Starting its life as a gold mining camp in the 1860's, central Queenstown is today a compact area with a friendly, yet ‘grown-up’ feel. Its narrow streets are lined with plentiful bars and restaurants, backpacker hostels, as well as upmarket hotels and local shops.
Because of the city’s unique layout, you can choose to wonder within the heart of town, go on an adrenaline pumping jet-boat ride, hike up a mountain, enjoy a lake-view, or escape from the city bustle to the countryside to sample the region’s acclaimed wines such as the beautifully full-bodied Pinot Noir. From the edge of town you can take a cable car up the mountain top for a panoramic view of the surrounding area, or enjoy a traditional dinner.
Stretching along the south-side of the lake, you’ll spy the Remarkables - so called because of the “remarkable” light effects that play across their slopes. During summer, their colour changes from mauve to deep red as the sun goes down, while in winter, its snow-covered cones are just a breath-taking spectacle to behold.