Queenstown Things to Do Tips by kiwigal_1

Queenstown sits on the shores of Lake Wakatipu which has a distinctive "S" type shape.
The SS Earnslaw chugs on the lake and there are many other water activities available to tourists.

Facts about the Lake from Brittanica:

"Lake Wakatipu measures 48 miles (77 km) by 3 miles (5 km) and has an area of 113 square miles (293 square km). It is the second largest of the Southern Lakes, being exceeded only by Te Anau. The lake's name is of Maori derivation and may mean “water springs dug by Rakaihaitu” or, more likely, may refer to a legend of a goblin living below the surface..."

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Queenstown is home to The Remarkables which are a beautiful set of mountain peaks towering over Lake Whakatipu to the left of the town.
The Remarkables Range was formed by faulting and folding of schist rock and was covered by glaciers during the ice age. The ranges get their name because of the stunning way they look as the sun sets behind them.

If you are into skiiing then The Remarkables is just one of the many skiifields close to Queenstown (check the link below).

My friend arranged her wedding on top of the mountain too! They were flown up by helicopter and were married perched above Queenstown amongst the stunning scenery.

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Website: http://www.nzski.com/remarkables/

Arrowtown is located about 20 kilometres from Queenstown.
It is a very quaint colonial style town that is worth a half day trip. The scenery in the area is stunning.

Arrowtown sprung up in 1862 when gold was discoveredin the Arrow River. Originally named Fox's (after William Fox, a Californian gold miner) the town began to populate. Within weeks 1500 people, and as the news of gold in the Arrow River spread, people in search of treasure arrived in droves. Tents and shanties built on the river bank were washed away in a spring flood the following year, lives were lost. The town was re built more solidly on the terraces above the river bank. Arrowtown developed eventually into a solid community, which included several hotels, a Bank, Post Office, Gaol, School, and Hospital. At the height of the gold rush, Arrowtown's population grew to over 7000.

Today Arrowtown has retained an ambience sought after by visitors and residents alike. Arrowtown has a population of about 1,700.

Arrowtown's focus is on hosting visiting holidaymakers, in accommodation, dining and sightseeing and recreational pursuits. Film production, viticulture and farming are also major income earners for the town.

Worldwide attention has been received recently with some of The Lord of the Rings trilogy filmed in and around Arrowtown and environs. Commercial viticulture has become well established, with many award winning wines produced locally.

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Address: Main Street, Arrowtown
Website: http://www.arrowtown.org.nz

Although Wanaka is actually another town it doesn't have its own airport so the best access is to fly to Queenstown and drive from there. It takes about an hour.

Wanaka was a nice day trip for us, mainly to see the scenery and make use of our rental car which we only had for a day. Other reasons to visit Wanaka (in winter) is for the skiing as popular Treble Cone and Cardrona are located near here. There are plenty of other outdoor activities in the area, such as hiking in Mt Aspiring National Park and Trout Fishing in the lakes and rivers.

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Website: http://www.lakewanaka.co.nz/

A J Hackett are the inventor's of the bungy. This picture is taken at the world's first commercial bungy site at the Kawerau Bridge. The location is easy to get to by car and is about 20 minutes drive from Queenstown.

The bungy length is 43 metres and it is possible to do a water touch and tandem bungy's.

A J Hackett have other sites in Queenstown and other parts of New Zealand so please refer to their website for more details.

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Address: Kawerau Bridge
Directions: Various locations and operators.
Website: http://www.ajhackett.com

The Skyline Gondola towers over Queenstown so you can't miss it really! If you want awesome aerial views (without the cost of a helicopter) then I suggest to anyone that they should make a trip up the hill. What we actually did was walk up through a track in the forest and then took the Gondola down so that we got the best of both worlds. The information centre in town was excellent at offering advice on the best way to walk up the hill. It takes about an hour and takes quite a bit of physical effort but is worth it!

The link below will take you to the Skyline site with further information on the cost of the Gondola. There is a restaurant and luge at the top also.

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Phone: 64 3 441 0101
Address: Brecon Street, Queenstown.
Website: http://www.skyline.co.nz

Coronet Peak is the closest skifield to Queenstown.

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Luging is a really fun activity which you really should try if you haven't done so before. Remember to listen to the instructions though because it can be quite painful if you fall off!!

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Phone: 64 3 441 0101
Address: Brecon Street, Queenstown.
Website: http://www.skyline.co.nz