Queenstown

Queenstown sits on a bay of Lake Wakatipu in the Otago region of New Zealand's South Island, ringed by mountains including the aptly named Remarkables. It is small — the centre is a few blocks around the waterfront — but it functions as the adventure and ski capital of the country, with an international airport and a dense concentration of operators.

Nearly everything a visitor does here is outdoors or on the way to somewhere outdoors. The town itself is compact and walkable, and the surrounding valleys, including Glenorchy at the head of the lake and the Gibbston wine country, are within an hour.

Queenstown is the easiest place in New Zealand to get into the mountains without planning an expedition, and it is where commercial bungy jumping began, at the Kawarau Bridge, in the late 1980s.

It is also the gateway to two of the country's most striking landscapes: the fiords at Milford Sound and the Southern Alps around Mount Aspiring, both reachable from the town.

• The Skyline gondola and Bob's Peak. A steep cable car to a terrace above the town, with the classic view over the lake and the Remarkables, plus luge tracks and walking trails at the top.
• TSS Earnslaw. A coal-fired steamship from 1912 still working the lake, crossing to Walter Peak station.
• Bungy at the Kawarau Bridge. The original commercial jump site, in the gorge on the road towards Cromwell.
• Shotover jet boating. Narrow canyon runs at speed in shallow water, the other activity the town is known for.
• The Queenstown Hill and Ben Lomond tracks. Walking routes straight out of town, the first a short climb, the second a serious half-day above the bush line.
• Glenorchy and the head of the lake. A drive of about forty-five minutes along the shore into the valleys used in many films, with walking tracks beyond.
• Gibbston Valley. Pinot noir country in the gorge east of town, with cellar doors and a cycle trail linking them.

December to March is summer: long days, hiking, lake swimming for the brave, and every activity operating.

June to September is the ski season, with fields at the Remarkables, Coronet Peak, Cardrona and Treble Cone. Winter is the town's other high season and accommodation is priced accordingly.

March to May brings autumn colour in the Wakatipu basin and around Arrowtown, with cool clear days and fewer visitors — by many accounts the best time of all.

October and November are the quietest and cheapest, with unsettled weather and snow still on the tops.

Central Queenstown puts you within walking distance of the waterfront, restaurants and most operator desks. It is the most expensive and the noisiest at night.

Frankton, near the airport at the other end of the bay, is cheaper and well connected by bus, with lake access and supermarkets.

Fernhill and Sunshine Bay, west along the lake, are quiet and often better value with views.

Arrowtown, twenty minutes away, is a restored gold-mining village and a calmer base with real character, particularly in autumn.

Town centre: the waterfront, the Mall, Steamer Wharf and the gondola base.

Queenstown Hill: residential streets rising behind the centre, with walking track access.

Frankton: the airport, the main supermarkets and shops, and the flat lakeside trail back into town.

Fernhill and Sunshine Bay: west along the lake, quieter accommodation with views.

Arrowtown: a preserved gold-rush settlement on the Arrow River, with a Chinese miners' settlement site and the best autumn colour in the region.

The town centre is walkable end to end in fifteen minutes. The local Orbus network links Queenstown, Frankton, the airport and Arrowtown at a low flat fare with a Bee Card.

Queenstown Airport is at Frankton, unusually close to the centre, with domestic flights and services from Australia.

A car makes Glenorchy, the Gibbston Valley, Wanaka and the ski fields far easier, though most activity operators run their own transfers from town. Mountain roads can require chains in winter and conditions change quickly.

For its size Queenstown eats well, driven by the visitor economy. Central Otago pinot noir from the Gibbston, Bannockburn and Bendigo subregions is the local product worth seeking out, and most cellar doors are within half an hour.

Regional produce includes stone fruit from the Cromwell basin in summer, Bluff oysters in the southern season and venison from nearby farms.

The town has a well-known burger queue on the waterfront and a good spread of cafés; booking is advisable for dinner in both high seasons.

Milford Sound in Fiordland is the headline trip. It is a long day by road — several hours each way through the Homer Tunnel — usually done by coach and boat package. Flying or staying at Te Anau shortens it considerably.

Wanaka, about an hour over the Crown Range, is a quieter lake town with the Roys Peak track and access to Mount Aspiring National Park.

Glenorchy and Paradise, at the head of Lake Wakatipu, give the best mountain scenery reachable in a half day.

Arrowtown and the Gibbston Valley combine easily into one relaxed day of history, cycling and wine.

Queenstown is the most expensive town in New Zealand for accommodation, and prices swing hard between seasons. Activities are the other major cost: bungy, jet boats, helicopter flights and Milford day trips are all significant.

The free alternatives are excellent. The lakeside walk to Frankton, the Queenstown Hill and Ben Lomond tracks, the Arrowtown river paths and the Gibbston cycle trail cost nothing beyond a bike hire. Self-catering from the Frankton supermarkets makes a real difference over several days.

Book activities and accommodation early in both high seasons. Summer and the ski months both sell out well ahead.

Milford Sound is a very long day. Leave early, expect rain — it is one of the wettest inhabited places on earth — and consider staying at Te Anau instead.

Check alpine road conditions in winter. Chains may be required on the ski field access roads and on the Crown Range.

Weather changes fast in the mountains. Even short walks warrant a waterproof layer and more water than you expect.

Sandflies are a real nuisance in Fiordland and at the lake edges; repellent is worth carrying.