Queenstown: A Town For All Seasons

No matter how “you first cap eyes on beautiful Queenstown – whether it is arriving by plane taking in the stunning views across Lake Wakatipu as your plane touches down amidst the surrounding mountains, or by road as you get your first glimpse of the lake framed by a picture perfect mountain backdrop – it is certain to stay with you forever,” writes Nicole Barnard for The Huffington Post. And the adventure capital has something to offer all-year round.

Queenstown temperatures reach 30 degrees in the summer and it’s the perfect place for a typical Kiwi Christmas with a barbecue on the beach and Lake Wakatipu nearby for refuge from the hot summer sun – if you’re brave enough to face the icy cold glacial waters of the lake that is. Take a kayak out or hike up Queenstown Hill to view the scenic panorama from the top.

In autumn Queenstown looks especially beautiful with its seasonal colours. And there also will be fewer visitors around. Barnard recommends exploring the surrounding areas like Arrowtown or taking a boat trip out on the famous T. S. S. Earnslaw steamship in the autumnal sunshine.

The season Queenstown probably is known most for is winter “with the Remarkables and Coronet Peak offering two excellent ski fields for skiing and snowboarding”, writes Barnard. Taking a “trip up the skyline gondola to look down over the town and across the snow-capped mountains” is also a great winter activity, as is taking a helicopter trip up onto a nearby snow-covered mountain.

“Spring in Queenstown tends to be quieter and a perfect time to take a stroll through Queenstown gardens, admiring the spring flowers or perhaps taking in a game of the legendary disc golf,” writes Barnard. She also recommends visiting the Kiwi Birdlife Park, taking a stroll around the local picturesque Lake Hayes or spending some time in the small town of Glenorchy.

Article Source: Huffington Post, Nicole Barnard, June 29, 2016

Image Source: Wikipedia