description
Queenstown is a resort town in
Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island.
The town is built around an inlet on Lake Wakatipu, a
long thin "S"-shaped lake, and has spectactular views of
nearby mountains.
There are various accounts of how the town was named,
the most popular suggests that a local gold digger
exclaimed that the town was "fit for Queen Victoria". It
is sometimes referred to disparagingly as "Vegas by the
Lake" due to a perceived fixation with moneymaking
activities, and is popular with tourism operators.
The town is the largest centre in Central Otago, but for
some administrative purposes it is considered part of
Southland. According to the 2001 census, the usually
resident population of the Queenstown urban area
(including Frankton and Kelvin Heights) is 8535, an
increase of 19.3% since 1996.
Its neighbouring towns and districts include Arrowtown,
Wanaka, Alexandra, and Cromwell. The nearest cities are
Dunedin and Invercargill.
resort town, Queenstown is a centre for adventure tourism. Skiing, jet
boating, bungy jumping, mountain biking and tramping are
all strong promotional themes.
Along with Mount Ruapehu, Queenstown is a major centre
for snow sports in New Zealand, with people from all
over the country and many parts of the world travelling
to ski at the four main mountain skifields (Cardrona,
Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Treble Cone).
Locally, Queenstown has an enviable reputation as one of
New Zealand's wine and cuisine centres. Neighbouring
Arrowtown features excellent restaurants and bars, and
Queenstown lies close to the centre of a small wine
producing region, reputed to be the world's
southernmost. Pinot noir produced in this area fetches
premium prices.
Queenstown is connected to Auckland and Christchurch via
its airport; Queenstown Airport |
