Queenstown (New Zealand)
From Travel Generation
Queenstown [1] is a scenic town in the South Island of New Zealand. It is one of the most beautiful regions of Otago and offers year round attractions. The town sits on the edge of Lake Wakatipu and is surrounded by the Southern Alps. The most remarkable sight is the Remarkables, which is a saw-toothed range of mountains on the opposite side of the lake from the town.
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About Queenstown
Queenstown lies at the outlet to Lake Wakatipu, one of New Zealand's Southern Lakes. It caters for tourists on a wide range of budgets, from backpackers to luxury tourists. In many respects Queenstown can be a tourist trap. However, reasonable prices and bargains can be found for those prepared to look for them.
Queenstown is a party town during high seasons. if you plan on getting a good nights sleep, then you might consider staying slightly out of town. It is common to see people on the street up to 5am in the morning, coming back from the disco or pub. If you are looking for a relaxing scenic holiday, Wanaka (an hour drive) is smaller and more tranquil (with less of a party atmosphere).
How To Get around
The Queenstown town centre itself is small enough to walk around. Parking is at a premium and can be hard to find during the day. For more distant travel wheeled transport such as a bus or car is necessary.
There are a number of tour operators to be found in downtown Queenstown. Transport from downtown Queenstown to adventure activities is often part of the tour package. Some operators may even pick up from your tourist accommodation.
A number of boat tours depart from the Queenstown Wharf at the bottom of the Mall - including the historic steamship TSS Earnslaw, affectionately known as the "Lady of the Lake" [2]
What To Do
- Touring - the scenery surrounding Queenstown makes for excellent touring, with lakes, mountains and bush around vineyards and farmland
- skiing
