Extreme Sporting Capital

Queenstown – New Zealand

If you’re an adrenalin junky and dream about your next big rush, Queenstown is the place to be. It is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand’s South Island. The town is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu. The giant Z-shaped lake was formed by the movement of glaciers.

It is the center for adventure tourism. Queenstown offers bungy jumping, skiing, snow boarding, jet boating, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, rocking climbing, fly fishing, and much more! People from all over the world flock to Queenstown to experience the sports culture. Queenstown has four main mountain skifields: Cardona Alpine Resort, Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, and Treble Cone.

In the morning, you can snowboard down one of the four mountain peaks, then in the afternoon you can bungy jump off one of Queenstown’s three bungy sites. After all that excitement, relax at one of Queenstown’s many lakeside restaurants such as The Prime Waterfront Restaurant & Bar or Pier 19.

Queenstown’s hostels have become increasingly popular in recent years for toursists all over the world. The adventure tourism provided in the day and the vibrant nightlife scene in the evenings has made Queenstown the place to be. More and more honeymooners have also traveled to Queenstown over the years.

Queenstown also has a popular local reputaion as one of New Zealands wine and cuisine centers since the regions climate is perfect for vinyards and crops. One of Otago’s specialties is Pinot Noir. Multiple festivals occur throughout the year as well. Queenstown hosts an annual International Jazz Festival and the Queenstown Winter Festival.

The Queenstown Winter Festival has grown over the past 37 years into the “biggest winter party in the Southern Hemishere”. It is a 10 day celebration of Queenstown’s unique culture and diverse community with street parties, fireworks, concerts, both international and local acts, comedy shows, and sport races of all sorts!

Queenstown is a destination that should be on every explorer’s bucket list.