Snow-capped mountains, trail of fruit flushed trees, blossoms of dazzling colors, exotic lakes, lush green patches, serene and tranquil surroundings and much more.... Queenstown will simply enchant you, will uplift your soul, making you feel that you belong to the chosen few. Regarded as New Zealand's adventure capital, it is a resort town in Otago and is one of the most diverse and physically beautiful on earth.
The town is fabricated around an inlet on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin "S"-shaped lake, and has magnificent views of nearby mountains. There are many intriguing accounts on how this town was named. The most popular suggests that a local gold digger exclaimed that the town was "fit for Queen Victoria". It is sometimes referred to disparagingly as "Vegas by the Lake" due to a perceived fixation with moneymaking activities, and is popular with tourism operators.
Seasonal Splendor
Seasonal splendors offers an assortment of topography which is sure to touch your heart and give you an experience that gets registered on your minds for a lifetime.
Spring
Officially Spring are between 1st September to 30th November. It’s a season when the gardens bloom and so does your spirits seeing the beauty around you.. Warm daytime, cool evenings to quick showers the weather seems just erratic out here. But the beauty in and around doesn’t dampen your excitement to discover more about this vast and scented landscape. As the sun starts setting people start flocking near the beaches to enjoy late afternoon sunshine. Cafés, markets, shops soon teems up with people.
The evenings are perfect for taking long casual walks. Different scents and colors just mesmerizes you. You’ll find an astonishing range of bulbs, annuals and perennials creating vivid displays. In Central Otago, the hills transmute into mauve with flowering herbs, particularly wild thyme. Fishing lovers just need to buy a fishing license (the price is nominal) from any sports shop in Te Anau, Cromwell, Alexandra, Wanaka or Queenstown. Skiing is often at its best during this season.
This town is never at rest and keeps on sweltering with events and activities. In the mountains there’s still snow, so you can either have pleasure during The Remarkables Spring Carnival, or take in some jazz at the annual Queenstown Jazz Festival. Other events include Alexandra Blossom Festival, New Zealand’s longest running community festival and grand Float Parade.
Summer
With enviable alpine climate and long leisurely days, summers in Queenstown means rejuvenating hot holidays along with outdoor living. Officially, summers are between 1st December to 28 th February and are high seasons for the walking tracks. There are at least 13 trails encompassing haunting beech forests, vast tussock fields and dramatic mountain passes.
The Summerdaze festival in the Queenstown Lakes district - Queenstown, Wanaka, Arrowtown, Glenorchy, Kingston are perfect to wander and savor the rural kiwi as they are exhibited at several Agricultural & Pastoral and arts and crafts markets around these regions. Horse race meets, rodeos and heaps of sporting events from fully competitive to very social are organized in most towns.
Autumn
Autumn season are between 1st march to 30th May. Warm days and occasional balmy evenings, holidaying in this soothing, rejuvenating paradise seems perfect. With a backdrop of brilliant reds and gold’s of the autumn leaf fall you can either take leisure walk or go horse riding. Wine lovers can get taste of assortment of wines as Queenstown lies close to the centre of a small wine producing region. Pinot noir produced in this area fetches premium prices.
Come sunset and you can relish fireside evenings. Motor sport fans shouldn’t miss the Silverstone Queenstown International Race. At Easter the focus moves to Wanaka for the world famous air show.
Winter
Adventure-seeking travelers throng Queenstown in winters to enjoy skiing and tobogganing along its snow-covered slopes. Ride a chairlift to the slopes or chutes best suited to your ability. The resorts are alive, all activity operators are in full swing and the log fires offer warmth and comfort Further into the region, stable weather makes winter a wonderful time to take in the rainforests.
Much of the territory is alpine. Make sure you’re well equipped for sudden changes in conditions.
Dinning Out
Food lovers have a exotic array of Cuisines to splurge on. Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Turkish, pizzas, pub meals, seafood salads, modern Pacific cuisine, noodle houses, sushi caravans, home baked cakes and pastries and local delicacies are consumed in Queenstown's centre by locals and visitors alike. The main dining precinct runs from Steamer Wharf up Beach Street, splitting into Shotover and Church Streets and includes all the malls and alleyways in between.
Transport
Getting here is easy as the region is well served by major airlines. Air New Zealand and QANTAS fly direct from Sydney year round and extends this service to encompass Brisbane and Melbourne in winter. Domestically there are several connections each day from New Zealand's main centres such as Auckland, Wellington and Christchuch. Access by road is a wonderful scenic option - self drive or catch a scenic coach tour.
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