queenstown |
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images: Tineke Enright |
Above from left: Sundays pizza
restaurant; vintage clothing at
Country Lane
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Lane could involve anything from petting a horse to dining out at Sundays, a woodfired pizza restaurant housed in a converted church. Each local business in Country Lane has its own specialty. Inside of a rustic shearing shed is Buzzstop, which stocks a large selection of New Zealand native and manuka honey, along with other honeybased products. The studio of artist and jeweler Jessica Winchcombe features her bold, expressive jewelry and art pieces. And the Arts Hole is Queenstown’ s first and only urban art gallery.
Arrowtown is another excellent shopping destination. At Arrowtown Stonework, the same family has been hand-carving pounamu pieces for three generations. Maori tradition and culture underpin the studio’ s work, so each creation has meaning behind it. Meanwhile, The Gold Shop in Arrowtown specializes in jewelry made from gold hand-mined from local rivers. Look out for the lockets full of gold flakes.
Queenstown’ s markets represent a great opportunity to buy from local artisans. The Queenstown Market, held every Saturday on the lakefront, is a prime place
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to pick up a handcrafted gift or souvenir. Stalls range from stone jewelry, including pounamu, to landscape photograph prints of the Queenstown area, and ceramics made from clay dug from the South Island. Another market worth bookmarking is the Remarkables Market, which takes place every Saturday during the summer months( October to April). The lineup of local makers and musicians is impressive, but what makes this market truly unique is the focus on sustainability. Single-use cups have long been banished; visitors are encouraged to bring a reusable cup or borrow one from the colorful cup stand.
ADVENTURE
Ever since local entrepreneur AJ Hackett opened the world’ s first commercial bungee jump at Kawarau Bridge in 1988, the high-adrenaline sport has been one of Queenstown’ s most iconic activities. The repertoire of bungee-related activities has since expanded: these days, it’ s also possible to be sent into freefall via a canyon swing or human catapult. Another adventure activity born in Queenstown is the jetboat.
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SPRING 2026 • 85 |