refer to the “activities” section of www.queenstown-nz.co.nz). The visitor information centre and most hotels can assist in booking trips and tours.

Day trips to the Milford Sound (by road) depart every day from Queenstown and this long day has visitors back in Queenstown the same night. Trips to Te Anau and the other Sounds can also be arranged. A faster way to reach Milford is by either fixed wing plane or helicopter. These scenic flights can be combined with boat trips on the Sound making for a great day out.

Lake Wanaka is a popular day trip and is a quieter, more low-key version of Queenstown, yet still with plenty of outdoor activities and a lovely lake. Winter skiing on the Treble Cone field is popular for the more advanced skier.

Cromwell, Clyde, Alexandra and Roxburgh are smaller towns located within 1.5 hours of Queenstown. Fruit growing is the main industry in these towns with some wineries popping up around the Cromwell area. If you have a car, this can be an interesting day trip, watch that drink driving though.

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Events
Queenstown plays host to a number of annual events including the Otago Wine and Food Festival (February), the Winter Festival (July) and the annual 50K endurance ski racing event (July/August).

See www.queenstown-nz.co.nz for further details

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Photos courtesy of www.queenstown-nz.co.nz

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