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Queenstown is New Zealand’s number 1 holiday destination for international visitors, and it is easy to see why. Queenstown is jaw-droppingly beautiful. It sits beside Lake Wakatipu with clear, turquoise and calm waters and above the town and lake rise the Remarkables, the majestic, snow-capped moutains.
It’s the hub for adventure tourism- the first commercial bungy jump was based at the Kawarau Bridge. There is so much to do from aerobatic flight to parapenting via jet boating, to whitewater rafting and mountain biking to fly fishing and much, much more.
It’s also a major centre for skiing and snowboarding. Its four main mountain skifields are Cardrona Alpine Resort, Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Treble Cone. Cross-country is available at the Waiorau Snow Farm, near Cardrona village. And after a day in the snow, the après ski is hot. There are more than 200 bars and eateries, one for every 75 people, it is said.
An hour west of Queenstown is Fiordland, New Zealand’s largest national park. Milford Sound is the best known of all of the fiords, because it is unspeakably gorgeous.
Queenstown has an Alpine climate. Summer (December to February) temperatures range between 10 and 22 C (50 and 72 F), winter (June to August) temperatures between 0 and 8 C (32 and 46 F). The average number of rainy days per month is eight.
Queenstown is a four-season destination. There really is no bad time to visit Queenstown.
June to October is ski season. December to March is summer time, when New Zealanders take their holidays. Summer is also peak season for walking and hiking.
The low-lying river fishing season starts on October 1, and the alpine-river fishing season opens on November 2.
There are lots of rental-car companies at the airport. The Kiwi Shuttle will deliver you to any address in Queenstown and there’s also Super Shuttle, a door-to-door shared ride service. Taxis and limousines are readily available as well.
Public transport – the Connectabus runs between 6am and 11pm, every 20 minutes.
The Central Business District is compact and ideal for walking. Connectabus offers an extensive route network around the area, up to Sunshine Bay and down to Arrowtown.
Several activity providers offer free shuttles to/from the town centre.
During ski season, several shuttle buses run to Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Cardrona Alpine Resort.