Queenstown Gardens

If you go to the outskirts of Queenstown you will find a small peninsula on Lake Wakatipu which is home to the splendid Queenstown Gardens. Since 1867, this tranquil retreat has been a peaceful counterweight to the town’s busy streets. Visit the gardens to see heritage-listed trees and a number of other native and foreign species of flower, shrubs and plants. The first trees in the garden – mighty English oaks – were planted by the mayor of Queenstown in 1866 and the area’s most prominent tree species, the Douglas fir, was introduced here during the 19th and 20th centuries.br />Although principally a botanical garden, Queenstown Gardens has more to offer than beautiful boulevards with ancient fir and oak trees. Skating, tennis, disc golf, touch rugby, and even ice hockey are all available in the park. The latter is located inside the Queenstown Ice Arena, home to the Southern Stampede ice hockey team. Whenever the team is not training, the arena is open to visitors who can rent skates and take to the ice for themselvesbr />Disc golf, or frisbee golf as it is sometimes called, is an unusual sport which has been played in the garden since the 1980s. You’ll find an 18-hole course here, for which you’ll need discs, a map and scorecards – all of which you can buy from a number of shops in town. Or you can simply bring along your own frisbee and give it a more casual go!The Queenstown Gardens are within easy walking distance of the city centre. There’s also free parking available for those who come by car. Entry to the park and use of the disc golf course are also free and the park is open every day. It is worth noting that some of the sporting clubs charge a small fee for the use of their facilities.