Where commercial bungy jumping began
In 1988, AJ Hackett and Henry van Asch opened the world's first permanent commercial bungy jump at the Kawarau Bridge just outside Queenstown — a launch point for what's now a global industry, and still one of the town's signature activities today. That founding moment set the tone for everything Queenstown has built around it since: jet boating, skydiving, whitewater rafting, mountain biking and skiing all sit within easy reach of the town centre.
A dramatic natural setting
Queenstown sits on the shore of Lake Wakatipu, a long, glacially carved lake, directly below The Remarkables mountain range — a name that comes from the range running almost exactly north-south, unusual for the Southern Alps, and giving it a strikingly symmetrical profile from town.
A film-location trail of its own
The wider Queenstown region, including nearby Glenorchy, was used extensively as a filming location for the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies — several operators run dedicated tours to filming locations in the surrounding landscape.
A genuine resort economy
Unlike most New Zealand towns its size, Queenstown's economy is built almost entirely around tourism, which shows in its concentration of restaurants, bars and accommodation relative to its small permanent population — busiest and most expensive in the summer and winter ski peaks, quieter in the shoulder seasons.
The base for Milford Sound
Queenstown is the most common base for day trips to Milford Sound, though it's a long day — the drive alone runs several hours each way through Fiordland National Park before reaching the sound itself.