Kingston provides good access to the south end of Lake Wakatipu, with a nice beach and lakefront reserve. The town was once the end of the railway, with goods then shipped by boat up the southeast arm of Lake Wakatipu to Frankton and Queenstown. The development of State Highway 8 along the edge of the lake eventually ended this, although the Kingston Flyer still operates as a steam engine train excursion for tourists.
The town is one end of the Around the Mountains Cycle Trail, with the other end at Walters Peak, immediately across the lake from Queenstown. There is also the Shirt Tail Track, a short walking trail above the railway station/cafe that gets you to a nice viewpoint above Kingston.
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