Queenstown

Breathing Space!

Queenstown is geared up for those coming to take a winter holiday. This may include time on any of the six ski fields in the district, skiing or snowboarding. Queenstown has a vibrant apres ski experience, the envy of anywhere, with fine restaurants, bars and cafes serving quality New Zealand cuisine and fantastic local and international wines, including the acclaimed Pinot Noir. There is something for everybody.

Playing the edge
Adventure Capital of the World – Queenstown, NZ. A reputation earned through the actions of a number of locally residing thrill seekers who have developed several unbelievable, adrenalin stirring, sanity-reducing adventures in a wildly exciting environment – bungy jump, skydive, climb mountains, ski, raft, kayak, fish, horse ride, cycle, walk, take a scenic flight, sail, river surf, jet boat, hang-glide, snowmobile, snowboard, dance, go canyoning, heliski, parapente. Queenstown has, over the years, quietly expanded into all sorts of attractions, including new wineries, art galleries, arts trails and challenging golf courses. Downtown Queenstown is a compact and picturesque shopping area where you’ll find international labels alongside the best in New Zealand designs. It’s an imaginative and vibrant retail scene.

In contrast to the thrill seeking adventures on offer, why not take some time out and pamper yourself with a spa treatment. Immerse yourself in one of the spas in Queenstown and enjoy relaxation at its best. All spas are close to hand in Queenstown to massage your tired muscles and revitalise you with a facial, pedicure or one of many other treatments on offer.

Historic Arrowtown
Twenty-one kilometers from Queenstown, Arrowtown is a combination of striking seasonal changes, historic buildings and quiet charm. The new buildings on the main street have been developed in sympathy with old and is a testament to the town’s determination to preserve its illustrious past.

The superb Lakes District Museum is located here, there is a growing café culture, great restaurants and much to do including superb walking and mountain biking tracks, excellent fishing, horse riding and gold panning. It’s an artistic town and artwork ranging from traditional to contemporary is on exhibit in the many homestead studios surrounding Arrowtown, in several galleries and in the Museum, which changes its themed exhibitions regularly. The boutique Dorothy Browns Cinema specialises in constantly changing foreign and classic movies and is also home to exciting art displays.

Lord Of the Rings
Arrowtown residents embraced the filming of Lord of the Rings. The Ford of Bruinen was located just upstream of the town and it was here that Arwen Evenstar, daughter of Elrond, carried the injured and dying Frodo across the river on horseback with the Black Riders close behind. The gushing Arrow River and its bush-clad walkways is an internationally preferred site for location filming of movies and commercials. It’s also a photographer’s dream.

Wines of Central Otago

History
At 45% south Central Otago is the world’s southernmost winemaking region and is Renowned for pinot noir. Located 200 to 400 metres above sea level the vineyards enjoy spectacular alpine backdrops and are the highest in the country Central Otago has won more gold medals for this variety than any other New Zealand region. Also growing well are chardonnay, pinot gris and sauvignon blanc varieties. Grapes were first grown here by a Frenchman during the goldrush of the late 1860’s.

Wine production (in hectares) is predicted to rise 74% over the next three years to a total of 928 hectares.

The Modern Tipple
There are vineyards across Central Otago and into the Queenstown and Wanaka areas. Specifically, Bannockburn, Gibbston Valley and Lowburn are home to big plantings. There are 45 wineries in the region. Local vineyards have 680 hectares in production producing more than 2273 tonnes of grapes. The predominant variety is pinot noir.