Queenstown Overview

Before visiting beautiful Queenstown, you should make yourself aware with a brief overview of Queenstown. Located to the south-west of South Island, Queenstown is a picturesque town in New Zealand. Bordered by the Southern Alps; Queenstown has been built around a brook on Lake Wakatipu. With Maoris' settling here around 1000 years back, Queenstown is rich in history and culture. The town however got its name in the early years of 1860s when government took control of the town.

Overview of Queenstown starts with local currency. New Zealand dollar is the legal currency here. Different in value from US dollar, 1 US dollar is roughly about 1.45 New Zealand dollars. Euro is priced a bit higher with 1.90 New Zealand dollars equaling 1 Euro. Bank notes are available in 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 denominations. Coins are available in 10, 20 and 50 cents and also in 1 and 2 dollar denominations.

Since Queenstown is encircled by Southern Alps, winter temperature often drops below zero. Unlike many other countries, winter in Queenstown starts from June and continues till August. Summer time however is pleasant with temperature ranging between 20 and 30 degree Celsius. Spring is beautiful here but you must be prepared for few spells of shower and thunderstorms. Autumn time temperature ranges from 15 to 20 degree Celsius.

Queenstown is 12 hours ahead of GMT. So adjust your watch accordingly.

The cars are left driven and the maximum speed limit on freeway is 100km/hr but 50 km/hr is the legal speed limit in the city area.

World renowned for adventure sports, Queenstown sees bungee jumpers, white water rafters and the like from all over the world. Among numerous tourist locations, do not miss the following hotspots: Lord of the Rings, Skyline Gondola, Coronet Peak, Remarkables and Skippers Canyon.

Fresh Choice is the largest supermarket in Queenstown. There are however numerous other supermarkets as well. Four Square and Alpine Supermarket are two other renowned supermarkets here.

Wide range of accommodation is available to suit everyone's budget.