Tucked into the shores of Lake Wakatipu and surrounded by jagged peaks, the magical feel of this town hits before your plane even touches down. Fill your days with adventures like bungy jumping, white-water rafting, jet boating, heli skiing or skydiving and, when you’re ready to relax, you’ll find a fantastic range of eateries and bars, boutiques to browse, indulgent beauty spas and accommodation ranging from backpacker hostels to five-star luxury.
Highlights
Bungy jumping This is where it all began! The original A.J. Hackett bungy site is on the Kawarau Bridge, but there are now numerous locations such as Ledge Urban Bungy, 400 metres above Queenstown. Arrowtown Once a bustling gold rush town, Arrowtown is now a peaceful village featuring heritage buildings and a tree-lined main street just a short drive from Queenstown. Skippers Canyon This rugged area was once home to hardy gold miners – now visitors can take a 4WD tour around cliff-hugging roads. Adventure activities Queenstown offers a multitude of adventure activities such as jet boating, white-water rafting and mountain biking. Luxury experiences Sip wine in a café, indulge at a day spa, play golf at a resort or stay a night in a premium hotel – Queenstown does luxury well! Remarkable landscapes Queenstown offers superb shopping and lifestyle in a visually stunning setting, nestled alongside Lake Wakatipu with a view across to The Remarkables. Great golf Queenstown is becoming the Southern Hemisphere’s premier week-long golf holiday destination, with five golf courses within 20 minutes’ drive, and new ‘stay and play’ packages on offer.
Destinations
Queenstown Stunning lakeside resort, a great base for adventure activities. Arrowtown Historic gold rush town full of interesting shops and good eateries. Glenorchy Base for multi-day walking tracks at the head of Lake Wakatipu.
Getting There and Around
Air Queenstown Airport, 10 minutes’ drive from town, offers domestic flights to Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Rotorua and more than 30 trans-Tasman services to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Buses operate between the airport and town, departing every 15 minutes, 17 hours per day. Road Queenstown is 6 hours, 55 minutes from Christchurch, 4 hours, 10 minutes from Milford Sound, and 1 hour, 40 minutes from Wanaka. Coaches and shuttles operate between Queenstown and South Island destinations. Transfers to Arrowtown, and ski areas in winter, are available. Christchurch to Queenstown [486 km; 6 hr, 55 min] Dunedin to Queenstown [283 km; 4 hr, 5 min] Queenstown to Te Anau [170 km; 2 hr, 25 min] Queenstown to Wanaka [117 km; 1 hr, 40 min] Queenstown to Glenorchy [45 km; 40 min] Queenstown to Arrowtown [22 km; 20 min]
