queenstown
ESSENTIALS
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When to go: The summer hiking and mountain biking season( December to February) is the busiest time, but the winter ski season( June to September) isn’ t far behind. Early fall( March to April) is optimal, with crisp days and a lull in visitors, plus golden colors sweeping the region. Currency: New Zealand dollar Language: English Getting around: The compact town center is easily explored on foot. Parking, on the other hand, is expensive and often difficult to find. Many activities include transport, and public buses connect the center with outer neighborhoods and Arrowtown, so a rental car can be more hindrance than necessity.
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Cross New Zealand’ s stunning scenery and Australia’ s wildlife off your bucket list during a 14-Day Australia & New Zealand sailing with Holland America Line. As a complimentary gift from our agency, get a $ 75 Shipboard Credit per Stateroom. Board the Noordam on January 3, 2027, in Auckland, NZ.
Shotover River at Arthurs Point
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The boats, which shoot up and down canyons and rivers in the area, were first developed in the 1950s by South Island sheep farmer Bill Hamilton, who wanted to build a craft that would whip across Otago’ s shallow rivers.
But not all activities here are adrenaline-fueled; many are focused around national parks. Queenstown is the primary gateway to Fiordland National Park, the vast wilderness blanketing the southwestern corner of the South Island. Many travelers make the pilgrimage to Milford Sound, a deep fjord carved into the coast and the main attraction in Fiordland, via State Highway 94. The remote road cuts a path through dense forest, offering many opportunities to gawk at mountain scenery, walk through virgin stands of moss-draped trees and spot kea, the world’ s only alpine parrot. On Milford Sound, boats cruise beneath the towering Mitre Peak and the sheer fjord walls.
Fiordland is also home to three of New Zealand’ s 11 Great Walks. The Milford Track, Kepler Track and Routeburn Track are the best of New Zealand’ s expansive hiking trails, each offering the chance to escape into the heart of untouched wilderness. image: alamy. illustration: emma kelly
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