Queenstown is a bustling town the size of Great Barrington, settled on the banks of Lake Wakatipu.  With a length of 80 kilometres (50 mi), it is New Zealand’s longest lake and it is very deep, its floor being as low as 100 metres (330 ft) below sea level

Lake Wakatipu is renowned for its scenic beauty, being surrounded by mountains including the Remarkables mountain range which lies along its southeastern edge, Mt Aspiring mountain range to the North, and the Crown range to the east, all part of the Southern Alps. When you get up above the town on one of those peaks you literally see mountains for miles and miles, as far as the eye can see.

There is a Mauri legend that a love struck young man killed the great monster that lived by the lake in order to win the hand of the King’s beautiful daughter. The only part of the great giant that was left was his beating heart and that is why the lake rises and falls to this day.  Science has proven this legend to be partly true in that lake Wakatipu has a seiche (standing wave) and in Queenstown Bay, causes the water level to rise and fall some 200 millimetres (7.9 in).

Queenstown is on the 45th parallel in the southern hemisphere which is the same climate as Halifax, Nova Scotia except on completely opposite seasons. Since it is summer here, we have daylight from about 6:30 am to 9:30pm. It has the feel of a european mountain town, tight curving streets, small store fronts and cafes, but everything is new and modern with a strong dose of the American “make a buck” tourism.
Queenstown is known as the adrenaline capital of the world with its bungie jumping, paragliding, parasailing, jet boating, heli-mountain biking, and white water river rafting.  Most of New Zealand tourism is set up around you paying somebody to take you on some kind of experiences, and Queen’s town takes the cake on this philosophy. you have to study to find things you can do on your own or on the cheap.

Our first day in town we walk along Shot Over street, the main street in town, and then down to the lake front walk.  Sports equipment, booking agents, art and jewelry stores, restaurants, bars, ice cream and candy stores call to you.  The beautiful Queenstown formal gardens frame the U shaped harbor to the south east, a beach runs along the base of the U then on the north facing arm tourist boats await new customers.