Along Lake Esplanade, Queenstown

One of my favourite places in Queenstown is along this street called Lake Esplanade. Each time I am in Queenstown, without fail, I would spend time strolling along this stretch of road. Lake Esplanade is very central and leads to/from Queenstown CBD near the Steamers’ Wharf where the steamship TSS Earnslaw docks. I guess many tourists/visitors have strolled along this street without knowing its name.

On one side of the road are the hotels and apartments, and on the other side is a park/reserve that fronts Lake Wakatipu and this park/reserve offers a picturesque view of the mountains and lake. Many of my best memories and best photos of New Zealand were along this street.

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The hotels and apartments along Lake Esplanade
Queenstown, Aug 2006

If you are looking for accommodation in Queenstown, especially with views of the mountains and lake, you may wish to consider the hotels and apartments along Lake Esplanade. In above photo, you will find the Rydges Hotel (white building from the left), Outrigger, The Beacon (centre) and Lakefront Apartments (right, with blue signposts).

Opposite these hotels and apartments is the park/reserve where I shot the following photos:

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From the left, The Remarkables, Cecil Peak and Walter Peak on a beautiful winter evening
Queenstown, Aug 2006


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Another beautiful winter scene
On the extreme left, the headlights of a car on Lake Esplanade
Queenstown, Aug 2006


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.... and yet another beautfiul winter scene
The Remarkables run in a North-South direction
and the rays of the setting sun lit up its face "on fire"
Queenstown, Aug 2006

The Remarkable Beauty, Queenstown, New Zealand

The Remarkables at Queenstown creates an impressive backdrop for many photographers and film makers. It was used as the backdrop of a scene in the Lord of The Rings movie too (click for more info).

The mountain range is geographically unique as it runs in a North-South direction. So even without a compass, you can tell where North, South, East and West are, simply by looking at the mountain range.

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The left side points North, while the right side points South
View from Deer Park
Queenstown, Aug 2006
There are various stories regarding how The Remarkables got its name. One story cites its unique North-South orientation. Another which I have read attributes it to the different colours of the mountain range as seen during the day and across the seasons. Having seen for myself the colours of The Remarkables over the many vacations spent in Queenstown, I will go for the latter story.

If a picture paints a thousand words, then these photos speak volumes about the remarkable beauty of The Remarkables.

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The Remarkables in ash-grey in winter
View from Steamer Wharf
Queenstown, July 2004

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The Remarkables in "brownies" in late spring
View from Lake Esplanade
Queenstown, Nov 2005
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The Remarkables having the "blues" in winter
View from Lake Esplanade
Queenstown, Aug 2006
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The Remarkables in the "pink of health" in winter
View from Lake Esplanade
Queenstown, Aug 2006
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The Remarkables "on fire" in winter
View from Lake Esplanade
Queenstown, Aug 2006

STOP at Queenstown, New Zealand

Surrounding Queenstown, there are 3 easily recognizable mountain ranges. They are The Remarkables with its Double Cone Peak at 2,343m, Cecil Peak at 1,974m and Walter Peak at 1,815m. They are shown in below photos as from left to right.

I have been in Queenstown across all four seasons and every time I have enjoyed its spectacular scenery. The weather, sunlight, clouds, water in the lake and even the trees, they all make this place very beautiful across the seasons. Do you see the red road sign in the middle of below photo? It shows “STOP” and that was what I did to enjoy the view and to capture it!

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This view was taken on a rather steep road in early winter
Steamer Wharf, where TSS Earnslaw docks, is behind the brown building on the left
Queenstown, Jun 2005
Queenstown is especially popular with tourists in summer and winter. There is no better season than summer to enjoy the activities that this Adventure Capital offers. If you are tramping into the national parks, kayaking, jetboating, bungee jumping, horse riding …. or joining the numerous tours, the fine weather in summer is best for these outdoor activities.

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View from the bay in early spring
Steamer Wharf is at the building on the extreme right
Queenstown, Sep 2005
If you visit Queenstown in summer for its spectacular scenery, then you may be a little disappointed as the mountains will be bare of snow as shown in bottom photo. It is still a scenic place but in my opinion, without the snow on the mountains, Queenstown lacks the wow(!) factor.

My favourite seasons to visit are mid-autumn (April), mid-late winter (Jul-Aug) and early-mid spring (Sep-Oct).

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View from the bay (near Steamer Wharf) in early spring
Queenstown, Sep 2005
Queenstown Gardens is the area of the trees in these photos. In autumn, the smaller trees along the lakefront are golden yellow and make a spectacular sight. I don’t have the digital photos (only in prints) but you can imagine the golden yellow colours against the bigger trees which are still dark green, against blue skies, blue Lake Wakatipu, and against the dark golden brown mountain range of The Remarkables, Cecil Peak and Walter Peak. A beautiful sight and that first trip in autumn made me fall in love with Queenstown!

If you are planning a vacation in New Zealand, do STOP and spend a few days in Queenstown to take in the beautiful scenery. Life just may not be the same again for you!

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View from Steamer Wharf in early summer
Queenstown, Dec 2005

Heartbeat of a Giant - Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown

According to Maori legend, Lake Wakatipu is the “Hollow of the Giant” (Whakatipua). There was an evil giant in the land and one day while he was asleep, a brave Maori youth set him on fire and killed him. The fire melted the surrounding snow on the mountains to form the water in the lake.

Well, Lake Wakatipu is a giant! With a length of 84 km, it is New Zealand’s longest lake and its 3rd largest lake with an area of 291 km². It has an unsual “Z”-shaped bend, somewhat like the lightning bolt of the Marvel Comics superhero Flash. Some also refer to it as the reversed “N” shape.

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One end of Lake Wakatipu lies far away in the middle of this photo
Queenstown, Aug 2006
For more info on this photo, click here
One end of the lake is near the Southern Alps where the melt waters become the Dart River that flows into it. At the other end of the lake at Frankton, near Queenstown Airport, the Kawaura River flows out, draining the lake.

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The Kawaura River flows out of Lake Wakatipu at Frankton
Queenstown, Aug 2006
For more info on this photo, click here
Geologically, the lake was carved out by great glaciers during the ice age. It is very deep, reaching to depths of almost 300m and almost 100m below sea level.

There is also an unusual phenomena at Lake Wakatipu. Every 5 minutes, the water in the lake rise and then fall as much as 12cm. Early Maori noticed this phenomena too and attributed this rhythmic rise and fall to the heartbeat of a giant. There is a scientific explanation for this and putting it simply, it is a natural oscillation that occurs in deep inland lakes.

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Queenstown Bay
Queenstown, May 2005
These Maori legends add to the colourful history and beauty of Lake Wakatipu and Queenstown.

Beautiful Queenstown, New Zealand

Of all the many places I have visited (and re-visited) in New Zealand, Queenstown remains my favourite destination. I have been there at least 10 times, nevertheless this place continues to excite me. It is the Adventure Capital of the World but it is not the adrenalin pumping activities that makes me return but the natural beauty of this place.

Being a city dweller, the type of mountains I have known for most part of my life are skyscrapers and highrise buildings. So seeing the majestic mountain ranges of New Zealand and getting on top of one by helicopter, have done wonders for my soul!

I have many photos of the beautiful scenery of Queenstown. Sorting and selecting them to form panoramas have been quite a task! The next couple of postings will feature these scenery and through the photos you will catch a glimpse of the beautiful memories that I have of Queenstown. So here goes:

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Early morning in winter
Queenstown, May 2005
Queenstown is located on the shore of Lake Wakatipu and surrounded by majestic mountain ranges. Queenstown Central/CBD (Central Business District) is on the left side in these photos. Across the lake, Cecil Peak is the mountain on the left and Walter Peak is the pyramidal mountain in the centre of these photos.

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Early morning in winter
Queenstown, Aug 2006
For a leisurely walk in Queenstown Gardens, head towards the trees on the left side of the lake. On the extreme right, the Skyline Gondola takes you to the top of Bob's Peak (the peak without snow) where you get a bird's eye view of the surrounding region!

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Late morning in winter
Queenstown, Aug 2006
Talking about birds, you will find them along the lakefront. In these photos, you can spot the seagulls and ducks (on the lake). For several years, there was a lone goose that made its home on the Queenstown bay too. Then came another one and they became geese. Last year (2006), I spotted only one of them and I guess the missing one has "flown away to bird heaven".

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Dusk in winter
Queenstown, Aug 2006

Along the lakefront, the white vessel is the vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw (it looks quite small in these photos). Everyday, the TSS Earnslaw ferries tourists on a leisurely cruise across the lake from Queenstown bay to the Walter Peak High Country Farm. For an adrenaline pumping ride, then the yellow Kawaura jet boats in these photos will provide your water adventure.

Mud Volcano at Hell's Gate

Given its unique landscape, Hell’s Gate presents an excellent opportunity for academic learning and research. My guide told us that the geothermal park had even played hosts to student groups from USA and Singapore. These students had spent several days in the park having their field lessons in geography and chemistry.

There have been geologists spending considerable time studying the unique land features in the park too. Below is a mud volcano which is still growing. Hot mud oozes from the ground and builds up to form this mud volcano. Notice the amount of steam in below photo. At the bottom right, you can also spot an impression of a footprint!

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Steaming hot mud volcano
Hell’s Gate, Rotorua, May 2006
Below photo puts the size of this mud volcano in perspective.

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Mud volcano
Hell’s Gate, Rotorua, May 2006
This mud volcano has attracted the attention of a number of geologists. About 2-3 years ago, there was a French volcanologist who was especially interested in it. Unable to contain his curiosity, he got off the designated pathway for a closer look. He wanted to examine the top portion of this mud volcano so he decided to step on it. His initial steps must have been well supported because when he was somewhere in the middle of the volcano, his leg went right through into the mud! What happened thereafter was a frantic rescue. This volcanologist suffered serious burns on his leg and was hospitalized for more than a month!

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Where the volcanologist sank in
Hell’s Gate, Rotorua, May 2006
Above photo shows the side of this mud volcano where this volcanologist sank in. If you are all ready for an adventure in New Zealand, then it would be good to restrain yourself and stay on (not stray off) the path in Hell’s Gate. You wouldn’t want to spend your New Zealand vacation in hospital, would you? Instead, keep your adventure spirit and put it to good use when you are in Queenstown, which is the Adventure Capital of the World.

Lord of the Rings at Deer Park, Queenstown

Finally, for the fans of Lord of The Rings (LOTR), here is a photo for you. Though having watched two of the movies, I have to admit I am no fan of the trilogy movies. However, I am a keen fan (read as fanatic) of New Zealand.

When I went up to Deer Park, it was not my intention to see the spots where the movie was filmed. My guide explained and pointed out some of the LOTR stuff but they simply didn’t register in my head! I was not paying attention and neither did I take any photos of the LOTR stuff. Instead of “Wow, LOTR!”, I was in my own fanatic world and my eyes were “Wow, Queenstown!”.

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The Remarkables
Deer Park, Queenstown, Aug 2006
The above mountain range is known as The Remarkables. In The Two Towers, the scene of the Rohan refugees making their way round a pool of water was filmed at this spot with The Remarkables in the background.

The view from Deer Park is so breathtaking! Someday when you are in Queenstown, do remember to visit Deer Park to experience it for yourself; to see as far as you could see, to feel the cool breeze and to enjoy the warmth of the sun on both East & West Summit.

Your visit to Deer Park would not be complete without seeing this beautiful animal at close range:

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Deer Park, Queenstown, Aug 2006

Spectacular View from Deer Park, West Summit, Queenstown

The East Summit view from Deer Park is not complete without this view from West Summit.

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View from West Summit, Deer Park
Queenstown, Aug 2006
West Summit offers a good view of Queenstown. From this spot, you can see Queenstown spread out along the edge of Lake Wakatipu. In the centre foreground, the residential area of Kelvin Heights leads into the Queenstown golf course. If you golf, do remember to pack your clubs for your New Zealand vacation. There are about 400 registered golf courses in New Zealand and this makes it the country with the highest number of golf courses per capita in the world! With a population of 4 million, that means there is a golf course for every 10,000 people!

If you are seeking for Paradise, just look straight ahead and follow the mountain range in the centre of the photo. Somewhere out there lies Paradise. We hear it so often: “the answer lies in front of our eyes”. :-)

If you are seeking for golfer’s paradise, Queenstown golf course (in the centre foreground of this photo) may be your place.

Spectacular View from Deer Park, East Summit (Part II), Queenstown

In my previous posting, the photo taken on East Summit of Deer Park provided only 270 degrees view. Below photo provides the remaining 90 degrees view.

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View from East Summit,
Deer Park, Queenstown, Aug 2006
This panorama was composed from 6 photos, 3 for the top half and 3 for the bottom half. On the left, Lake Wakatipu flows out as the Kawaura river. You see the road that crosses over the river? That is a narrow single lane bridge and it is also where you will find the first and only pair of traffic lights (one on each end of the bridge) in the whole of Queenstown / Southern Lakes district. The traffic lights were only installed in the past year.

In the centre of the photo, the distinctive straight track is the runway of the Queenstown airport. You can easily spot the airport terminal (off centre, towards the left). The houses and buildings around the airport is the township of Frankton. By strict definition, Queenstown or Queenstown CBD (central business district) is about 7 km away. Like Queenstown, Frankton is an up and coming area in the district.

At one end of the airport runway (towards the right), another river flows out to meet the Kawaura river. This is the Shotover river where you will experience the exciting Shotover jetboat rides. For the Kawaura river, the landmark bridge over it, the Kawaura Bridge marks the spot of the world’s first bungee jump.

Follow the meandering Kawaura river and you will see Lakes Hayes between the distant 2 hills. The wisp of cloud (perhaps smoke) overhanging the left hill is where Arrowtown is located.

On the right side of the photo, the edge of the mountain is The Remarkables. Using this mountain edge, piece together the above panorama with the previous panorama (270 degrees view) and experience the complete 360 degrees panorama in your mind!

The view from Deer Park is simply spectacular!

Spectacular View from Deer Park, East Summit (Part I), Queenstown

On the East Summit of Deer Park, you will find a building of Asian architecture. This building called “The Korean Prison” was a movie set that was built in 1986 for the children’s Walt Disney movie “The Rescue”.

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"The Korean Prison"
Deer Park, Queenstown, Aug 2006

My guide explained that it took several months to build the movie set which cost about NZ$ 1 million. So after filming was completed, it was just abandoned. While "The Korean Prison" stands out as a unique feature and landmark in the park, there are many who see it as an eyesore marring the spectacular view on Deer Park. Since then, movie sets constructed in the park have to be removed upon completion of filming.

What will you experience on the East Summit of Deer Park? “The Korean Prison” in above photo puts this panorama into perspective. Spanning about 270 degrees, it took 10 photos to compose:

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270 degrees view on East Summit
Deer Park, Queenstown, Aug 2006

From the left, you see The Remarkables mountain range. The sky-blue body of water is Lake Wakatipu. On the left of “The Korean Prison” is Cecil Peak and the distant Walter Peak. On the right of “The Korean Prison”, you will find Bob’s Peak and beneath the mountain range lies Queenstown. In the centre of the photo, obscured by the mound behind “The Korean Prison”, where the mountain range stretches far away into the distance, you will find this place called Paradise!

The Animals at Deer Park, Queenstown

In an earlier posting, I mentioned about bringing extra $1 coins to Deer Park, Queenstown but did not elaborate about this matter. The $1 coins are for the purchase of “sheep nuts” and $1 gets a full tin of this stuff. So what do you do with the “nuts”? Aha, that’s when your fun on Deer Park starts!

My guide called this stuff “sheep nuts”. They are actually small bits of dried food pellets. For sheep? One of the surprises at Deer Park is that besides the deer, you get to see a whole lot of other animals too. There are miniature horses, ducks, pigs, sheep, goats, alpacas, llamas …… even highland cattle and the North American bison. Calling it “The Animal Farm” would have been more appropriate!

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Ducks, miniature horses and ugly pigs!
“The Animal Farm”
Deer Park, Queenstown, Aug 2006

These animals roam freely on Deer Park but some are kept within fenced enclosures. To get the animals to come to you, all you have to do is shake the tin of food pellets to make a rattling sound. One of my memorable encounters was with the goats and llamas. Shook the tin and I found myself surrounded by a couple of excited llamas and goats! As the llamas are almost as tall as a man, it was a challenge trying to keep the tin out of their reach. After being jostled by a couple of them, I started to smell like them too! Haha... Unlike llamas, the alpacas are nice, gentle and well mannered.

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Excited llamas and goats!
Deer Park, Queenstown, Aug 2006

Feeding the animals, having them slopped saliva on your palms, you will inevitably have a good collection of exotic saliva ...... so do expect to get dirty and smell like one of the animals on your trip!

To see Pavlov theory in action, shaking a tin in Deer Park will give you a good first hand experience of frenzied salivating animals around you!

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Young Kids 1-2 weeks old	Himalayan Tarn (beautiful long hair)
North American Bison (small horns, big nose)	Highland Cattle (big horns, big nose)

The Alpaca at Deer Park Queenstown

How do I look in my new hairdo and fur coat ?
(a wolf in sheep’s clothing..... haha !)
Seriously, this woolly creature is an alpaca and it is native to South America. My first encounter with this animal was in Deer Park. It resembles a sheep but is much larger and it has a long erect neck. Like the sheep, an alpaca is covered in a thick coat of fur.

The alpaca is a beautiful creature, gentle in nature, intelligent and inquisitive. As a prey animal, it is cautious and nervous and like having its own space. In spite of encountering many visitors in Deer Park daily, the herd of alpacas was cautious with us initially and kept their distance. It took a few minutes before these animals calmed down and let us approached them.

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Herd of alpacas at Deer Park
Queenstown, Aug 2006

In the snow-capped background, that is Queenstown below the mountain range.

Unlike the llama, the alpaca is not used as a beast of burden. It is reared mainly for its wool and meat. Compared to sheep’s wool, alpaca wool is warmer, silkier, feels more luxurious and lighter in weight. Another attractive feature, it does not contain lanolin (which the sheep has) and this makes alpaca wool almost hypoallergenic.

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A beautiful alpaca
Deer Park, Queenstown, Aug 2006
For ease of dyeing the wool, alpacas have been bred mainly as white. Like sheep, you will find them in many shades of colour. As you see in the photo, an alpaca’s thick coat of fur gives it an appearance of an oversized long-neck sheep!

Deer Park Heights, Queenstown

Queenstown is so exciting with so much to see and do! I have been at Queenstown more than 10 times but it was only on this recent trip that I finally made my way to Deer Park Heights. With so much exciting places to see and interesting activities to do, it is so easy to put aside Deer Park Heights. Yeah, what can be so interesting about seeing a park with a couple of deers, right? WRONG!!!

One of the sites around Queenstown for the filming of Lord of The Rings (LOTR), I had thought this place was overhyped and oversold by all the movie attention. Well, I was proven wrong. My regret, I wished I had seen it in my earlier trips! Now that you have heard it from me, put Deer Park Heights in your list of must-see when you are in Queenstown.

It is easy to get to the park, just 10 minutes drive from the heart of Queenstown. You could self-drive or join the coach tours. Travel along Frankton Road (main road which leads into Queenstown), head towards the direction of Queenstown airport, cross the narrow single-lane bridge and turn to Kelvin Heights, the premium residential area in Queenstown. You can’t miss the signboards leading to the park.

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Welcome to Deer Park Heights
Queenstown, Aug 2006
Deer Park is a massive 800 hectares! It is a private park which still operates as a working deer farm. An entrance fee of NZ$20 per car is paid at the gate. Though walkers get in free, you would be wise to pay the $20 and drive in. If you came well prepared for tramping in New Zealand, then by all means walk in. For those on the tours, the coach will bring you into the park

Besides sunscreen, hat/cap, warm jacket, …. which are the standard pre-requisites for your vacation in New Zealand, bring along the following to Deer Park:
- 1 dollar coins (if self-drive)
- memory storage cards for digital camera (else lots of film). You will be taking lots of photos on this half-day trip!

The excitement:
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Picturesque view from Deer Park Heights
Queenstown, Aug 2006
550m above Queenstown, this place provides spectacular, 360 degrees, breath-taking views of the basins, lakes and mountain range surrounding Queenstown!

Look out for my next few postings with even more stunning photos from Deer Park!

Sofitel Queenstown – 5 Star Attraction

The Sofitel Queenstown is the first five-star hotel in this beautiful resort town. Located in the heart of Queenstown, it opened in the 2nd half of 2005. Within its first year, it has already been named among the top 20 hotels in the world by prestigious Australian travel magazine Gourmet Traveller!

Besides the usual classy offerings we expect of a five-star hotel, the Sofitel Queenstown has another interesting five-star attraction: the men’s toilet!

On the 2nd floor men’s toilet, there are life sized images of models behind the urinals oogling at the men’s manhood with binoculars, camera & tape measure! Talk about men’s insecurity with our “apparatus” and this cheeky wall display has these pretty gals checking out our little “johnny”! Haha!

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Interesting wall feature in the Men's Toilet !
Sofitel Queenstown, Oct 2005
It would be a challenge choosing which urinal to use. Imagine standing in front of the gal with the tape measure and trying to keep a straight face. Fortunately, I was only in the toilet to shoot the above photo else the challenge would be keeping my aim on target in the urinal and you can’t if you are laughing!

When Sofitel Queenstown opened last year, word got around and many people, including the ladies, queued up just to view the men’s toilet. If you are wondering, there isn’t any interesting wall display in the ladies’ toilet. :-( Sofitel Queenstown
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Sofitel Queenstown under construction, May 2005
Besides Sofitel, another five-star hotel chain Hilton will soon operate in Queenstown too. In the years to come, more international visitors will descend on this alpine resort of New Zealand.

Queenstown, Adventure Capital of the World !

Queenstown is the Adventure Capital of the World. Besides spectacular scenery, being a great place for relaxation and honeymooners, this beautiful resort town is also the adrenalin capital offering lots of exciting adventures!

It is said that Queenstown got its name from being “fit for Queen Victoria”. How far back that was, I have no idea. Fit for a Queen..... for the rest of us, it definitely is a great place to be at. I have visited Queenstown more than 10 times and yet I am never tired of this place. I cannot describe it but this place has a special quality …. it energizes and makes me alive! It makes me want to live (beyond a mere drudgery existence)!

Queenstown buzzes across the 4 seasons. In summer and winter, the crowds converge upon this town. So secure your bookings (flight, car/coach, accommodation) in advance to minimize any upset to a good holiday. In autumn, things slow down a little yet it is still a good season to experience Queenstown’s autumn splendour. My first visit to New Zealand was in autumn and that vacation changed my life!

When it comes to adventure tourism, Queenstown is IT ! For land adventures, there are the two-legged varieties and you tramp from a few hours to few weeks (!!). For two-wheels, you mountain-bike and for four-wheels, you get 4-wheel drive adventures! Oh, I forgot, there are also other four legged varieties: You get horse-riding on Lord Of The Rings tours too!

In winter, the crowds descend on Queenstown for their winter adventures. With 4 main mountain ski fields within a radius of 100km, this white stuff is skiers’ paradise!

For water adventures, there is the leisurely cruise on Lake Wakatipu or the exciting jetboat rides on the rivers. If fish is your kind of adventure, then trout and salmon are your game.

For air adventures, the sky really is the limit! For something very mild, take the Skyline gondola and follow up with a more exciting luge ride down the hill (part of it only). For the moderate adventure, get on the scenic flights (helicopter or plane) with a snow landing. For the ultimate heart-thumping air adventure, throw yourself off Bob’s peak with your guide and paraglide down to Queenstown! Alternatively, choose an equally heart-thumping plunge over the Kawaura bridge, the original birthplace of bungee jumping and get your head dunked in the cold rushing waters of the mighty Kawaura river!

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Paragliding
Queenstown, Adventure Capital of the World, Aug 2006

If these adrenalin-surging activities are not your cup of tea, then head down to the vineyards for your glass of Pinot Noir. There are also lots of leisurely activities in Queenstown for your enjoyment!

Queenstown is the Adventure Capital of the World!

Queenstown – Jewel in the Crown

If you have not heard of Queenstown, New Zealand, you have missed out something good. Thanks to the Lord Of The Rings (LOTR) movie trilogy, many people around the world “discovered” Queenstown in recent years. The movies were filmed in many locations throughout New Zealand and the spectacular landscape of the Queenstown region also provided the stunning backdrop to a number of scenes. My first visit to Queenstown was in April 1999 and that memorable vacation changed my life!

Located in a region of breathtaking scenery, Queenstown is often referred to as the jewel in New Zealand’s crown. It is situated on the shores of Lake Wakatipu and surrounded by majestic mountain ranges.

Regarded as New Zealand’s premier tourist destination, it has been voted by readers of Conde Nast Traveler and Travel & Leisure as the friendliest place in the world and ranked with Paris and Rome, amongst the world’s best destinations.

From a sleepy lakeside town 30 years ago, it has grown to become a sophisticated all year round international resort. Presently, it attracts about 1.4 million visitors per year of which 60% are international visitors.

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Queenstown Central Business District, August 2006
From the magnificent views of the mountains to the lake, beautiful walking trails, world-class wine from its vineyards, adrenaline charged activities, golf courses, ski-fields, ......

Queenstown is truly the jewel in New Zealand’s crown.

New Zealand, "Land of the Long White Cloud"

New Zealand, called Aotearoa, “Land of the Long White Cloud” by the Maori, is a breathtakingly beautiful country. It is a land of majestic snow-capped peaks, pristine lakes, glaciers descending to rainforests, fiords, geysers, volcanoes, .... etc. Few countries can compare to having such geographical diversity.

The Wikipedia lists various explanations how the name Aotearoa came about but whatever legends or modern explanations, it is a land of such stunning natural beauty that the Kiwis (not the bird) refer to it as God’s own country !

Known also as sheep country, there are as many as 10 or more sheep for every person in New Zealand. With a population of about 4.1 million people, it is one of the world’s least crowded countries.

Stunning views, easy access, recreational activities, friendly people, clean and safe environment, .... whether you are seeking adventure or relaxation, all these are ingredients to a great vacation! I thoroughly enjoyed New Zealand and am certain you would too.

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Land of the Long White Cloud
Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown, June 2005
Let me welcome you to the “Land of the Long White Cloud”.