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Queenstown Facts & Worksheets

Queenstown is a town in the Otago region in southwest New Zealand known for scenic mountain scenery, ski tourism, and Lake Wakatipu.

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Queenstown is a town in the Otago region in southwest New Zealand known for scenic mountain scenery, ski tourism, and Lake Wakatipu. It is ranked 27th as the largest urban region in New Zealand. People come to Queenstown for adventure, skiing, and beautiful scenery.

See the fact file below for more information on the Queenstown or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Queenstown worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

GEOGRAPHY

  • The Queenstown-Lakes District covers a land area of a little over 8,700 square kilometers.
  • The town is built around Queenstown Bay set on the shore line of Lake Wakatipu, which is the longest and third largest lake in New Zealand based on surface area.
  • It has three inland lakes: Lake Hāwea, Lake Wakatipu, and Lake Wanaka.
  • Even with a relatively low altitude, it makes for a great skiing and snowboarding area because it is surrounded by mountains.
  • These mountains are namely The Remarkables, Cecil Peak, Walter Peak, Queenstown Hill, and Ben Lomond.
  • Nearby towns of Queenstown are Arrowtown, Glenorchy, Kingston, Wanaka, Alexandra, and Cromwell.
  • Dunedin and Invercargill are its neighboring cities.
  • It is accessible by road and air.
  • It is not accessible by rail.

CLIMATE

  • Queenstown has an oceanic climate.
  • It experiences long, warm summer days and cool, snowy winters.
  • Because Queenstown is located on the west coast and within the rain shadow of the Southern Alps, it is more likely to rain.

HISTORY

  • Approximately 1000 years ago, the Maori people originally occupied the land where Queenstown is situated now.
  • Evidence of their settlement was left in the form of tools for fishing and hunting such as spears, baskets, and stake nets.
  • The Maori had already left the area by the time the Europeans arrived in the land back in the 1850s.
  • Nathanael Chalmers was the first European to arrive and see Lake Wakatipu in September 1853.
  • He was guided over the Waimea Plains and up the Mataura River by the chief of the Tuturau named Reko.
  • The first European explorers to settle in the area were William Gilbert Rees and Nicholas von Tunzelmann.
  • In 1860, Rees built a country farm which is situated in the current town center of Queenstown. At that time, Queenstown was called The Station.
  • When gold was discovered in the Arrow River in 1862, Queenstown was called The Camp.
  • It was officially named Queenstown after a public meeting in 1863 where the town was referred to as a “town fit for a queen”.
  • Gold discovery prompted Rees to turn his woolshed into a hotel.
  • He named the hotel Queen’s Arms, and it is now called Eichardt’s and is also recognized now as historic site.
  • A lot of streets in Queenstown are named after the period of gold discovery and mining.
  • Exploring Queenstown, you would find that there are some historic buildings still there.
  • In Queenstown’s historic precinct, you would find historic sites close to each other such as William’s Cottage, the Lake Lodge of Ophir, and St Peter’s Anglican Church.

LAKE WAKATIPU

  • New Zealand’s longest lake is found in Queenstown: Lake Wakatipu.
  • Lake Wakatipu’s lake floor is below sea level.
  • It is an inland lake in the southwest corner of the Otago region.
  • Its name comes from the Maori word “Whakatipu wai-maori” meaning “growing canoe”.
  • The lake flows out from Frankton Arm, which is 5 miles east of Queenstown.
  • It is famous for being a venue for adventure and ski tourism.

TOURISM AND ECONOMY

  • Because Queenstown is a tourist destination, residential housing is expensive.
  • In 2017, it was ranked as the least affordable area in New Zealand in terms of residence.
  • Most jobs in Queenstown are geared towards tourism and hospitality.
  • The town’s growth and employment rates are ones of the fastest in the country.

CULTURE

  • Queenstown hosts the largest gay pride festival in the Southern Hemisphere and it is called Gay Ski Week or Winter Pride, which happens in September.
  • There are more festivals that occur annually in Queenstown: the Bike Festival in March or April, the Winter Festival in June, and the Jazz Festival in October.
  • Many locations in Queenstown were used in filming the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Queenstown Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Queenstown across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Queenstown worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Queenstown which is a town in the Otago region in southwest New Zealand known for scenic mountain scenery, ski tourism, and Lake Wakatipu. It is ranked 27th as the largest urban region in New Zealand. People come to Queenstown for adventure, skiing, and beautiful scenery.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Queenstown Facts
  • Resort Town
  • Queenstown Map
  • Queenstown Origins
  • Truth or Bluff
  • Lake Wakatipu Facts
  • Festival Search
  • Two Towns
  • Queenstown Poem
  • A Trip to Queenstown
  • Queenstown Collage

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Link will appear as Queenstown Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, May 16, 2019

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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