Despite being a substantial resort and commercial destination, the immediate area around Queenstown is still very beautiful. If this is your first time, walk around the Lake Wakatipu shoreline, including the Queenstown Gardens.
Although many of the activities in town are commercial and require payment, free mini-trips are accessible from the town. You can drive along Gorge Rd to Arthurs Point and then to Arrowtown and Lake Hayes. Then, drive up “The Zig Zag” to a viewpoint on the edge of the Crown Range Road Terrace. After this, you can head back to the main highway to Queenstown, turn off at Frankton and head towards Kelvin Heights, Jacks Point and Drift Bay on the southeastern arm of the lake.
Turn around and return to Queenstown once you get tired of constantly stopping for another cool pic of the Remarkables, the lake, Coronet Peak, and the Shotover River.
