Queenstown

Queenstown, known ancestrally as Tāhuna, takes your breath away from the very first glance. Set against the jagged, saw-toothed peaks of The Remarkables (Kawarau) and nestled along the crystal-clear shores of glacial Lake Wakatipu (Whakatipu Waimāori), this alpine resort town was once an ancient seasonal camp for Māori gathering precious pounamu (greenstone). Today, it is globally celebrated as the Adventure Capital of the World, offering unmatched thrills from bungy jumping off Kawarau Bridge to jet boating through narrow rocky canyons.

Yet Tāhuna's true magic lies in its remarkable balance between extreme adrenaline and relaxed alpine luxury. Step aboard the historic 1912 coal-fired steamship TSS Earnslaw for a serene cruise across the lake to high-country farm feasts at Walter Peak. Ride the Skyline Gondola up Bob's Peak to race gravity-powered luge carts or enjoy panoramic sunset cocktails as the golden hour lights up the lake and surrounding mountain ranges with pure southern manaakitanga.

Twenty minutes down the road lies historic Arrowtown, where preserved 1860s gold-miner cottages sit beneath a canopy of golden autumn trees. Wine lovers can tour the world-famous Gibbston Valley, known as the 'Valley of the Vines', to sample award-winning Central Otago Pinot Noir paired with exquisite local kai. Serving as the primary gateway to the towering fiords of Piopiotahi (Milford Sound) and Fiordland National Park, Queenstown is an alpine wonderland that exceeds every expectation.