Lake Hayes
Arrowtown-Lake Hayes Rd, Lake Hayes, Queenstown, 9371, New Zealand
Lake Hayes is a small, picture-perfect lake 12 kilometres northeast of Queenstown — a 280-hectare glacial lake that is one of the most photographed in New Zealand, especially in autumn (April-May) when the mature willows, cottonwoods, and poplars around its shore turn brilliant gold and reflect in the still water.
Lake Wakatipu
New Zealand
Lake Wakatipu is the 80-kilometre-long glacial lake that defines Queenstown's geography — a narrow, zigzag-shaped body of water (reaching 380 metres depth in places, making it one of the deepest lakes in the world) formed by glaciers that carved the valley between the Southern Alps about 15,000 years ago.
Queenstown Gardens
Park St, Queenstown, 9300, New Zealand
The Queenstown Gardens are a peninsula of 23 hectares jutting into Lake Wakatipu immediately south of the town centre — laid out in 1867 as a public garden on what was then a bare shingle spit and now forested with mature exotic and native trees (oaks, larches, and some massive Douglas firs).
Queenstown Hill Time Walk
Belfast Tce, Queenstown, 9300, New Zealand
The Queenstown Hill Time Walk is one of the town's best short hikes — a 3-hour return climb to the 907-metre Te Tapu-nui summit through native beech forest, Douglas fir plantation, and alpine tussock, with sculptural installations along the trail representing the human history of the area (Māori legend, gold rush, sheep farming, tourism).
Queenstown Trail (Cycling)
Queenstown, New Zealand
The Queenstown Trail is a 130-kilometre network of dedicated cycle paths connecting Queenstown, Arrowtown, Gibbston Valley, and Jack's Point — completed in 2012 and now one of New Zealand's 22 Great Rides.
Explore free in Queenstown
GPS-guided narration at every landmark. Tap a spot on the map, hear the story. Every fact verified.