cafe
Fergburger
A cult burger joint in Queenstown that draws queues around the block, an essential stop for anyone driving New Zealand's spectacular southern routes.
0 km · about 5 min drive
OceaniaNew ZealandOtago
Queenstown
Otago, New Zealand · Oceania
About Queenstown
Queenstown works well as a base: 10 minutes from Arthurs Point, 7km from Kingston–Queenstown Road (SH6).
Queenstown is in Otago, New Zealand, with about 10,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Arthurs Point, about 5 km away.
The Queenstown Winter Festival was an annual event held in and around the alpine New Zealand town of Queenstown. The festival was held annually from 1975 until its cancellation in 2023. It was sometimes referred to as "The Southern Hemisphere's biggest winter party".
Queenstown is a major winter destination, lyingRead more
close to several of the southern hemisphere's major ski fields, among them The Remarkables, Cardrona, and Coronet Peak. During the 1970s, locals began organising a winter festival close to the beginning of each ski season, starting with a 1975 event organised by musician Peter Doyle and Laurie Wilde, manager of Eichardt's Hotel.
In the years since that time, the festival grew to the point where events spread over ten days each June, and attract over 40,000 people. The main part of the festival was the final four days, with free live entertainment in and around the town. Events at the festival were deliberately aimed at being both fun and unusual. A music and comedy programme was augmented by events ranging from a polar plunge to tug of war on skis. Other events at previous festivals have included New Zealand Ice Hockey League matches and the Peak-to-Peak endurance race. Fireworks and laser light displays were regularly held.
As of 2019, the festival was known as The Real Journeys Queenstown Winter Festival for sponsorship reasons. The festival was important to Queenstown's economy, bringing millions of dollars into the town.
In 2023 it was announced that the festival would not continue due to the unsustainable running costs
In 2025 NZSki announced they would attempt to revive the Winter Festival, starting in 2026 with small key events and growing over time.
Where to Stay in Queenstown
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Explore the Area
Discover famous landmarks, scenic roads, and more near Queenstown.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Queenstown?
Within an hour or so of Queenstown: Fergburger (0 km), Remarkables Viewpoint (Queenstown) (5 km), Kingston–Queenstown Road (SH6) (7 km), Crown Range Road (17 km).
Are there any good drives near Queenstown?
The nearest famous roads are Kingston–Queenstown Road (SH6), Crown Range Road and Crown Range Summit.
Where is Queenstown?
Queenstown is in Otago, New Zealand, about 5 km from Arthurs Point.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 10,442
- Continent
- Oceania
- Country
- New Zealand
- Region
- Otago
- Timezone
- Pacific/Auckland
- Coordinates
- -45.0302, 168.6627
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in New Zealand
Many rural bridges are single-lane. Give way as signed.
Full driving guide for New ZealandTags
Worth the detour from Queenstown
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
scenic viewpoint
Remarkables Viewpoint (Queenstown)
A lakeside pull-off on the road to Queenstown where The Remarkables mountain range reflects in the mirror-calm waters of Lake Wakatipu.
5 km · about 10 min drive
famous road
Kingston–Queenstown Road (SH6)
A stunning lakeside drive along the shores of Lake Wakatipu from Kingston to Queenstown beneath the Remarkables mountain range.
7 km · about 15 min drive
famous road
Crown Range Road
New Zealand's highest sealed road at 1,076m, a switchback climb between Queenstown and Wanaka.
17 km · about 20 min drive
film location
Kawarau Gorge (Argonath / Pillars of the Kings)
The Kawarau River gorge east of Queenstown supplied the river scene where the Fellowship passes the Argonath.
18 km · about 20 min drive
famous road
Crown Range Road
New Zealand's highest sealed road at 1,076 meters, a dramatic alpine crossing between Queenstown and Wanaka.
22 km · about 25 min drive
mountain pass
Crown Range Summit
Highest sealed through-road in New Zealand at 1,076 m, linking Queenstown and Wanaka with hairpin bends and a summit viewpoint.
22 km · about 25 min drive
film location
Glenorchy and the Dart Valley (Isengard and Lothlorien)
The beech forest and river flats at the head of Lake Wakatipu provided Isengard, Lothlorien and Amon Hen.
29 km · about 35 min drive
Driving roads near Queenstown
- Right hereRemarkables Viewpoint (Queenstown)A lakeside pull-off on the road to Queenstown where The Remarkables mountain range reflects in the mirror-calm waters of Lake Wakatipu.
- Right hereKingston–Queenstown Road (SH6)A stunning lakeside drive along the shores of Lake Wakatipu from Kingston to Queenstown beneath the Remarkables mountain range.
- 17 kmCrown Range RoadNew Zealand's highest sealed road at 1,076m, a switchback climb between Queenstown and Wanaka.
- 22 kmCrown Range RoadNew Zealand's highest sealed road at 1,076 meters, a dramatic alpine crossing between Queenstown and Wanaka.
- 22 kmCrown Range SummitHighest sealed through-road in New Zealand at 1,076 m, linking Queenstown and Wanaka with hairpin bends and a summit viewpoint.
- 51 kmMilford Road (SH94)The 120 km drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound through Fiordland's glacial valleys, beech forest, and the rough-hewn Homer Tunnel: one of the world's great road journeys.
Nearby Destinations
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