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| Kelvin Heights, Queenstown, New Zealand |
Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has spectacular views of nearby mountains such as The Remarkables, Cecil Peak, Walter Peak and just above the town, Ben Lomond and Queenstown Hill. The Queenstown-Lakes District has a land area of 8,704.97 km² (3,361.01 sq mi) not counting its inland lakes (Lake Hawea, Lake Wakatipu, and Lake Wanaka). It has an estimated resident population of 29,200. Its neighbouring towns include Arrowtown, Wanaka, Alexandra, and Cromwell. The nearest cities are Dunedin and Invercargill.
Queenstown is now known for its commerce-oriented tourism, especially
adventure and ski tourism. It is popular with youth international people and
New Zealand and Australian travellers alike. The town is the largest centre in Central Otago, and the second largest in Otago after Dunedin. Oamaru is now the third largest.
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| Queenstown Beach View |
A resort town, Queenstown is a centre for adventure tourism. Skiing and snowboarding, jet boating, whitewater rafting, bungy jumping, mountain biking, skateboarding, tramping, Parapenting, Sky diving and fly fishing are all popular activities. Queenstown is a major centre for snow sports in New Zealand, with
people from all over the country and many parts of the world travelling
to ski at the four main mountain skifields (Cardrona Alpine Resort, Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Treble Cone). Cross country skiing is also available at the Waiorau Snow Farm, located near the village of Cardrona. Queenstown's hostels have become a popular
destination for tourists from all over the world. Queenstown provides
adventure tourism during the day and a vibrant nightlife scene during
the evenings. Queenstown is also gaining popularity as a honeymoon
destination. Locally, Queenstown has a reputation as one of New Zealand's wine and
cuisine centres. Neighbouring, historic Arrowtown also features
excellent restaurants and bars, and Queenstown lies close to the centre
of a small wine producing region, reputed to be the world's southernmost. Pinot noir produced in this area fetches premium prices.
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| Winter at Queenstown |
Queenstown also now hosts an annual International Jazz Festival. Recent international performers include Anika Moa and Di Bird. Queenstown also has a reputation for being the 'Adventure Capital of the World'.
Queenstown Airport is located 10 km from town and has scheduled flights to Auckland, Christchurch, Rotorua, Wellington, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
