Hotels

There are now over 20,000 visitor beds in this small town, ranging from backpackers to new apartments, international-class hotels, and luxury lodges, yet still they keep coming. Even with multiple new additions, it still pays to book well in advance. If you're looking for something extra special, refer to the Queenstown luxury concierge company, Touch of Spice (tel. 03/442-8672; www.touchofspice.co.nz), listed in the "Planning Your Trip to New Zealand" chapter. They provide a luxury concierge service for their Private Villa Collection -- everything from rustic cottages to country lodges and luxury penthouses. The rates below include 12.5% GST and free off-street parking unless otherwise noted.

Queenstown Top 10 Holiday Park Creeksyde, 54 Robins Rd. (tel. 03/442-9447; www.camp.co.nz), is definitely the Mercedes of campgrounds, situated in what was once a nursery -- so there are trees and plants aplenty, plus room for 90 campervans, all with power outlets and water (solar heating) and waste hookups. There are also completely self-contained units and budget lodge rooms. They have a Green Globe Gold certificate and it's within a 5-minute walk of town. The charge is NZ$47 for powered sites; NZ$63 for lodge rooms; NZ$110 to NZ$200 for holiday units; NZ$120 for motel rooms; and NZ$183 for motel apartments. YHA Queenstown Lakefront, 88-90 Lake Esplanade, Queenstown (tel. 0800/278-299 in NZ, or 03/442-8413; fax 03/442-6561; www.yha.co.nz), has 147 beds -- dorm beds from NZ$30 and doubles from NZ$75.

Arrowtown Lodge, 7 Anglesea St., Arrowtown (tel. 0800/258-802 in NZ, or 03/442-1101; fax 03/442-1108; www.arrowtownlodge.co.nz), has four semidetached cottages that replicate something of Arrowtown's gold-rush heritage. You'll get charm and 21st-century comfort here for the very reasonable rate of NZ$150 to NZ$200.

There's a bit of everything in Glenorchy, from cheap backpackers to a very upmarket lodge. Glenorchy Hotel (tel. 03/442-9902; fax 03/442-9912; www.glenorchynz.com) is a classic Kiwi country-style hotel with nine rooms and backpacker accommodations; Glenorchy Holiday Park & Backpackers (tel. 03/442-7171; glenpark@queenstown.co.nz) has the usual campground facilities, plus lodge rooms and cabins; and gorgeous little Kinloch Lodge (tel. 03/442-4900; www.kinlochlodge.co.nz), located between the Greenstone and Routeburn tracks, offers bunks and private rooms with shared facilities (NZ$80-NZ$195), in a setting you'll always remember. Drive 45 minutes out to Glenorchy, then take a 3-minute boat ride across the lake to the low-cost comforts of this outback gem.