Queenstown Information - hotels, restaurants, golf, weather, maps & more

When most people think about going on vacation in beautiful New Zealand, they usually think about spending time in Auckland or in other parts of the country. The resort Mecca of Queenstown usually isn’t high on the list of places to visit, but perhaps it should be. This tiny town with a population of just over 10,000 people balloons to 30-40,000 during the winter tourist season, and we bet that once you get a taste of Queenstown hospitality, you will be coming back here year after year. Take a look at what Queenstown has to offer the weary traveler.

The first thing that you are sure to notice when you visit scenic Queenstown is the remarkable views available from just about every hotel room in the city. Queenstown is absolutely dominated by spectacular views, mainly from the deep glacial Lake Wakatipu and from the razor sharp peaks of the surrounding mountains. There is a reason why all of the Lord of the Rings movies were filmed in New Zealand; there isn’t another country this size anywhere on the globe that has topography this dramatic. So Queenstown is an obvious spot to travel to if you love hiking, biking or nature trails, but what else does this spot have to offer?

How about gold? Queenstown first made its mark on the world as one of the hottest gold mining spots on earth. While the gold is a bit harder to come by today, you can still grab a sifting pan and set out to find your fortune if you like. The city has always been an important trade capital, which lends it to having many distinct residents and a more diverse population than you might think. A diverse population equals many amazing restaurants featuring cuisine from all over the world; not the norm for a city of only 10,000 people.

Before you write off Queenstown as an Aspen-like destination that is only suitable for the rich and famous, you should consider the fact that there are many budget choices awaiting the thrifty traveler here. Not only are there affordable hotel rooms in the off season, many popular tourist venues offer free admission, and as we all know, enjoying the incredible natural scenery is always free.

Since the city of Queenstown is an obvious destination for those seeking to challenge river rapids and high peaks, the city has gladly adopted the reputation as being the country-wide center for extreme sports. The Lord of the Rings movies acted like a giant commercial to come visit New Zealand, and few spots have benefited more from this than Queenstown. The number of tourists who now visit here has climbed quite a bit since the movies hit the theatres, but it isn’t too overcrowded yet. Perhaps the best part about a Queenstown vacation is that there is plenty to do to appease each and every visitor that comes here, no matter if you are coming with your snowboard and bungee cord or if you simply want to enjoy four star luxury at one of the many fine hotels here