Where is Queenstown?
Queenstown is located in Otago in the south-west of the South Island of New Zealand. The town sits on the shores of
Lake Wakatipu and is surrounded by nearby mountains including
The Remarkables Range.
Queenstown Ski Fields
The
main Queenstown ski resorts are:
Day-trips are also possible to:
There are also a few
heli skiing operators based in Queenstown:
Harris Mountains Heli Ski;
Alpine Heliski; and
Southern Lakes Heli Ski.
Flights to Queenstown
One of the advantages of skiing and staying in Queenstown is that it is relatively easy to get to considering it has its own international airport only 7 km (10 mins depending on traffic) drive from the town centre. From Australia during winter, there are direct flights from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Alternatively, you can fly into another NZ airport and get a domestic flight to Queenstown – from Auckland (1 hr and 50 mins), Wellington (2 hrs and 10 mins) or Christchurch (1 hour and 5 mins).
Queenstown Airport Transfers
If you aren't self-driving, there are numerous companies that provide door-to-door transfers between the airport and your accommodation. It's also reasonably inexpensive to catch a taxi or Uber.
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Bus from Christchurch to Queenstown
An alternative to flying in to Queenstown is to fly into Christchurch where flights are generally cheaper and more regular from international destinations. The scenic trip takes about 8 hours by coach including stops along the way.
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Queenstown Car Rentals and Driving
It’s possible to get around Queenstown and to the nearby ski resorts using shuttle buses, but some prefer the flexibility of a rental car. It’s possible to
rent a car at the airport or in town. If you only plan to ski at Coronet Peak then a 2-wheel-drive vehicle will suffice, but for the other ski resorts a 4WD would be beneficial.
The Queenstown roads are pretty easy to navigate. Parking can sometimes be tricky during peak times, but if you can’t find a park there’s always paid underground parking near Marine Parade on Church Street.
Generally the temperatures in Queenstown during winter are about 3°C to 10°C, but sometimes it snows which may lead to road closures, particularly in the Fernhill area.
It’s easiest to get chains when you hire the car, but if you need chains, you can hire these from petrol stations or some of the Queenstown ski shops.
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Getting to the Queenstown Ski Resorts (Shuttle Buses)
During the winter season there are shuttle buses that operate daily from Queenstown to Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Cardrona ski resort.
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For more detailed information on driving or travelling to the ski resorts see:
Getting Around Queenstown
The Central Business District of Queenstown is quite compact and it is easy to walk around the streets to explore the shops, bars and restaurants. However Queenstown has grown significantly and it spreads out into sprawling suburbs that are beyond easy walking distance. Some of the
Queenstown accommodation is within the centre of town, but much of it is not within easy walking distance. If you don’t have a car and want a night out on the town, there are other options to get around.
The Orbus is a bus service that connects major hotels and the town. It operates half-hourly from early morning to late in the evening. The bus also covers the “suburbs” of Queenstown including Arrowtown, Frankton, Remarkables Park, and Fernhill. Timetables for the buses are available at most accommodation and information centres.
The operators of many Queenstown activities provide free transport from your accommodation to get to their activity, or alternatively they have transport from a central Queenstown location such as The Station.