Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the adrenaline. At the very least, find a lakeside bench at dusk and immerse yourself in
one of NZ's most beautiful views.
Queenstown is well used to visitors with international accents, so expect great tourist
facilities but also big crowds, especially in summer and winter. Autumn (March to May)
and spring (October to November) are slightly quieter, but Queenstown is a true year-
round destination.
The town's restaurants and bars are regularly packed with a mainly young crowd that
really know how to holiday. If you're a more private soul, drop in to see what all the fuss
is about, but then get out and about by exploring the sublime wilderness further up the
lake at Glenorchy.
ESSENTIAL QUEENSTOWN
& WANAKA
Eat
A leisurely lunch at a vineyard restaurant
Drink
One of the surprising seasonal brews by Wanaka Beerworks' (
Click here
)
Read
Walking the RouteburnTrackby Philip Holden for a wander through the his-
tory, flora and fauna of this tramp
Listen to
The silence as you kayak blissfully around Glenorchy and Kinloch
Watch
Top of the Lake, the Jane Campion-directed TV series set around the top
of Wakatipu
Area code
03
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.
