Queenstown
Located in the heart of New Zealand’s South Island, by the shores of Lake Wakatipu, and surrounded all around by mountains, Queenstown is the most popular tourist location of South Island. Over 1.3 million tourists and visitors visited Queenstown in the year 2018.
Remarkedly Queenstown is really just a small town. The Queenstown urban area has only around 20,000 long-term residents, and many of the residents are young people on working holiday visas. Therefore, during the peak holiday seasons, there may be more tourists and visitors than local residents in Queenstown.
Well-known internationally as the adventure capital of New Zealand, Queenstown has a wide variety of adventure things to do – Bungee jumping, jet boating, white water rafting, paragliding, rock climbing, mountain biking, skiing, hiking, kayaking, etc.
Many visitors use Queenstown as the base to visit nearby attractions such as Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound in the Fiordland National Park.
Visit the Queenstown website to learn more about Queenstown.
Lake Wakatipu
The third largest lake in New Zealand after Lake Taupo and Lake Te Anau, the glacier-carved 293 km2 elongated Lake Wakatipu has a distinctive mirror-z-shaped, which makes it the longest lake in New Zealand.
Dart River and Rees River feed into Lake Wakatipu at the northern end of the lake, and Kawarau River flows out of Lake Wakatipu near Queenstown, which is located on the eastern shore and in the middle of Lake Wakatipu.
Surrounded by mountains on all sides, Lake Wakatipu is beautiful and distinctly different in the 4 seasons of the year.
A good way to enjoy the magnificent scenery of the lake and the surrounding mountains is to take a cruise on TSS Earnslaw, which is a 1912 vintage steamship, or the Spirit of Queenstown cruise ship.
Kelvin Peninsula Walk Trail at Queenstown Golf Club and Wakatipu Yacht Club
Kelvin Peninsula, located southeast of Queenstown town centre, extends into Wakatipu Lake. Located on the Kelvin Peninsula and a 20-minute drive from the Queenstown town centre, Kelvin Heights is part of the Queenstown urban area with a long-term population of just over 1100 people. Kelvin Heights has a large number of holiday houses.
Queenstown Golf Club, located on the tip of Kelvin Peninsula, has been described as one of the most picturesque golf courses in the world because the golf course is surrounded by the crystal-clear water of Lake Wakatipu and has magnificent views of the mountains surrounding Lake Wakatipu.
Kelvin Peninsula Walk Trail is a 90-minute walk by the bank of the lake around Kelvin Heights Peninsula. Click to read more about Kelvin Peninsula Walk Trail.
If you prefer a shorter walk, then the section of Kelvin Peninsula Walk Trail around Queenstown Golf Club and near the Wakatipu Yacht Club at the tip of the peninsula offers the best lake and mountain views and popular picnic and swimming spots in the warmer months.
Want to discover more great walking locations? Check out the “By the Waters” blogs.
Kelvin Peninsula, located southeast of Queenstown town centre, extends into Wakatipu Lake. Kelvin Heights, located on the Kelvin Peninsula and is a 20-minute drive from the Queenstown town centre, is part of the Queenstown urban area with a long-term population of just over 1100 people.