Skyline Queenstown

Skyline Queenstown is the gondola that rises from the edge of the town centre to Bob's Peak, on the lower slopes of Ben Lomond. It opened on 17 November 1967 and was the first site run by Skyline Enterprises, the New Zealand company that later built gondolas and luges in Rotorua and overseas. The top terminal sits around 450 metres above Lake Wakatipu, and for most first-time visitors it is the easiest way to understand the shape of the place: the town, the bay, the Remarkables and the long arm of the lake all laid out below.

The cabins seat up to ten people and a standard ticket covers one ride up and one ride down. At the top you will find the Stratosfare Restaurant and Bar, which serves lunch and dinner, the Market Kitchen Café for something quicker, a gift shop and the viewing decks. The luge is the other big draw. It opened in 1998, the tracks run for more than 1,600 metres, and riders take a chairlift back up. The Arrow track is the gentler one; the Dart is steeper with sharper bends. Luge tickets are valid for a single day only.

Families should know the rules before they go. Children under two, and anyone shorter than 85 centimetres, cannot ride the chairlift or luge. Children between 85 and 120 centimetres can ride in tandem with an adult aged 15 or over. Skyline also runs guided walks between 1 October and 30 April and evening stargazing tours, both of which depend on the weather and can be cancelled at short notice.

Accessibility is reasonable for a mountain attraction. The cabins have level loading so wheelchairs roll straight in, the operators can slow or stop the gondola, and the complex at the top is wheelchair-friendly. The walking tracks outside and the Moonlight Theatre are not. Prams can be folded and loaded by staff, but scaffolding currently limits pram access around the luge and outdoor areas.

The site is being redeveloped, with a new gondola and car park under way, and parking on Brecon Street is currently unavailable. Walk up from the town centre or use the Man Street car parks near the bottom of Brecon Street; large campervans should use the Boundary Street car park. If you would rather earn the view, the Tiki Trail climbs from the gondola base to the complex in about 45 to 65 minutes, and the top is also the starting point for the Ben Lomond Track. Kiwi Park is just below the base station.