The Four-Year Roundabout: Why Queenstown is Losing Its Way
Lake Wakatipu from Marine Parade – Queenstown
The Four-Year Roundabout: Why Queenstown is Losing Its Way
Queenstown is the crown jewel of New Zealand tourism; the goose that laid the golden egg. However, the focus now seems to be on expansion, upgrading, and capitalising on the property boom rather than maintaining the pure, clean-green image and mountain-town soul that we so carefully package and sell to the rest of the world. Looking out at the countryside on a recent drive through the Wakatipu Basin, for the first time it felt like something had been lost. It feels as though the endless stream of development is finally spoiling the very scenery people are coming to see.
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This realization hit home on a recent promise to a family member that involved a three-and-a-half-hour drive to Queenstown International Airport, where I eventually found myself in the beautiful mountain surroundings of the Wakatipu Basin. On the way, my passenger had requested a detour through the historic gold-mining town of Arrowtown, a request I was more than happy to indulge. We wandered the streets for several minutes, peered in shops, indulged in coffee, marvelled at house prices we couldn’t afford, and generally enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of a small, charming mountain town nestled by a river valley. Knowing we couldn’t stay, we made our way back to the car and, in no time, found ourselves rolling into Queenstown ahead of schedule, thanks to the relatively swift-moving traffic on State Highway 6 (or as it’s known to locals, “the backroad”).
So it was that we found ourselves on a fine Wednesday morning in Queenstown. For a short time, we wandered through the splendid botanical gardens following a lovely trail that took us along the lakefront in Queenstown Bay and into the main shopping area. The place was filled with the usual assortment of tourists from various countries taking in the wondrous mountain scenery, all dressed as if it was warmer than it actually was. We had lunch at a place called Vudu Larder, which was nice, before strolling around the various lanes that link the town centre, in due course arriving back at the car. With time marching on, and there being nothing else my passenger wanted to see, we headed off to Queenstown International Airport, located in the nearby suburb of Frankton, a minuscule eight kilometres away.
Well, nearby it might be, but easy to get to? It’s not. The traffic was insanely stupid. I don’t know how local residents put up with it; I really don’t. Not having any idea what the holdup was, all we could see in front of us was an endless procession of cars, buses, boats, campervans, trucks, and motorbikes. At one point, it took us 30 minutes to drive a paltry two kilometres. And this was 10:30am on a Wednesday morning – hardly what I’d classify as rush-hour.
As the traffic inched forward – both of us losing the will to live with every inch the car rolled forward – we began to speculate what might be causing such a delay. An accident? A newly installed adventure ride? Had Brad Pitt been spotted buying an ice cream? Arriving at a roundabout that leads into the suburb of Frankton, we discovered the cause of all the chaos: roadworks.
I later read that the construction works to upgrade the intersections and bus hub in Frankton are anticipated to take four years to complete. Four years! Queenstown sells the world a dream of open spaces and mountain air, but the reality is currently a four-year sentence of idling engines and frustration. I’m sorry, but back in 1862, it only took a few months for miners to establish a whole civilisation in the surrounding hills with nothing more than picks and shovels. Now, with all our modern machinery, we need nearly half a decade to move a few lanes of bitumen.
I’m sorry but any traffic and roading upgrade that is taking four years to complete had better be a shining example of traffic engineering – an impeccable, crowning accomplishment. A traffic utopia, if you will; a place of perfect peace and happiness where all travellers can intermix in a state of nirvana. Anything less will be slightly disappointing.
Aussie here, not my first trip to NZ or Queenstown, but haven’t been since around 2017. Staying in Frankton. Well haven’t I been in for the shock of my life. Drove to Glenorchy and back to QT, thought I’d go to PaknSave first. 45 minutes later, more or less, who knows, I’d travelled just from QT. Then I hit Queenstown Central, which is obviously new to me. Then tried to drive back to accommodation off Kawarau Rd, up from the bridge. Must have hit another few km of traffic. OMG, here I’ve been spruiking QT to my friends, they might need a flying car to get around. Such a shame for the locals, you must be suffering!
I’ve been coming to New Zealand on holidays since 1986. I came over every year and visited many places both North and South Isl. I’ve just finished the Rail ride from Clyde and unfortunately I’m in Queenstown for a couple of nights before flying out. This will be my last time to Q’town. It’s disgusting, the traffic is the worst, and prices for things. My last visit in 2023 was just as terrible. My friend and I stayed at a private residence who had renovated under the house to rent it out. It was a very reasonable price compared to Queenstown CBD. However, it was inconvenient being at Lake Hayes. A taxi or uber was so expensive, we got ourselves a Bee card and used the local buses, which somehow run on time in amongst the crazy traffic. We are not low income earners my any means, but you can waste so much of your holiday money on just transport.
Queenstown is going to end up in a very bad place with the traffic and infrastructure.
I’m currently staying in what used to be a very quiet street, walking distance to town, there are cars parked everywhere and the cars cutting through to get around Melbourne street is insane.
I have also noticed that they have completely denuded the foliage from the mountainside under the gondola, this is a very bad idea.
This is my last visit Queenstown, and I will be telling my friends to avoid you as well.
My suggestion is fly into Christchurch or Dunedin. There is an intercity bus from Dunedin that is very affordable and has drop off’s at little places between Queenstown and Dunedin.
Cheers
Sharyn from Australia
Qtown’s traffic woes are legendary.
Wanaka is already seeing the same long slow crawl.
We do however, have a few free carparking spaces, but the Wilson’s will be rubbing their hands together in glee.
Once we’ve been Willised, the problem will only get worse. Where is the new Simeon Brown Chris Bishop with their productivity
and growth cheque book to solve the problem?
Is more visitors really the answer?
Selling more houses to rich people the answer?
Another airport? With more tourist in cars?
You can see where this is going to end up…
Wanaka and Queenstown don’t really have a quiet time…All 4 seasons are popular to someone.
If you bring more visitors,how do you make them go only to the places that really need visitors in off peak times ?
You could always spend on targeted advertising the money you said you wouldn’t spend on advertising. Ill conceived plans and knee-jerk reactions are not helpful.
As A resident you are so right it’s a disaster 4 years is a joke making this town unliveable for people trying to make a living eg tradies and this after putting up with the disaster which was Melbourne St which we’re now told won’t work until stages 2&3 are done somewhere in the 2030 sand it was $150 million over budget ,I personally think our road construction company’s in NZ are running a monopoly time to tender these jobs offshore total joke for one roundabout and a few pipes that when it’s finished they hope it will work time to move cities