- Queenstown, New Zealand
Infobox Settlement
name=Queenstown
mapsize=200px
subdivision_type=Country
subdivision_name=flag|New Zealand
subdivision_type1=Region
subdivision_name1=Otago
subdivision_type2=Territorial authority
subdivision_name2=Queenstown Lakes District
population_as_of=2006 Census
population_urban=10442
population_blank1_title=District
population_blank1=22956
area_blank1_title=District
area_blank1_km2=8704.97
timezone=NZST
utc_offset=+12
timezone_DST=NZDT
utc_offset_DST=+13
postal_code_type=Postcode(s)
postal_code=9300
area_code=03Queenstown is a
resort town inOtago in the south-west ofNew Zealand 'sSouth Island . It is built around an inlet onLake Wakatipu , a long thin lake shaped like a staggered lightning bolt, and has spectactular views of nearby mountains.There are various apocryphal accounts of how the town was named, the most popular suggesting that a local gold digger exclaimed that the town was "fit for Queen Victoria". It is now known for its commerce-oriented tourism, especially adventure and ski tourism. It is popular with young international and New Zealand travellers alike.
The town is the largest centre in
Central Otago , and the second largest in Otago, but for a few administrative purposes (such as primary healthcare) it is administered as part of Southland. According to the 2006 census, the usually resident population of the Queenstown urban area (including Frankton and Kelvin Heights) is 10422 [cite web|url=http://www.stats.govt.nz/census/2006-census-data/final-counts/otago-region.htm|title=2006 Census Data, Final counts, Otago Region|publisher=Statistics New Zealand ] , an increase of 22.1% since 2001.Its neighbouring towns and districts include
Arrowtown ,Wanaka , Alexandra, and Cromwell. The nearest cities areDunedin andInvercargill .The Queenstown-Lakes District has a land area of 8,704.97 km² (3,361.01 sq mi) not counting its inland lakes (
Lake Hawea ,Lake Wakatipu , andLake Wanaka ). It had a 2006 census population of 22,956 usual residents.Tourism
A resort town, Queenstown is a centre for
adventure tourism .Skiing , jet boating,bungy jumping , mountain biking, tramping andfly fishing are all strong promotional themes.Queenstown is a major centre for snow sports in New Zealand, with people from all over the country and many parts of the world travelling to ski at the four main mountain skifields (
Cardrona Alpine Resort ,Coronet Peak ,The Remarkables andTreble Cone ).In recent years Queenstown's hostels have become a popular destination for young Australian and American tourists. Queenstown provides adventure tourism during the day and a vibrant nightlife scene during the evenings.
Locally, Queenstown has a reputation as one of New Zealand's wine and cuisine centres. Neighbouring, historic Arrowtown features excellent restaurants and bars, and Queenstown lies close to the centre of a small wine producing region, reputed to be the world's southernmost. Pinot noir produced in this area fetches premium prices.
Queenstown Airport has scheduled flights toAuckland ,Christchurch andSydney year-round andWellington ,Melbourne andBrisbane seasonally. Queenstown and the surrounding area contain many locations used in the filming of the "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy.Highlights
*Lake Wakatipu -
TSS Earnslaw
*Adventure Tourism,jetboat s,bungy jump , skiing, river surfing, canyon swing, sky diving, mountain biking, paragliding
*A round of golf atMillbrook Resort - 150-year-old wheat farm, now a luxury resort.
*Cricket (new One Day International venue) andGolf
*Queenstown Airport at Frankton
*Skyline Gondola andluge
*Winter festival
*Goldmining, Arrowtown, Central Otago history, sheep farming andWalter Peak station.
*Southern Lakes District &Milford Sound /Homer Tunnel
*Glenorchy &Routeburn trackClimate
Queenstown has an alpine climate with winters that have clear blue skies and snow capped mountains. Summer has long warm days with temperatures that can reach 30°C (2007/2008).
Infobox Weather
metric_first=yes
single_line=yes
location =Queenstown
Jan_Hi_°C =22.6
Feb_Hi_°C =22.7
Mar_Hi_°C =19.9
Apr_Hi_°C =16.1
May_Hi_°C =11.9
Jun_Hi_°C =8.6
Jul_Hi_°C =8.2
Aug_Hi_°C =10.3
Sep_Hi_°C =13.5
Oct_Hi_°C =16.2
Nov_Hi_°C =18.6
Dec_Hi_°C =20.7
Year_Hi_°C =15.8
Jan_Lo_°C =10.7
Feb_Lo_°C =10.6
Mar_Lo_°C =8.8
Apr_Lo_°C =6.2
May_Lo_°C =3.3
Jun_Lo_°C =0.7
Jul_Lo_°C =0.1
Aug_Lo_°C =1.3
Sep_Lo_°C =3.6
Oct_Lo_°C =5.6
Nov_Lo_°C =7.4
Dec_Lo_°C =9.4
Year_Lo_°C =5.6
Jan_Precip_mm =78
Feb_Precip_mm =58
Mar_Precip_mm =80
Apr_Precip_mm =75
May_Precip_mm =89
Jun_Precip_mm =82
Jul_Precip_mm =65
Aug_Precip_mm =73
Sep_Precip_mm =69
Oct_Precip_mm =95
Nov_Precip_mm =72
Dec_Precip_mm =77
Year_Precip_mm =913
source =NIWA Climate Datacite web
url=http://www.niwascience.co.nz/edu/resources/climate/|title=Climate Data|accessmonthday=November 2 |accessyear=2007
publisher=NIWA|language=]
accessdate =1971 – 2000Transport
Queenstown Airport was upgraded in the 1990s to handle jet aircraft, including international flights fromAustralia . Due to sustained heavy growth, further terminal expansion was undertaken in 2005 and 2006, with more construction currently ongoing. The airport is serviced by regular domestic services fromAuckland ,Wellington andChristchurch .Air New Zealand andQantas also operate regular international services fromBrisbane ,Melbourne andSydney , the frequency being much increased over the ski season. Queenstown airport isNew Zealand 's busiesthelicopter base, and is also heavily utilised for tourist 'flightseeing', especially toMilford Sound andMount Cook , using both fixed and rotary wing aircraft.The primary road access to the Queenstown area is via
State Highway 6 (SH6), which travels from Cromwell through the Kawarau Gorge to Frankton, where a 9-km spur (SH6A) leads to the CBD and connects with the Glenorchy Road. SH6 continues south, crossing the Kawarau river before heading down the eastern side of Lake Wakatipu to Kingston before emerging on the plains of Southland. A difficult road over theCrown Range leads to Cardrona skifield and Wanaka, and is New Zealand's highest paved public road.Queenstown is the departure point for a large number of day trips to
Milford Sound . Due to the ardurous nature of the very popular trip (12 hours return), various measures have been proposed to cut the trip time, including a monorail and a new tunnel through the mountains.:"See also:Transport to Milford Sound"
ister cities
*
Masuda, Shimane ,Japan
*Aspen, Colorado ,United States References
*cite book | first=A. W. | last=Reed | title=The Reed Dictionary of New Zealand Place Names | publisher=Reed Books | location=Auckland | year=2002 | id=ISBN 0-7900-0761-4
External links
* [http://www.qldc.govt.nz/ Queenstown Lakes District Council]
* [http://www.queenstown-nz.co.nz/ Queenstown Tourism official site]
* [http://www.commercequeenstown.co.nz/ Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.queenstownairport.co.nz/ Queenstown Airport official site]
*dmoz|Regional/Oceania/New_Zealand/Otago/Localities/Queenstown/|Queenstown
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