Situated on the hip of pretty Lake Wakatipu, and facing the looming Remarkables, Queenstown has always attracted visitors. But with the development of the surrounding skifields and the devising of new attractions, such as jetboating, whitewater rafting and then bungee jumping, tourism became the new goldrush, and Queenstown boomed.

Today, it’s like a town from some resort in the Swiss Alps transplanted into a New Zealand landscape. Gravity is mined for every thrill it can yield, on skis or boards, on rubber bands or with parachute cloth.

Queenstown’s reputation is mostly built on its winter attractions (as celebrated in its annual Winter Festival It has five skifields within an hour’s drive. One activity is indelibly associated with the town: bungee jumping. The home of the bungee is the historic Kawarau River overbridge, site of the Kawarau Bungy Centre run by AJ Hackett . It’s a thrill, if not a cheap one – unless you’re over 65 when it’s free. Hackett runs three other bungee sites nearby: the biggest and best being Nevis Highwire Bungy, where you jump from a pod suspended over the Nevis River.

Another of the original adrenaline sports operators in Queenstown is Shotover Jet, who has been running thrilling jetboat excursions on the Shotover and Kawarau Rivers for nearly 40 years. At times, it’s every bit as near-death as bungee, but seems like better bang for your buck: an adult gets a ride for $109, and a child for $69, and it lasts longer. There are several operators running the wilder bits of the Kawarau and the Shotover in rubber rafts, including Queenstown Rafting (03 442 9792, www.rafting.co.nz), and Challenge Rafting (03 442 7318, www.raft.co.nz). The most basic trip costs around $150.

Queenstown is, after Wanaka, the gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park . Three of New Zealand’s great walks are here: the Rees-Dart track, the Routeburn and the Greenstone-Caples .
There’s also fishing, with Wakatipu and its tributaries offering good brown trout angling: guided excursions are available with Born to Fish (03 248 8890, www.borntofish.co.nz), or Fly Fishing (03 442 5363, www.wakatipu.co.nz).

If you’re more interested in merely living it up, the immediate area has plenty of possibilities. There are more than 80 wineries, with around 20 cellar doors. Some of the finest pinot noir in the world is produced here, and the rigours of the climate mean there are also good reislings and sauternes-style wines. The best way to sample is to join a tour: try Queenstown Wine Trail (03 442 3799, www.queenstownwinetrail.co.nz) or Appellation Central Wine Tours (03 442 0246, www.appellationcentral.co.nz). Or you can stay right in town and try it all in the comfort of Wine Tastes at 14 Beach Street (03 409 2226).