Queenstown Lakes is a landscape filled with splendour and beauty. Located inland on the south-west side of the South Island, in close proximity to Central Otago, it is the access point to many of the most remote parts of New Zealand.This is a landscape of great diversity – from rugged snow-covered mountains, calm lakes and turbulent rivers to picturesque vineyards and idyllic farmland pastures that stretch to golden tussock-clad ranges.
The township of Queenstown nestles around a bay on Lake Wakatipu (which stretches over 125 kilometres or fifty-miles), Wanaka and Hawea also have their own lakes and all are overlooked by the majestic Southern Alps. The district is known as the adventure capital of the world. Enjoy the extreme sport experience from bungy jumping, paragliding, mountain climbing, snowboarding, skiing and heli-skiing to jet boating and water rafting.
This is a landscape that is evocative of other places and times. In winter the mountains are reminiscent of Switzerland or Austria, while in summer the picturesque vineyards bring to mind the best wine making areas of Europe. Our landscape has been shot as Canada, England, Tibet, Japan and the American Midwest. Be limited only by your imagination.
Queenstown Lakes enjoys four distinct seasons to suit your location requirements. Long hot, dry summers with clear blue skies are followed by autumn/fall days when trees flare golden or come alive in vivid reds. Crisp, clear days and miles of snow covered mountains make the perfect winter landscape. In spring, nature bursts into life across idyllic green pastures.
As New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere our seasons are completely opposite to those in the north. When it’s summer in Europe or North America you can be filming in the snow here. In the winter months, while the mountains are covered in snow, the towns are generally snow-free.