About Queenstown

As part of the stunning Southern Lakes District, the alpine resort of Queenstown attracts over 1 million visitors each year for the world-class snowfields, bungy jumping and huge array of award-winning activities and stunning scenery that can be enjoyed all year round!

A visual feast for the eyes and a buzz for the soul, imagine a place of rugged mountains, clear blue lakes and crystal clean air… welcome to Queenstown.

Wine trails, bungy jumping, jet boating, skiing, tramping, yachting, shopping, dining, clubbing, golf, sky-diving, gondola rides, and so much more, where do you start and how will you fit it all into your holiday?

Considered New Zealand's top all season resort region, Queenstown is located in the lower South Island of New Zealand and is nestled beside Lake Wakatipu and surrounded by towering mountain ranges.

Queenstown started as an 1860’s goldmining camp when the community’s founding father, William Gilbert Rees, established the first farm in the Queenstown area and played a key role in the gold rush that was to follow.

Central Queenstown today is a compact area with a friendly yet 'grown up' ambience boasting a huge range of cafes, restaurants, bars, shops and pubs to keep any city dweller satisfied. Exciting nightclubs, sophisticated lounge bars, vibrant cafes and award winning restaurants offer great entertainment, award winning wines and fabulous contemporary cuisine. However, if your holiday plans are to escape from it all, there are plenty of luxury accommodation retreats, health and beauty spas, tranquil park and garden walks and quiet alpine spots for you to relax and unwind.

Queenstown attracts many top New Zealand and international events, including major golf tournaments, winter sport action, concerts and festivals. However the most famous of all these festivals is the annual Queenstown Winter Festival. Held each winter, visitors from all around the world converge on Queenstown for a week long party that includes masquerade ball, outdoor concerts, comedy festivals, fireworks, celebrity ski events, mardi gras and other wild and wonderful activities.

Other world-class attractions in the Queenstown region include some of New Zealand's top ski and snowboarding fields, Lord of the Rings tours, Bungy Jumping, TSS Earnslaw steamboat and the Skyline Gondola. There is a multitude of adventure and sports activities, including summer lake activities and top class winter skiing or snowboarding - all within easy driving distance from the heart of Queenstown.

The town centre is extremely visitor-friendly due to the compact layout of shops, cafes, restaurants and lakeshore proximity. Here visitors can enjoy tourist shopping and dining at a leisurely pace. From central world-class hotels, to motels and holiday apartments, it is easy to walk to most of Queenstown's entertaining and dining venues.

Relaxing or extreme holiday adventures are all easily accessible from downtown; the challenge is deciding what to do first. Between 4WD sightseeing, shopping, bungy jumping, clubbing, skiing, wine tasting and fine cuisine, there is always the sublime peace of Lake Wakatipu to escape to - it is the focal point for relaxation and fun in this township.

Visitors are sure to fall in love with the stunning four seasons that is Queenstown.