Queenstown is an exhilarating, year-round, alpine resort, perfect for adventurers and leisure seekers alike.

Nestled on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, overlooked by the majestic Southern Alps, the town was named because "...it was fit for Queen Victoria". Today, Queenstown is recognised internationally as New Zealand's premier visitor destination.

But Queenstown has more than just breathtaking scenery and a diverse range of attractions - it's the people that visitors find enchanting. In fact, Queenstown has consistently been voted Friendliest Foreign City in a poll of Conde Nast Traveler readers, a top US travel publication. Queenstown first won the award in 1996.

Key facts

• Queenstown has around 1.9 million visitors every year.
• Queenstown enjoys four distinct, captivating seasons, providing year-round visitors and a strong tourism base for sustainable and exciting property investment and ownership.
• Queenstown boasts the largest range of adventure activities in the southern hemisphere - all within easy reach of the compact town centre (just one square kilometre in size).
• Queenstown has a resident population of around 23,000, swelling to 45,000+ in peak visitor periods.
• Population growth runs at approximately 30% per census review (every 5 years).
• Queenstown Airport is only 10 minutes to central Queenstown. There are international direct flights to Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, and domestic services to Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland.
• Queenstown and the Southern Lakes region has been voted one of the Top 10 Places in the World to visit by Lonely Planet. A great award for the region.
• Queenstown is becoming a popular destination for television productions and film. After the success of Peter Jacksons' Lord of the Rings Trilogy, filming of The Hobbit took place in December 2011 in Glenorchy. Queenstown has also featured in the American productions of The Biggest Loser and The Batchelor gaining world wide recognition.  
• Queenstown is host to numerous events throughout the year from concerts, festivals, food and wine, sporting events, conferences, markets and family fun events to activities. There is plenty on offer for all ages. Here are a few of the most popular events happening in 2012 - Arrowtown Autumn Festival, Warbirds Over Wanaka, Gibbston Harvest Festival, NZ PGA Pro-Am Golf Championship, Americal Express Queenstown Winter Festival, New Zealand's largest travel trade event TRENZ, Pub Charity National Rugby Sevens to name a few.

For more information visit: www.queenstownnz.co.nz

Buying in Queenstown

There is no doubt about it, Queenstown is not only a beautiful place - it has something for everyone.

Close to 50% of property sales in Queenstown involve offshore or northern New Zealand based buyers. Visitors are surprised at how relatively simple it is to purchase a property here, a place they can come back to year after year to indulge their passion for fishing, skiing, wining and dining, and the outdoors. And for the rest of the year, the property can be managed or rented out.

However, when you purchase an investment, you need to consider the decision carefully, using logic as well as emotion.

We believe Queenstown has all the key factors for property investment. It is in a growth region with these features:

• High capital and infrastructural investment - This region is continuing to experience dramatic development to the infrastructure, with an airport extension catering for increasing international flights from Australia, and a significant number of managed apartment complexes, either under construction or with resource consent to do so, catering for the destination visitor. Also numerous nationwide retail chains have opened branches here, due to the growth in permanent population.
• High capital growth - This averages at 13% over the last 30 years but, during periods of settled inflation, is consolidating in the 5-8% range.
• Low vacancy rates - Queenstown's seasonal population results in high rental demand and, with the creation of many new jobs over the past year, the rental shortage has reached a crisis. Added to this is an increased demand for lifestyle rental, up to three months at a time.
• Long-term sustained growth - The region is developing from a domestic to international resort. Tourism is being complemented by other industries, including viticulture, technology, lifestyle and film.
• Strong employment and population growth.
• A year round destination - Queenstown is the envy of many alpine resorts. Its four-season appeal provides a strong and established operating base for tourism businesses.