| Queenstown, New Zealand |
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Queenstown is a Resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand 's South Island . It is built around an inlet on Lake Wakatipu , a long thin lake shaped like a staggered lightning bolt, and has spectactular views of nearby mountains. There are various apocryphal accounts of how the town was named, the most popular suggesting that a local gold digger exclaimed that the town was "fit for Queen Victoria ". It is sometimes disparagaingly referred to as "Vegas by the Lake" for a perceived fixation on commerce-oriented tourism, especially adventure and ski tourism. It is popular with young international and New Zealand travellers alike. The town is the largest centre in Central Otago , but for some administrative purposes it is considered part of Southland . According to the 2001 Census , the usually resident population of the Queenstown urban area (including Frankton and Kelvin Heights) is 8535, an increase of 19.3% since 1996. Its neighbouring towns and districts include Arrowtown , Wanaka , Alexandra , and Cromwell . The nearest cities are Dunedin and Invercargill . TOURISM A resort town, Queenstown is a centre for Adventure Tourism . Skiing , Jet Boating , Bungy Jumping , Mountain Biking and Tramping are all strong promotional themes. Along with Mount Ruapehu , Queenstown is a major centre for snow sports in New Zealand, with people from all over the country and many parts of the world travelling to ski at the four main mountain skifields ( Cardrona Alpine Resort , Coronet Peak , The Remarkables and Treble Cone ). In recent years Queenstown's hostels have become a popular destination for young Australian and American tourists. Queenstown provides adventure tourism during the day and a vibrant nightlife scene during the evenings. Locally, Queenstown has a reputation as one of New Zealand's wine and cuisine centres. Neighbouring, historic Arrowtown features excellent restaurants and bars, and Queenstown lies close to the centre of a small Wine Producing region, reputed to be the world's southernmost. Pinot noir produced in this area fetches premium prices. Queenstown Airport has scheduled flights to Auckland , Christchurch and Sydney year-round and Wellington , Melbourne and Brisbane seasonally. Queenstown and the surrounding area contain many locations used in the filming of the ''Lord Of The Rings'' Film Trilogy . Highlights
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