Queenstown

Queenstown, so named after Queen Victoria as it was perceived as being 'fit enough for her to visit', is situated on the shores of the sparkling clear waters of Lake Wakatipu, in the South Island of New Zealand.

The magnificent Remarkable Mountains tower over the town, creating spectacular scenery.

Renowned for being the adventure capital of New Zealand, Queenstown can offer you almost any adrenaline experience. You can leap, launch, shoot, float or fly off just about anything! Boats, jet boats, stunt planes, water skiing, paragliding, bungy jumping, horse riding, 4 wheel driving, hiking and climbing are to name but a few of the activities.

If, however, you are after a relaxing holiday, Queenstown will offer you the ultimate relaxation vacation. Pamper yourself with boutique shopping, fine dining, massages in your hotel room, hot pools, spa tubs, and delicious wine and art trails.

If you would like to see the outstanding countryside at your own pace then try a guided nature walk or fishing trip catered to your requirements.

Queenstown Shopping

Queenstown has excellent shopping facilities to offer. In central Queenstown, there is a mall and a covered shopping centre to choose from.
There are a large variety of shops to browse through, ranging from locally made designer clothes and jewellery, to high street fashion, to exclusive designer shops.

Queenstown Restaurants

Queenstown has a massively diverse range of restaurants, from fast food through to expensive fine dinning.
There is something for everyones pallate in Queenstown. Lunchtime dinning offers several places to sit outside and enjoy the world go by, perhaps you would prefer to go down to to Steamer Wharf and watch the Earnslaw Steamer that has been running since 1911 make its way across Lake Wakatipu.

The evening produces a wide range of restaurants from a delicious seafood restaurant through to several excellent steakhouses. New Zealand lamb is always on the menu, and comes highly recommended!

Queenstown History

Before the first European settlers, Queenstown was visited by Maoris looking for Greenstone.
Queenstown founder was called William Gilbert Rees and he was the first European settler. In 1860 he was responsible for establishing the first farm in the Queenstown area. after that , he played a key role in the gold rush.

When gold was discovered in The Shotover River by Thomas Arthur and Harry Redfern, they made the second largest haul in history. By 1900, the goldrush was over, and left only 200 settlers in Queenstown. Now Queenstown has a lively and booming population, and there are many historical gold mine sites to visit.