Queenstown (Tāhuna) is the most substantial resort town in NZ and the self-proclaimed adventure capital of the country, if not the world! Bungy jumping was invented in the Kawarau Gorge, and there are other options for scaring yourself silly! Other alternatives include lake cruises, skiing at Coronet Peak, Remarkables and Cardrona and jet boat rides on the Shotover River.
Despite being a substantial resort and commercial destination, with a centre, airport and several extended suburbs, the surrounding area is very scenic. The town sits on Lake Wakatipu. The derivation of the lake’s name is unclear, but we like the "trough of the giant" legend. Steep-sided mountains surround the lake. Ben Lomond is immediately behind the town centre, the Remarkables are to the east beside the airport and lake (up to 2,307 metres), Walter Peak (1,800 metres) and Cecil Peak (1,978 metes) are opposite the town on the south side of the lake, and the Thomson Mountains (up to 2,081 metres) are on the west side of the lake. If it is your first visit, walk around the Lake Wakatipu shoreline, including the Queenstown Gardens. Walk up Queenstown Hill, 440 metres above the town, with fabulous views. Alternatively, consider a ride up the gondola to 780 metres. You can hike to the top of Ben Lomond metres from the top of the Gondola; allow 4 to 5 hours to return. This peak is highly exposed, with snow and ice in winter.
Several of NZ's most scenic road trips are available from the town. You can drive from Queenstown along Gorge Rd to Arthurs Point, with access to the Shotover River, and then to Arrowtown and Lake Hayes. Connect with State Highway 6 and turn off onto the “The Zig Zag” section of the Crown Range Road to a viewpoint on the edge of the Crown Terrace. Keep going to Cardrona (25 minutes) and Wānaka (50 minutes), or head back down and take the spectacular Kawarau Gorge road towards Cromwell. Stop at the Historic Bridge bungy, at a Gibbston winery, and the spectacular viewpoint at Roaring Meg.
Alternately, take one of the two best lakeside drives in the country: the Kingston Road (State Highway 6 and the Southern Scenic Route) or the Queenstown Glenorchy Road. Both have fabulous views of the lake and mountains and are best done on a fine and still day. From Glenorchy, you can access Paradise, the gateway to Mt Aspiring National Park.
Numerous hiking options exist around the region. Our favourites are the Wye Creek Track, Moke Lake Loop, Mount Crichton Loop, Pops Cove, and a day walk to Routeburn Falls. Several multi-day mountain and forest hikes and tramps can also be accessed from Mount Aspiring National Park.
The region's first explorers were Rākaihautū, the ocean-going waka Uruaokapuarangi captain, and his wife, Waiariki-o-āio. After arriving in Tasman Bay, they explored much of the South Island, while their son, Te Rakihouia, explored most of the east coast in the waka. The legend is that Rākaihautū used his kō (digging stick), Tūwhakaroria, to dig the lakes and rivers in the South Island. Ngāi Tahu were seasonal occupiers, and the pounamu trail went through Glenorchy, over the Routeburn Track, to the Hollyfoird Valley. Queenstown Gardens was built on a disused pā, Te Kirikiri, in the 1860s.
The first non-Māori to see Lake Wakatipu was Nathanael Chalmers. A Māori chief, Reko, took him across the Waimea Plain in Southland and followed the Mataura River to the south end of Lake Wakatipu in September 1853. From there, they crossed the Kawarau River on a natural bridge near Roaring Meg (since collapsed), gaining access to Lake Wānaka and Lake Hāwea. They returned to the coast via the Clutha River / Mata-Au on a reed boat made by his guides called a mōkihi.
William Gilbert Rees and Nicholas von Tunzelmann were the first Europeans to settle in Queenstown. Rees established a sheep station in 1860. Gold in Arrowtown accelerated growth, and In 1862, he converted his wool shed into a hotel. It is still there today as Eichardt's Private Hotel. Other gold-era buildings include William's Cottage, the Lake Lodge of Ophir, the Police Station, and St Peter's Anglican Church.
