The Adventure Capital
Queenstown sits on the shore of Lake Wakatipu below the Remarkables. It is the home of the commercial bungy jump and of jet boating, a ski town in winter, and the base for Milford Sound, Arrowtown and the vineyards of Gibbston.
Lake Wakatipu is long, deep and shaped like a lightning bolt, and Queenstown sits on a bay halfway along it. The jagged Remarkables rise across the water, Bob’s Peak climbs straight behind the town, and in winter snow reaches almost to the lake.
Māori knew the area as Tāhuna, and travelled through it in search of pounamu (greenstone) found in the rivers near the head of the lake.
Gold was found in the Shotover River in 1862, and Queenstown and nearby Arrowtown filled with miners, including many from southern China. When the gold ran out, the town turned to farming and then to visitors.
In 1988 the world’s first commercial bungy jump opened at the Kawarau Bridge, and Queenstown became the adventure capital: jet boats, skydiving, paragliding, ski fields and mountain biking all followed.
The town is small and walkable, with a lively centre of restaurants and bars. The vineyards of the Gibbston Valley, known for pinot noir, are 20 minutes away, and the old steamship TSS Earnslaw still crosses the lake to Walter Peak.
Summer is long and dry, with light until late evening; autumn turns Arrowtown gold; winter (June to September) brings skiing at Coronet Peak and The Remarkables. Queenstown Airport is only about 15 minutes from the centre, with flights from Auckland, Christchurch and Australia.
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