Queenstown

Queenstown

Adventure Capital

Queenstown - New Zealand's ‘Adventure Capital’ - annually attracts more than a million visitors who come for everything from world-class skiing and snowboarding to bungy jumping, jet boating, and gourmet food and wines.

Summer pursuits during long hot days on Queenstown’s lakes include fishing, hiking and relaxation. Autumn’s crisp, clear days offer great golfing conditions, and the colourful contrast of falling leaves against a mountainous landscape. In winter, snow-covered mountains attract crowds of skiers and snowboarders to nearby ski-fields for an action-packed season that often lasts into spring.

Adventure and indulgence go hand-in-hand in Queenstown. The region has some of New Zealand’s best luxury accommodation, world-class golf courses, and award-winning wines.

Heritage

Māori searching for pounamu (New Zealand greenstone or nephrite jade) were the first people to visit the area. Having discovered the valuable stone, they returned on regular hunting and pounamu expeditions.

According to Māori legend, Lake Wakatipu was formed by an evil giant who kidnapped a beautiful Māori maiden. Knocked down by the maiden’s rescuer, the giant slumbers in the depths of the lake and his beating heart makes the lake rise and fall.

When gold was discovered in the Arrow and Shotover rivers in 1862, ‘Canvas Town’ (as Queenstown was originally known) became a gold-mining boom town until 1865 when an exodus for the Westland gold rush emptied two-thirds of the town’s buildings. In the 1870s activity increased as new crushing technology was applied to the Macetown, Mt Aurum and the Shotover river quartz reefs.

Canvas Town was renamed Queenstown because it was said to be ‘fit for a queen’.

Food and Wine

Gibbston Valley - the world’s southernmost wine growing region - is famed for award-winning pinot noir wines, and also produces chardonnay, pinot gris, riesling and sauvignon blanc varietals.

Tours to Gibbston Valley vineyards and wineries include award-winning Gibbston Valley Vineyard which has a fine dining restaurant and New Zealand’s biggest underground wine cave. Other vineyards with fine dining establishments include Amisfield Winery Bistro and The Winehouse & Kitchen.

Queenstown has many top restaurants and luxury lodges with exclusive dining. Saffron restaurant, in nearby Arrowtown, has an international reputation for fine cuisine.

Luxury

Queenstown’s stunning scenery, high-end recreational activities, and luxury accommodation attract international celebrities and discerning travellers.

Blanket Bay, which consistently ranks alongside other top international luxury lodges, is renowned for its stunning setting on the northern end of Lake Wakatipu, luxurious rooms and world-class cuisine. Matakauri Lodge offers a complete lodge experience with secluded lake views. Azur Lodge has a contemporary style with strong links to the surrounding natural environment.

Queenstown has many five-star hotels and boutique accommodation options, including Eichardt’s private hotel which occupies a heritage building and several cottages on the lakefront.

Visitors to Queenstown can hire a helicopter and fly to a remote alpine location for a champagne picnic, play golf on a range of world-class courses, or charter a private yacht for fishing. Several luxury service providers tailor itineraries.

Adventure / Outdoors

As New Zealand’s ‘adventure capital’, Queenstown has about 220 year-round activities and attractions - from the legendary bungy jump to jet-boating, rafting and mountain biking.

The world’s first commercial bungy site opened at Kawarau bridge, near Queenstown, in 1988. Inspired by the vine jumpers of Vanuatu, New Zealanders Henry van Asch and A J Hackett created this distinctly New Zealand tourism phenomenon that’s known the world over. Queenstown’s three jump sites include an urban bungy with a 'runway' that launches jumpers 400m above Queenstown.

Queenstown was the birthplace of commercial jet-boating. Visitors can ‘catch the canyons’ on the famed Shotover river, or take a thrilling ride through the Shotover river canyons.

Year-round rafting on the Shotover and Kawarau rivers includes heli-rafting. The Kawarau is the largest volume river rafted commercially in New Zealand, and is ideal for first-time rafters while the Shotover is a challenging ride that carves through dramatic Skippers Canyon.

For mountain bikers, Queenstown has trails for all skill levels. After winter, the Coronet Peak ski runs turn into scenic downhill biking trails. Skippers Canyon old pack-track is an historical experience, and Bob’s Peak has a challenging descent.

Seasonal Highlights

Queenstown is a celebrated winter destination with several ski areas, lively ski culture and winter festivals attracting large crowds to the vibrant resort town.

Coronet Peak is the oldest and best known of the Southern Lakes snowfields. With great early morning and night skiing, Coronet Peak offers New Zealand’s longest on-snow hours. The Remarkables ski area has a wide range of terrain and is popular with snowboarders, freeskiers and families. Ski-fields open from early June until October.

Queenstown Winter Festival - in late June / early July - is New Zealand’s largest winter celebration with more than 60 events over 10 days. Events, on and off the mountain, cover sport, art, music, comedy, food, wine and everything in between. Gay Ski Week - held in late August / early September - is the southern hemisphere's biggest gay and lesbian alpine party and attracts many international visitors.

DID YOU KNOW

• Part of the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy was filmed in the Queenstown region.
• In 2000, Queenstown became the first New Zealand destination to host a million visitors in a 12-month period.
• At peak times, Queenstown visitors out-number local residents by three-to-one.
• Queenstown’s name originated in the 1800s, when the local gold-miners dubbed it 'a town fit for a queen’. The phrase, so the story goes, was found stamped on an anvil in a local blacksmith’s shop.
• The oldest-recorded bungy jumper is a 94-year-old at Kawarau bridge.