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Travel Destination Guide - Queenstown
Queenstown (Queensland, Australia) 
Queenstown Information
Slideshow of Photos
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Queenstown is New Zealand's most popular holiday destination for international visitors and offers an incredible range of things to do in all seasons. This justifiably is known as New Zealand's action and adventure capital, which explains why the young and energetic flock here. With its diversity of accommodations, activities, places to eat, and entertainment accessible to all ages, Queenstown also provides an ideal family holiday, as well as an opportunity to see the country at its most splendid. Queenstown is also a spectacular alpine resort, it offers so much for the visitor to experience, even if you choose to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
It was first settled in 1860, and was originally known as 'The Camp' by the thousands of prospectors who flocked to the district in search of gold. The present name was later derived as the magnificent area was thought to be 'fit for a queen'.
Queenstown is compact enough to walk around, with courtesy buses and taxis available to take you to outlying attractions.
Locality:
Queenstown can be found in the South Island, South East of Milford Sound.
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For thrill-seekers Queenstown has it all. Skiing, white water rafting, bungy jumping, jet boating, helicopter flightseeing adventures, adventure combination packages, paraponting, mountain biking, horse riding and parachuting are all popular activities.
Leisurely favourites include the historic TSS Earnslaw steamship, Walter Peak Station, the Skyline Gondola ride to the Skyline complex including restaurant, the exciting Luge ride and the entertaining 'Kiwi Magic' movie, wine tasting at local wineries, walks, and excursions to Glenorchy and Skippers Canyon.
Arrowtown is an historic goldmining settlement about half an hour from Queenstown, with many relics of its early days. For golfing enthusiasts, a Bob Charles designed course is available at nearby Millbrook Resort. Queenstown's cosmopolitan flavour is reflected in the vibrant downtown center, where there is a myriad of restaurants and bars and the shops are open daily.
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Population: 20.090.400
Languages: English 79%, native and other languages
Currency: Australian dollar
Currency code: AUD
Local Times:
Australia - Australian Capital Territory - Canberra
Australia - New South Wales - Sydney
Australia - Tasmania - Hobart
Australia - Western Australia - Perth
Country Dialling Code: +61
Voltage: 240V 50Hz
Electrical plugs:
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Australia, officially called the Commonweath of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the continental mainland (the smallest of the World\'s continents).
The continent of Australia, with the island state of Tasmania, is approximately equal in area to the United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). Mountain ranges run from north to south along the east coast, reaching their highest point in Mount Kosciusko (7,308 ft; 2,228 m). The western half of the continent is occupied by a desert plateau that rises into barren, rolling hills near the west coast. The Great Barrier Reef, extending about 1,245 mi (2,000 km), lies along the northeast coast. The island of Tasmania (26,178 sq mi; 67,800 sq km) is off the southeast coast.
It may be one of the world's most ancient lands with its mystical red centre and brooding rock formations, but Australia is also characterised by its youthful energy, its freshness and its \'no worries\' philosophy.
Most of the population lives within a few miles of the beach and with the working day beginning and ending early, it\'s not uncommon to see city slickers out of their suits and into the surf come 4.30pm.
In high summer many families will enjoy a simple backyard barbecue several times a week.
The 22-hour journey means most European people visit for at least a couple of weeks, allowing time for all that the country has to offer, including its chic cities, terracotta desert, lush bush and magical ocean reefs.
But the sheer size of Australia means that one visit is unlikely to be enough.
The most popular attractions are undoubtedly Uluru (Ayers Rock), the Great Barrier Reef and the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, but there are now more subtle incentives for a visit.
The wonderful fusion cuisine, the café society, the burgeoning art, culture and fashion scene, and the very real possibility of being the only person for miles around all conspire to make it a wholly alluring experience.
Australia is politically divided into six states and two territories, each one offering a different experience for the traveller. There is the drama of the remote \'Outback\', the colourful spectacle of the Great Barrier Reef and its coral islands, the excitement of the cosmopolitan cities, the sun and surf at some of the best beaches in the world, and the tropical rainforests of Western Australia. The list is endless in this diverse land of adventure, which boasts 2,000 national parks and 14 World Heritage-listed areas, along with more than 7,000 beaches.
Australia is a land of character too, with its melting pot of cultures. For more than 50,000 years the Aboriginal people lived and thrived in the continent\'s unique environment. It is believed the Aboriginals are the world\'s oldest civilisation, and in recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in keeping the Aboriginal culture alive and flourishing.
The vast continent at the bottom of the world was the last landmass to be discovered by European explorers. Captain James Cook arrived in Botany Bay in 1770 and sparked off generations of emigration to Australia, which for some time served as a penal colony. It was not until 1860 that two explorers - Robert Burke and William Wills - became the first Europeans to cross Australia from south to north. The country remains a magnet for modern explorers and adventurers and has a great deal to offer tourists and holidaymakers. |
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