Queenstown Regional Information
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Imagine yourself opening your eyes on a clear winter's morning to the chirping of a fantail at your window. The Remarkables soar above you in the crisp air. Their snowclad peaks, rosy in the dawn, beckon you upwards for a day of exhilarating skiing. Or maybe a languid wander around town and relaxing in the warmth of a fine restaurant. The first humans to see the waters of Lake Wakatipu didn't have it so good. The early Maori struggled through the tangle of thorned matagouri and needle-sharp speargrass which guarded the approach to the lake, in search of food, flax and especially greenstone. The coldness of winter so far south prevented them from setting up permanent settlements. It wasn't until the end of the 1850's that Europeans lived in the area. The first settlers, William Rees and Paul Tunzelmann von Alderflug, divided the lake between them and settled in for a peaceful life of farming; but not for long. Their idyll was shattered -- by gold. Thousands scrambled to New Zealand's richest gold rush. The remains of that heady time can still be marveled at in Arrowtown, near Queenstown, where the primitive conditions of a mining shantytown have been preserved. Queenstown itself, so named because it was "fit for a Queen", is nestled into the edge of Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand's third largest lake. The lake's steep slopes are dark with native forest, and the snowy tops of the Remarkables reflect in its tranquil surface. The most notable way to see Lake Wakatipu is from the past, cruising on the TSS Earnslaw, a lovingly-maintained steamship from the beginning of last century. Visitors can disembark for a taste of the high life -- high country farm life, that is -- at the Walter Peak Homestead Restaurant. Walter Peak is one of several local farms who are delighted to share their lifestyle and hospitality with visitors, offering farm tours, demonstrations and horse trekking.
No visit to Queenstown is complete until you have seen it from above. Skyline Gondolas carry you to the top of Bob's Peak, 450m above the town, for magnificent views of the lake and mountains. A luxury function centre at the summit makes a creative site for any event, and is only one of Queenstown's many superb conference centres. From a leisurely stroll to the summit of Queenstown Hill, or a wander along the lakefront or through the Queenstown Gardens, to a week-long alpine tramp, Lake Wakatipu is a walker's heaven. A favourite energetic day trip is the Ben Lomand walkway, through subalpine and alpine vegetation to panoramic mountain views. Intrepid climbers can leave at midnight on a clear summer's night and enjoy a champagne breakfast on the summit. World-class golf courses, hunting and fishing, rifle ranges, mountain-biking, parapenting, and of course, skiing and snowboarding, all draw thousands of people to Queenstown. The ski fields in the surrounding mountains are among the best in the world, and are not only well set up for beginners, but also sport runs through virgin snow to challenge the most experienced. Many popular tramps begin at Glenorchy, at the head of the Lake Wakatipu, a 44km drive through breathtaking scenery. The Rees-Dart, Greenstone and Caples valleys, with their dramatic mountain backdrops, take several days to explore, and the Routeburn track is so famous that visitors walking it now have to book well in advance.
For the particularly adventurous, whitewater rafting and jet boating on several wild rivers thrill visitors. The Shotover River churns out of Skippers Canyon, accessible only along a frighteningly narrow precipitous road. For those who fancy a really close encounter with the gorge, Skipper's Canyon is one of A. J. Hackett Bungy's three spectacular bungy sites in Queenstown -- the man who jumped off the Eiffel Tower and survived to talk about it! A wide range of native birds are at home in the Kiwi and Birdlife Park, set in native bush in downtown Queenstown. The park's particular gems are its kiwi and black stilt populations. Kiwi, the big flightless birds which are New Zealand's icon, are severely prone to predators in the natural bush. The black stilt's predicament is even worse: it is the rarest wading bird in the world, with less than 200 birds left. Only breeding programmes such as that of the Kiwi and Birdlife Park give these birds any chance of survival. Queenstown's many cafes, bars, restaurants and casino make it a lively place to hang out in the evening, or the perfect setting for a romantic dinner. The town is transformed into one big party on New Year's Eve, when tens of thousands flock to it. An alcohol ban in the town centre that night only adds to the atmosphere of joy and camaraderie, the atmosphere which makes Queenstown a fascinating destination for every season
