About Lightweight Campers
Tourist places in Queenstown |
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| Tuesday, 06 May 2008 | |
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History
of Queenstown
This old gold-miners' settlement on the east side of Lake
Wakatipu is unchallenged as the leading tourist center on the South Island. It
is well supplied with hotels and other accommodations and offers a varied
program of entertainment and leisure activities throughout the year. For the
more energetic tourist there is a choice of activities, including
bungee jumping, jet-boat trips, white-water rafting, paragliding and rock
climbing.
Tourist
Attractions in Queenstown
Bob's Peak
Lake
Wakatipu
This Z-shape lake, hemmed in by high hills, has an area of 293 sq.km. It is some 80km long, barely 5km across at its widest point, and up to 378m deep. According to a Maori legend the lake came into being when a sleeping giant was burned to death. His heart still beats, however, at the bottom of the lake, causing variations in the level of the lake, which can rise or fall by several centimeters within 5 minutes. The first Europeans reached Lake Wakatipu in 1853, and some years later the whole lake was surveyed. The Otago gold rush of the 1860s brought thousands of prospectors into the area. In those days there were 30 or 40 passenger ships, including four steamers, plying on the lake. One old steamer, the Earnshaw (1912), is now one of the lake's tourist attractions. Queenstown - Town Center The town center is charmingly situated beside a promontory that reaches far out into Lake Wakatipu, now beautifully laid out as Queenstown Gardens. The best starting point for a tour of the sights is the Old Stone Library (1877), which is built on to the courthouse. From here the route runs under magnificent old trees into Camp Street. St Peter's Church (1932; Anglican) looks much older than it really is. Church Street leads down to the shores of the lake. Passing the Lake Lodge of St Ophir (1873), you come to the place where William Rees established his sheep farm, the Camp, in the early 19th C. Continue to Queenstown Gardens. On the way back, at the end of the Mall (pedestrian zone), you come to Eichardt's Tavern, which has been on this site since 1871.
Remarkables
SS Earnslaw Cruises
Shotover River
Skipper's Canyon
A trip through the 20km long Skipper's Canyon in a specially equipped bus is an exciting experience. Drivers who do the trip in a hired car are not covered by insurance. The return trip can be by jet boat for part of the way. Those interested in Bungy jumping can do a 104 m (340 ft) jump from an old gold-mining bridge over Skipper's Canyon.
How
to reach Queenstown
By rail :
The West Coast Wilderness Railway [1] operates as a tourist attraction between Queenstown and Strahan, a distance of 34 km. The ordinary railway connection between Queenstown and the rest of Tasmania closed in 1960.
By Road :
By car
The drive from Hobart is a pleasant 3.5 hours, taking you through towns such as New Norfolk, Hamilton, Ouse and Derwent Bridge before winding its way through the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Leaving the park, you come to the ghost towns of Linda and Gormanston, both of which were large communities during the early mining booms. Of particular interest are the ruins of the Royal Hotel at Linda.
Once past
Gormanston the road becomes a narrow and winding affair, where all caution
should be taken, but this is also where the spectacular views of the
surrounding barren hills of Queenstown begin. Once over Gormanston hill there
is a lookout on your left which takes in views of Queenstown and the Queen
River Valley. It is well worth a stop for photos. Once past the lookout you
drive past the old slag heap and into Queenstown.
By Air :
Strahan Airport - Although helicopter and fixed-wing flights operate from here for charter flights into the south-west wilderness area, or over locations in western Tasmania, there are no scheduled passenger services to Strahan from other airports in Tasmania
Best
Buying Queenstown
Shops,
shops, shops. In Queenstown the stores are open all day and much of the
evening, 365 days of the year. Look for designer clothing, contemporary arts,
jewellery and homeware.
Buying
recreational equipment such as skis, snowboards, kayaks and mountaineering gear
is an adventure in itself in Queenstown. Outfitting stores here qualify as
adult toyshops, and the clothing is both functional and fashionable. There are
passionate retailers who draw together collections of the best New Zealand
designs.
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 07 May 2008 ) | |
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