Queenstown & Wanaka - New Zealand's South Island - page 460

Sleeping

11 Alexis Queenstown E3

12 Amity Lodge E3

13 Black Sheep Lodge E3

14 Bumbles C3

15 Butterfli Lodge B4

16 Chalet Queenstown B&B F3

17 Coronation Lodge D3

18 Creeksyde Top 10 D1

19 Hippo Lodge D2

20 Historic Stone House E2

21 Queenstown Motel Apartments F3

22 Queenstown Park D2

Eating

23 Mediterranean Market D1

Entertainment

Kiwi Haka (see 5)

History
The region was deserted when the first Pakeha (white person) arrived in the mid-1850s,
although there is evidence of previous Maori settlement. Sheep farmers came first, but
after two shearers discovered gold on the banks of the Shotover River in 1862, a deluge of
prospectors followed.
Within a year Queenstown was a mining town with streets, permanent buildings and a
population of several thousand. It was declared 'fit for a queen' by the NZ government,
hence Queenstown was born. Lake Wakatipu was the principal means of transport, and at
the height of the boom there were four paddle steamers and 30 other craft plying the wa-
ters.
By 1900 the gold had petered out and the population was a mere 190. It wasn't until the
1950s that Queenstown became a popular holiday destination.