• Touring - the scenery surrounding Queenstown makes for excellent touring, with lakes, mountains and bush around vineyards and farmland
• Skiing & snowboarding - 4 world class ski fields
• Bungy Jumping [6]- the first commercial bungy jump was established on the Kawarau Bridge.
• Jet boats. Wxciting jetboat rides have been operating near Queenstown for 50 years. The Shotover Jet is billed as "The World's Most Exciting Jetboat Ride". The jet boats carry passengers at high speeds over shallow waters performing stunts like 360 degree pirouettes in the water.
• Luge [7] is fun filled gravity ride for all ages and abilities. You control your own gravity propelled vehicle down the track. Choose from two tracks, one scenic and gentle, the other advanced and adventurous.
• Horseback riding. There are some great tours that pick up in Queenstown and take you into the valleys, through rivers, etc. Pamphlets can be collected at any hotel or hostel to explore the dozens of horseback tours
• parasailing
• mountaineering
• parapenting - launching yourself off a hill with a parachute to ride the "thermals"
• white water rafting
• scenic flights - the helicopter and light aircraft flights to Milford Sound and Fiordland are rated amongst the best in the world.
• flyfishing
• hiking
• wine tasting. The southernmost vineyards in the world are close to Queenstown.
• cycling - hire a bike for the day and use your legs
• relaxing - Queenstown is a sleepy village with reasonable nightlife
• fishing - lake wakatipu is known for it's trout. You cannot buy fishes from lakes in NZ, you have to fish for them yourself.
• cruising - lake cruises on Lake Wakatipu offer great views of the town, surrounding mountains, etc.

The spectacular mountain scenery and Lake Wakatipu dominate the view from many parts of town. Most attractions in Queenstown make the most of the view. It is enough reason to spend time in Queenstown if you choose not to do anything else.

One of the best views is from the top of Bob's Peak reached by the Skyline Gondola [4]. Breathtaking views of Coronet Peak, The Remarkables mountain range and across Lake Wakatipu to Cecil and Walter Peaks. It's truly magnificent and awe-inspiring!

The drive to Glenorchy, 50 minutes north up Lake Wakatipu, is rated as one of the top scenic drives in the world. The Gibbston Valley wine area is 20 minutes drive from Queenstown by the ancient Kawarau Gorge.

For visitor information and brochures, call into the official Queenstown i-SITE office [5] on the corner of Shotover & Camp Streets. Ph 03 442 4100 Email: info@qvc.co.nz

By plane

Queenstown has an international airport which is served by two large carriers, Qantas and Air New Zealand. There are connecting flights from all New Zealand's major centres and, during the ski season, direct flights from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in Australia.

Queenstown airport is known for it's spectacular approach, the snow-covered mountains of New Zealand's Southern Alps surround it on four sides and there is a complicated path to the runway. Low cloud and cold weather can close the runway, especially in winter, resulting in cancelled flights.

Queenstown airport also provides for private jets and other aircraft, and there is a huge number of helicopter take-offs and landings each day. Scenic flights and heli-skiing are a popular attraction for the region.

Queenstown is an expensive airport and it can be cheaper to fly to Dunedin or Christchurch and drive the 3 1/2 or 6 1/2 hour journeys.

By bus

Daily services from Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill, Te Anau, Wanaka and the West Coast.

Newmans Coach Lines operates a premium sightseeing tours to Queenstown from Christchurch and from the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers.

InterCity Coachlines is New Zealand's national coach company and operates over 150 services to more than 600 destinations nationwide. Daily services in and out of Queenstown connect throughout the South Island.

nakedbus.com is the cheapest way of getting to Queenstown with fares starting at $1 if you book early enough.

Many international tour companies carry holidaymakers into Queenstown by coach.

By car

Allow a full day from Christchurch (about 6 hours driving). The drive is spectacular, through the diverse countryside of New Zealand's South Island, with vast plains, rolling hills, multicoloured lakes and mountain passes. Major international and all national rental car and campervan companies have offices in Queenstown.

The Queenstown town centre itself is small enough to walk around. Parking is at a premium and can be hard to find during the day. For more distant travel wheeled a bus or car is necessary.

There are a number of tour operators to be found in downtown Queenstown. Transport from downtown Queenstown to adventure activities is often part of the tour package. Some operators may even pick up from your tourist accommodation.

A number of boat tours depart from the Queenstown Wharf at the bottom of the Mall - including the historic steamship TSS Earnslaw, affectionately known as the "Lady of the Lake" [3]

Queenstown also has a small local bus service operated by Connectabus. There are three routes - the most useful for tourists being services 10/11 which run every 30 minutes to the airport and the Remarkables Park shopping centre and alternate services continue to Arrowtown. Fares are expensive e.g. $6 single/$10 return from the airport to Queenstown, or $13 for a network day pass. All buses stop on Cow Lane outside the O'Connell shopping mall.

The town centre contains many tourist and souvenir stores, and bargains can be hard to come by.

Top quality knitwear, Sheepskin and Possum Fur products, Greenstone (Jade) and bone carvings, and fine New Zealand wine is available for a price.

Outdoor suppliers are plentiful, with equipment for trampers (hikers), mountain bikers, skiiers and snowboarders, and many others who use Queenstown as the launching-pad for expeditions into the nearby National Parks.

There are a handful of convenience food stores in the town centre, most open until midnight and beyond. Two large supermakets are on the outskirts of town.

Most of the stores in Queenstown are open until 8pm or 9pm, 7 days a week.

There are a huge variety of numerous eating establishments to be found in Queenstown, from all-hours takeaways to fine dining. Reservations for dinner are important at the best places most times of the year, and most nights of the week.

Fine restaurants serve world-class seafood (local mussels, oysters and deep sea fish such as blue cod), game, red meat (farmed venison, lamb and beef).

The wineries of the Gibbston Valley (20 minutes drive) are open for lunch.

• The Bathhouse Fine Restaurant, Esplanade (03) 442 5625 (fine dining)
• The Bunker, Cow Lane (03) 441 8030 (fine dining)
• Wai Waterfront Seafood Restaurant, Steamer Wharf (03) 442 5969 (fine dining)
• Fergburger Takeaways, Shotover Street (03) 441 1232 (large burgers)
• Winnie Bagoes Pizza Bar, 7 The Mall (03) 442 8635 (pizza and drinking)
• The Cow Pizza & Spaghetti House, Cow Lane (03) 442-8588 (pizza)
• At Thai, Church Street, (03) 4423683 (Thai cuisine)
• The Lone Star(casual dining)
• Minami Jujitsu (Japanese)
• Memories of Hong Kong (lunch boxes and dining)
• Hamills Restaurant (casual dining) Remarkables Park, Frankton

Nightlife in Queentown is largely about drinking, and there are over a hundred licenced premises in Queenstown. Most are in the downtown area, a number open 24 hours. Most bars have licenses to close at 5am and it is lively most nights.

There are cheap bars popular with backpackers and young locals, and sophisticated and expensive wine, cocktail and imported beer bars. Many bars and pubs have sunny outdoor courtyards in the summer months, and roaring open fires in the winter. Major sports events are normally to be found on screen somewhere in Queenstown.

There are two small casinos and one "massage parlour" for adult entertainment.

Many bars do not offer food.