Queenstown Specials

City Guide

Queenstown

Come for the lake, stay for the adrenaline.

Queenstown, on the northern shore of the serpentine Lake Wakatipu, is the epitome of the big-budget resort town, awash with organised tour groups. There's great skiing in winter and plenty of extreme substitute summer pastimes. Most activities are centred on the lake and many nearby rivers.

Population:8500

Communication

Areacodes : 03

Transport

Direct daily flights are offered by Air New Zealand between Queenstown and both Auckland and Christchurch, with connections to other major centres. Qantas also has direct flights to Christchurch, with connections to Auckland and Rotorua.

The booking office for InterCity (www.intercitycoach.co.nz; cnr Camp & Shotover Sts), in the Queenstown visitors centre, has details of daily bus services from Queenstown, including to Christchurch, Te Anau, Milford Sound, Dunedin and Invercargill, plus a daily West Coast service to the glaciers via Wanaka and Haast Pass.

'Alternative' bus tours such as the West Coast Express, Kiwi Experience, Magic Bus or the Flying Kiwi also go up the West Coast to Nelson. The Bottom Bus (www.bottombus.co.nz) does a loop service around the south of the South Island.

Both the Info & Track Centre and Kiwi Discovery (37 Camp St) can arrange transport to the tracks. Backpacker Express (www.glenorchyinfocentre.co.nz; 2 Oban St) runs to/from the Routeburn, Greenstone, Caples and Rees-Dart Tracks, all via Glenorchy. The morning bus picks up at various accommodation points around Queenstown.

Located 8km (5mi) from town is Queenstown Airport (03 442 3505; www.queenstownairport.co.nz). Super Shuttle (0800 748 8853, 03 442 3639) picks up and drops off in Queenstown. The Shopper Bus (03 442 6647) runs to the airport hourly. The Shopper Bus also has services to Fernhill and Frankton accommodation.