Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It has an urban population of 29,000.
The weka, also known as the Māori hen or woodhen is a flightless bird species of the rail family. It is endemic to New Zealand. It is the only extant member of the genus Gallirallus. Four subspecies are recognized but only two (northern/southern) are supported by genetic evidence.
Lake Wānaka is New Zealand's fourth-largest lake and the seat of the town of Wānaka in the Otago region. The lake is 278 meters above sea level, covers 192 km2 (74 sq mi), and is more than 300 m (980 ft) deep.
Arrowtown is a historic gold mining town in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand. Arrowtown is located on the banks of the Arrow River approximately 7.5 km from State Highway 6. Arrowtown is located 19.5 kilometres to the east of Queenstown. As well as the route via State Highway 6 at Arrow Junction, there is also road access directly to Queenstown via Arthurs Point and a third route via the picturesque Lake Hayes.
Wānaka is a popular ski and summer resort town in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand. At the southern end of Lake Wānaka, it is at the start of the Clutha River and is the gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park.
Lake Wakatipu is an inland lake in the South Island of New Zealand. It is in the southwest corner of the Otago region, near its boundary with Southland. Lake Wakatipu comes from the original Māori name Whakatipu wai-māori.
TSS Earnslaw is a 1912 Edwardian twin screw steamer based at Lake Wakatipu in New Zealand. She is one of the oldest tourist attractions in Central Otago, and the only remaining commercial passenger-carrying coal-fired steamship in the southern hemisphere.
Frankton is a suburb of the town of Queenstown in the South Island of New Zealand, it was formerly a separate settlement.
Ben Lomond is a mountain close to Queenstown, New Zealand. It was named after Ben Lomond in Scotland by the early shepherd Duncan McAusland. The summit is approximately 4 km (2.5 mi) northwest of the town centre and reaches a height of 1,748 metres (5,735 ft). Connected to Ben Lomond are the large but slightly shorter Bowen Peak and Bob's Peaks, while nearby is the dominant feature of Queenstown Hill. There are scenic views available from a range of places on the mountain with the top giving a 360-degree panorama of much of the Wakatipu Basin including Lake Wakatipu, The Remarkables Mountains, Cecil Peak and Walter Peak.
Queenstown Events Centre, John Davies Oval, or Davies Park is a multi-purpose sports complex and stadium in Queenstown, Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand.
Pig Island / Mātau is an island located at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu in the South Island of New Zealand, near the township of Glenorchy. It is slightly smaller and much flatter than its more popular neighbour Pigeon Island. It is 110 hectares in size and supports a variety of regenerating native scrub as well as introduced weeds.
Stevensons Island is a small 65-hectare (160-acre) island in the Stevensons Arm section of Lake Wānaka, New Zealand. There are two small islets close to the south end of the island.
Francis St Omer was a baker, restaurateur, and councillor in Queenstown, New Zealand. He was born in Marseilles, France, and in his youth pursued the gold rushes of California, Victoria, and in 1863 Queenstown. He operated a bakery and restaurant business until his death. St Omer was a councillor for 11 years and the mayor of Queenstown Borough from 1887 to 1891 and 1894 to 1903.
Lewis Adolph Henry Hotop was a New Zealand pharmacist, politician and Arbor Day advocate. He served as mayor of Queenstown Borough on three separate occasions.
The Queenstown Trail is a cycle and walking trail funded as one of the projects of the New Zealand Cycle Trail (NZCT) system in Otago, New Zealand. It links the towns of Queenstown, Arrowtown, the suburb of Jack's Point and the area of Gibbston. It is at least 110 km in length but is not linear and instead follows the terrain often near rivers and lakes to link key places in a series of tracks that also access public land. In some places it also passes through private land such as working farms and users are encouraged to stay on the trail. The trail is a joint venture between the Government, Queenstown Lakes District Council and the Queenstown Trails Trust.
This is a list of mayors of Queenstown Borough in New Zealand. The mayor was the head of the Queenstown Borough Council. The borough existed from 1866 until 1986, when it merged with the Lake County to form Queenstown-Lakes District. During the 120 years of its existence, there were 21 mayors.
Queenstown-Lakes District Council is the territorial authority for the Queenstown-Lakes District of New Zealand.
The Tapuae-o-Uenuku / Hector Mountains are a mountain range in the New Zealand region of Otago, near the resort town of Queenstown and just south of the more famous Remarkables. For most of its length, the mountains run adjacent to the southern reaches of Lake Wakatipu, before extending approximately 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) further south, past the glacial moraine at Kingston on the southern end of the lake. On their eastern side, the mountains mark the edge of the Nevis valley, a largely tussocked area which saw significant activity during the Otago Gold Rush of the 1860s. Historically, the mountains were an important mahinga kai for Ngāi Tahu and other local Māori iwi, who used the area to hunt for weka and gather tikumu while visiting the region.
In September 2023, an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis, a parasitic illness, started in Queenstown, New Zealand. It was Queenstown's first gastroenteritis outbreak in 40 years. Queenstown issued a water boil notice on 18 September, which ended on 8 December. The most probable cause of the outbreak was human fecal matter. During the outbreak, district mayor Glyn Lewers was concerned with how it would impact the town's reputation. As of 24 September, most cases are between the ages of 15 and 39, but there has been a case under the age of 10. As of 29 September 2023, three people had been hospitalised, all of whom had been discharged.
The 2023 southern New Zealand floods were caused by heavy rain that struck the southern part of New Zealand's South Island on 21 September 2023. This storm caused flooding in several places across the Southland and Otago regions including Gore and Queenstown. 100 homes were evacuated in Queenstown and Tuatapere's water treatment plant was damaged. A state of emergency was declared in the Southland Region. In addition, a state of emergency was declared in Queenstown on 22 September, which recorded its wettest day in 24 years.
