Queenstown shot from Kelvin Heights deer park. Vista looking down the west
arm of Lake Wakatipu
Extra Information
Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's
South Island. It is built around an inlet on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin
lake shaped like a staggered lightning bolt, and has spectactular views of
nearby mountains.
There are various apocryphal accounts of how the town was named, the most
popular suggesting that a local gold digger exclaimed that the town was
"fit for Queen Victoria". It is sometimes disparagaingly referred to as
"Vegas by the Lake" for a perceived fixation on commerce-oriented tourism,
especially adventure and ski tourism. It is popular with young
international and New Zealand travellers alike.
The town is the largest centre in Central Otago, but for some
administrative purposes it is considered part of Southland. According to
the 2001 census, the usually resident population of the Queenstown urban
area (including Frankton and Kelvin Heights) is 8535, an increase of 19.3%
since 1996.
 "Lake Wakatipu & Queenstown - Click for larger image")
