Queenstown apartments - holiday apartments throughout Queenstown

Lake Wakatipu

Sitting on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, at the southern end of the South Island, Queenstown is one of New Zealand's most popular resort towns. It forms part of the Southern Lakes region, an area known for its natural beauty. The town itself is a small, cosy place of just one square kilometer, and nearly everything is within walking distance. Unique shops, a wide range of restaurants, and a buzzing nightlife make this a great base and a fun place to spend a day, but Queenstown's real draw is its natural setting. Most people come here to soak up the landscape and to take advantage of the adventure sports on offer (for more on that, see 'Activities').

Read our mini guide to Queenstown

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Queenstown has a long aboriginal history, but it only became a permanent settlement in the 19th century, with the arrival of the gold rush. Mining has been a major economic activity ever since, though in modern days mining museums and tourist tours have taken over mining itself.

Lake Wakatipu

Queenstown enjoys all four seasons, with a long, hot summer (highs in the mid-20s), a mild autumn (highs in the low-20s), a crisp winter perfect for skiing and a pleasant springtime (highs in the upper 10s). All temperatures are in ?C.

Beware that the weather in the mountains is unstable year-round, and can change quickly. Always be prepared with a jacket and rain gear.

Lake Wakatipu

The main airport on the South Island is in Christchurch, which is connected to Sydney and to larger New Zealand airports, like Auckland. You'll probably have to fly through one of these cities to reach Christchurch. Once on the South Island you can either take a 45-minute commuter flight down to Queenstown, or you could rent a car and drive 6 hours south to reach the resort. Flying the whole way, the trip will take 30 hours or more from London.

Once in Queenstown, you should be able to rely on your own two feet for getting around town, as the town centre is just 1km across. There are good taxi and bus services here too. You'll certainly want to explore the surrounding natural area though, and for that you'll either have to hire a car or depend on the excursions run by local outfitters and activities companies. If you don't plan to roam far, getting a motorcycle is a fun way to see the town.

Lake Wakatipu

Queenstown is known as New Zealand's 'adventure capital', no small claim in a country known for attracting daredevils and sports enthusiasts of all kinds. Sitting on a huge lake and surrounded by mountains, Queenstown certainly lends itself to variety, and there is no end to the activities available here. This could be your only chance to try helicopter bungee jumping, skydiving and white water rafting all in the same weekend!

In summer, head to Lake Wakatipu, where windsurfers, sailors, water skiers and fishermen will all find something to suit their tastes. If you'd like a more relaxing lake excursion, take a cruise on the vintage steamboat TSS Earnslaw, which has been on the water here since 1912.

You can also head to one of several area rivers for white water rafting on class III to V rapids. The Shotover and Kawarau rivers are among the most popular rafting sites. For something more dramatic, ride the Shotover Jet, a high-speed boat that zips down the rapids.

In winter, Queenstown becomes one of the Southern Hemisphere's major ski resorts. Helicopter skiing, normal downhill skiing and cross-country skiing are all available in the nearby Remarkables mountains.

Though adventure sports are among the most popular pastimes in Queenstown, you don't have to be a daredevil to have fun here. Wine lovers will enjoy visits to local wineries, and history buffs will want to visit the old mining town of Arrowtown (21km from Queenstown), which saw its boom during the gold rush in the 1800s. Walkers will enjoy following the old mining trails in the area.