Title
Queenstown and The Remarkables, Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand. The Remarkables are jagged precipices, 7688 feet high
Description
Queenstown, the sanatorium of the South, is a beautifully situated town on the eastern shores of Lake Wakatipu, 196 miles north-west of Dunedin. It nestles under the shadow of high hills, and steps down gentle terraces left and right to meet the blue waters of the lake. Picturesquely situated at the elbow of the lake, nearly midway between Kingston and head of Wakatipu, it is fittingly called the City of the Lake. The pretty sheet of water around whose shores we see the trim little town is Queenstown Bay, into which the pier projects. The neck of land that extends between the Bay and the Kawarau Lake yonder has been formed into a delightful park, with charming walks, shady seats, several picturesque fish-ponds, and numerous other attractions, including a pathway round it next to the water. Kawarau Lake is practically the natural outlet to Lake Wakatipu, flowing over Kawarau Falls into the river of the same name. Amongst the many places dear to tourists that are reached from Queenstown may be mentioned Queenstown Hill, Kawarau Falls, Frankton, Lake Hayes, Arrowtown, Skippers, Shotover River, the Waterworks, the summit of Ben Lomond, Lake Rere, and the head of Lake Wakatipu. In the background of the view towering to the clouds rise The Remarkables, jagged peaks of the Double Cone that helps to form the Hector Mountains, and which reach an altitude of 7688 feet. These gaunt and inaccessible heights are a waster of weary, jagged precipices, frowning down upon the blue depth of the water. They are in striking contrast to the beautiful lake beneath, and the other ranges with their snow fields and glaciers. The scenery of the Southern Lakes is unique, and it has been pointed out that while Continental Lakes lie outside of mountain ranges, those of the South of New Zealand "wind themselves closely round their bases, presenting the scenery unsurpassed probably in the world."
