Skyline gondola and bungy platform.

Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images

Skyline Gondola

Queenstown


Hop aboard for fantastic views as the gondola squeezes through pine forest to its grandstand location 400m above Queenstown. At the top there's the inevitable cafe, restaurant, souvenir shop and observation deck, as well as the Queenstown Bike Park, Skyline Luge, Ledge Bungy, Ledge Swing, GForce Paragliding and Ziptrek Ecotours. At night there are stargazing tours (including gondola, adult/child $99/54).

Walking trails include the Skyline Loop track through the Douglas firs (30 minutes return). The energetic (or frugal) can forgo the gondola and hike to the top on the Tiki Trail, while the popular Ben Lomond Track climbs on another 940m.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Queenstown attractions

1. Kiwi Birdlife Park

0.05 MILES

These 2 hectares are home to 10,000 native plants, geckos, skinks, tuatara (an endemic reptile) and scores of birds, including kiwi, kea (alpine parrots),…

2. Time Tripper

0.37 MILES

Located in the old underwater observatory beneath the main pier, this 30-minute experience promises a journey back in time, explaining Lake Wakatipu's…

3. St Peter's on Church St

0.44 MILES

This pretty Anglican church, built in 1932 from local greywacke stone, has colourful stained glass and an impressive gilded and painted organ. Take a look…

4. Lake Wakatipu

0.63 MILES

Shaped like a cartoon lightning bolt, Lake Wakatipu is NZ's third-largest lake. It reaches a depth of 372m, meaning the lake bed actually sits below sea…

5. Queenstown Gardens

0.63 MILES

Set on its own tongue of land framing Queenstown Bay, this pretty park is the perfect city escape right within the city. Laid out in 1876, it features an…

6. Arrowtown Chinese Settlement

10.55 MILES

Strung along the creek, near the site of Arrowtown's first gold find, is NZ’s best example of an early Chinese settlement. Interpretive signs explain the…

7. St Patrick's Catholic Church

10.64 MILES

Apart from its impressive Star of David–shaped rose window, this 1874 stone Gothic Revival church, built from local schist rock, wouldn't be worth noting…

8. Lakes District Museum & Gallery

10.69 MILES

Exhibits cover the gold-rush era and the early days of Chinese settlement around Arrowtown. Kids are kept engaged by the likes of an 'Odd One Out' game…