Queenstown sits on a fjord-blue lake ringed by the jagged Remarkables range, and treats adrenaline sports as a civic identity — this is where commercial bungy jumping was invented. Summer brings hiking and jet-boating, winter turns it into a ski town, and Milford Sound is a spectacular (if long) day trip away.
Good to know
- Book bungy, jet boat and Milford Sound slots ahead in peak summer (Dec–Feb) and ski season (Jul–Aug).
- Weather turns fast in the mountains — layer clothing even on a sunny morning.
- A rental car makes Glenorchy, Arrowtown and Gibbston Valley far easier than relying on tours alone.
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Places the planner can use
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Peninsula park of towering trees and a lakefront path, with frisbee golf and a rose garden.
Legendary 24-hour burger joint with a queue that's practically a local landmark.
Easy lakeside promenade with the Remarkables mountain range reflected in impossibly clear water.
Century-old coal-fired steamship crossing Lake Wakatipu to a high-country sheep station, often with dinner on board.
Walk-through native bird park under cover, with a conservation talk and a rare kiwi enclosure lit for nocturnal viewing.
Cable car above the town to a mountaintop restaurant and a gravity luge track back down.
High-speed jet boat spinning through a narrow river canyon, skimming rock walls at close range.
The original commercial bungy jump, 43 metres above the Kawarau River, at the site that started the sport.
A scenic three-hour drive to a fjord of waterfalls and sheer cliffs, then a two-hour boat cruise among seals and, sometimes, dolphins.
One of the most scenic drives in the country, along the lake to a small settlement used as Lord of the Rings filming country.
Two major ski fields a short drive from town, groomed runs and backcountry bowls, winter season only (Jun–Oct).
Cellar-door tastings of the region's cool-climate pinot noir, some with cave tours underground.