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What
can you not do in Queenstown?
Indeed, this town literally has anything and everything for you.
From a relaxing vacation to a mind-blowing extreme travelling
experience, Queenstown is your oyster. And this ‘oyster’ is
beautiful no matter what time of the year you choose to go.
Gorgeous Surroundings
If you’re looking to enjoy scenery, there’s certainly plenty of it
here, and extremely varied too. Located in New Zealand’s South
Island, Queenstown is absolutely surrounded by lakes, canyons and
mountains. The town itself is on the edge of Lake Wakatipu, New
Zealand’s longest lake, and surrounded by the Southern Alps.
 According
to Maori legend, Lake Wakatipu is the site where the giant Matau was
burnt to death in his sleep after abducting a princess. Its shape is
of a giant curled up on his side- marking the spot where his body
burned an enormous hole in the ground, melting the ice and snow
around him. With that in mind, Queenstown is just where Matau’s
knees should have been. The lake rises and falls every five minutes
which, legend says, is because Matau’s heart still beats.
Whether the legend has any truth to it or not, the lake and its
surroundings are simply beautiful and you can spend time hiking,
camping or even just walking. You could even choose to see things
from the air, in a small plane, helicopter or even a hot air
balloon. Cruises and coach tours are also available, each
interesting in their own different way.
The
Original Bungee Jump
And
where better to go for a good old bungee jump if not Queensland
where the sport was first commercialised?
If you’re into extreme
activities then you can have your pick of everything from bungee
jumping to skydiving, even canyon swinging and whitewater rafting.
With all that, who needs a theme park?
Right Down To Middle Earth
On top of all that, the most fun, quirky thing you should also try
is a Lord of the Rings tour. Yes believe it or not a trip to ‘Middle
Earth’ is just one of the many wonders Queenstown has to offer.
After all, it was here that the trilogy was filmed. A truly unique
experience, you can actually visit the places where filming was
done, dress up and pretend you’re one of the storybook characters.
New
Zealand is also known for its Maori Jade (or Greenstone), a
beautiful green stone that can only be found in that country since
export of the raw product was prohibited due to short supply in the
1940s. This stone which basically comes in five or six different
shades of green, was originally used by the Maori for many purposes
including weapons or tools. Of course though nowadays it is more
often carved into beautiful pieces of jewelry which makes a good
momento to take home.
.... Or Try Gold-Digging
Besides Queenstown itself, you could also take a quick trip to
Arrowtown, once famous for its gold. Located about 20 minutes from
Queenstown, this quaint little town and its amazingly beautiful
surroundings offer you a gateway to the past with old buildings and
museums. At the same time though, the hills surrounding it provide
you with enough eye candy for a relaxing picnic by Arrow River. You
can even pan for gold. Who knows, you just might get lucky and find
a nugget or two.
After so many activities, you can just sit back and relax in one of
Queenstown’s few spas where you can pamper your aching muscles and
rejuvenate your soul. What’s for sure is, if you’re thinking of
making Queenstown your holiday destination, don’t rush through it-
just sit back and soak in the fun!
Book
Queenstown Hotels here
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