New Zealand, Oceania

Queenstown

New Zealand, Oceania

Cradled on the northern shore of glacier-carved Lake Wakatipu beneath the 2,319-metre granite ridge of The Remarkables, Queenstown (Tahuna) is the alpine adventure and wine capital of New Zealand's South Island: a lakeside base for the 1912 coal steamer TSS Earnslaw, Arrowtown's goldfields, Gibbston Valley Pinot Noir, and Fiordland's Milford Sound.

Quick decisions

How many days? Allow 3 to 5 full days so you can spend Day 1 on Lake Wakatipu aboard the 1912 steamer TSS Earnslaw and atop Bob's Peak, Day 2 exploring gold-rush Arrowtown, the 1880 Kawarau Bridge, and Gibbston Valley Pinot Noir wineries, and Days 3 to 4 on full-day excursions to Milford Sound (Piopiotahi), Glenorchy and the Routeburn Track, or Lake Wānaka via the Crown Range Road.
Where should I stay? Base yourself around Marine Parade and Steamer Wharf in the walkable town centre, up on the lake-view slopes of Fernhill, along the sunny Frankton Arm and Kelvin Heights peninsula, or in historic Arrowtown 20 minutes away.
Do I need a car? You do not need a car for the town centre, Bob's Peak, or the TSS Earnslaw, and local Orbus public buses (with a prepaid Bee Card) connect Queenstown Airport, Frankton, Fernhill, and Arrowtown; hire a car (or book guided excursions) for Glenorchy, the Gibbston Valley, Wānaka, and Milford Sound.
Best for: Alpine lake cruises and mountain hikes, world-first bungy and jet-boating canyons, cool-climate Pinot Noir vineyards, Southern Hemisphere skiing, and Fiordland National Park day trips.
Before you go: Book Milford Sound scenic flights and TSS Earnslaw Walter Peak Homestead lunches well ahead in summer and autumn, carry a waterproof shell for Fiordland's 6,400mm annual rainfall, and never drive a rental car onto unsealed Skippers Canyon Road (excluded from rental insurance).
Getting around: Walk the compact town centre, buy a prepaid Bee Card at Queenstown Airport (ZQN) for low-cost flat-fare rides on Orbus Route 1 and Route 2, or take the hourly Queenstown Water Taxi across the Frankton Arm.
Continue your trip: Fly direct from Queenstown Airport (ZQN) to Auckland on the North Island or across the Tasman Sea to Sydney.

Overview

Known in te reo Māori as Tāhuna ("Shallow Bay"), Queenstown occupies an amphitheatre of water and stone at 45° South in the Otago high country of New Zealand's South Island. Directly in front of the town stretches 80-kilometre-long, Z-shaped Lake Wakatipu (Whakatipu Waimāori), a glacially gouged trough 380 metres deep whose waters rise and fall by up to twenty centimetres every 26.7 minutes in a natural standing wave (seiche) linked in Māori legend to the beating heart of a sleeping giant. Across the water rise the twin triangles of Cecil Peak (1,978m) and Walter Peak (1,800m) and the jagged tooth of The Remarkables (Kawaru, 2,319m), while immediately behind town the Skyline Gondola climbs 450 vertical metres up Bob's Peak toward the 1,748-metre summit of Ben Lomond. Settled by sheep runholders in 1860 and transformed two years later when alluvial gold was struck in the Shotover and Arrow rivers, Queenstown today pairs the 1912 coal-fired steamer TSS Earnslaw, 1860s Arrowtown and Gibbston Valley Pinot Noir, and Glenorchy's Routeburn Track with day trips into UNESCO-listed Milford Sound (Piopiotahi).

Getting there

Fly into Queenstown Airport (ZQN) at Frankton, just 8 km (15 minutes) east of the town centre, on direct flights from Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane, and ride Orbus Route 1 (every 15 minutes with a prepaid Bee Card) or the Queenstown Water Taxi into town.

Where to stay

Stay around Marine Parade, Beach Street, and Steamer Wharf for car-free access to the lakefront, up on Fernhill for panoramic Remarkables views, along the Frankton Arm and Kelvin Heights, or in historic Arrowtown.

Things to do

Cruise Lake Wakatipu aboard the 1912 coal steamer TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak and walk Queenstown Gardens, ride the Skyline Gondola up Bob's Peak and hike Ben Lomond, visit Arrowtown's Chinese Settlement and Gibbston Valley wineries, see the 1880 Kawarau Bungy Bridge and Shotover Canyons, drive to Glenorchy and the Routeburn Track or Wānaka via the Crown Range, and tour Milford Sound.

Food and drink

Savour slow-roasted Otago high-country Merino lamb, Fiordland venison, and Foveaux Strait blue cod, pair seasonal Bluff oysters with Central Otago Pinot Noir in Gibbston, queue on Shotover Street for a flame-grilled Fergburger or flaky Fergbaker venison pie, and finish with lakeside hokey pokey ice cream.

Culture

Explore the 1862 Otago Gold Rush heritage of Buckingham Street and the restored 1868 Arrowtown Chinese Settlement, watch stokers shovel coal into the furnaces of the 1912 TSS Earnslaw, and walk the ancient Māori greenstone (pounamu) trails around the head of Lake Wakatipu.

Weather by month

Queenstown is warmest in January, with average highs around 22°C, and coldest in July, when nights drop to about -1°C. May is the wettest month, with rain on about 8 days. For mild weather with fewer rainy days, aim for January, February, March and November.

Warmest monthJanuary · 22°C

Coolest nightsJuly · -1°C

Wettest monthMay · 8 rain days

Average temperature and rainfall in Queenstown by month
Month	Low	High	Rain	Rainy days
Jan	10°C	22°C	49 mm	7 d
Feb	10°C	22°C	42 mm	6 d
Mar	8°C	19°C	49 mm	7 d
Apr	5°C	15°C	49 mm	7 d
May	2°C	12°C	56 mm	8 d
Jun	0°C	8°C	56 mm	8 d
Jul	-1°C	8°C	49 mm	7 d
Aug	0°C	10°C	56 mm	8 d
Sep	2°C	13°C	56 mm	8 d
Oct	4°C	15°C	56 mm	8 d
Nov	6°C	18°C	49 mm	7 d
Dec	9°C	20°C	56 mm	8 d