The view from the top of Bob's Hill puts Queenstown, New Zealand into perspective.
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| View of Queenstown from the upper Gondola Station |
The bustling self-importance of the South Island tourist hub, its high-end shops, pricey gourmet burgers and hyped up adventure tourism, fade into a string of bright lights, almost lost among the vast alpine scenery.
The linear parades of tour groups are merely dashes on the boardwalk of the turquoise bay below.
The amplified buskers and bungie jumper screams are lost in the brisk breezes that sweep off the surrounding ranges and rustle the invasive Douglas Firs behind the clearing.
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| The Remarkables catch the setting sun |
Like its northern hemisphere cousin, Banff, the true wonder of Queenstown is its location - nestled by the crystalline waters of Lake Wakatipu and enclosed by the barren rock faces of endless mountainscapes.
It is important, although not easy, to look beyond the town.
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| The setting sun over Lake Wakatipu |
Some visitors recognize this, and brave the stiff breezes, perching on the boardwalk wall to watch the setting sun cast dramatic shadows on the lake's undeveloped shoreline.
A cone of exceptional Patagonia ice cream or a glass of local draft from the Atlas Beer Cafe buys you a sheltered front row seat
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| Rhododendron and Roses in Queenstown Gardens |
Not that the town lacks its own attractions. Well over 100 years ago, forward thinking settlers planted a botanical garden that today boasts towering specimens of Giant Sequoia, Red Beech, English Oak, Horizontal Elm and Pin Oak.
During our spring visit at the end of November, the Peonies had peaked, the Rhododendron were bursting with colour and hundreds of rose bushes were just beginning to bloom.
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| Churchill's Runabout in Queenstown harbour |
Sitting on the shore of one of the deepest and clearest lakes in the world, Queenstown offers plenty of opportunities to get out on the water, from scenic cruises to private boats. We even saw a few brave backpackers shed their outer layers and jump in for a glacial, early spring swim.
The landscape may be Queenstown's original raison d'etre, but the comforts of a well developed tourist town undoubtedly help ratchet up the "happy factor", particularly on the eve of our challenging Milford Track expedition.
(PS. Apparently Taylor Swift agrees ... she dropped in for two visits while we were in the area)
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