Queens town is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It is built around an inlet called Queens town Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has spectacular views of nearby mountains such as The Remarkables, Cecil Peak, Walter Peak and just above the town; Ben Lomond and Queens town Hill. The Queens town-Lakes District has a land area of 8,704.97 km2 (3,361.01 sq mi) not counting its inland lakes (Lake Hawea, Lake Wakatipu, and Lake Wanaka). It has an estimated resident population of 28,700 (June 2011 estimate). Its neighboring towns include Arrow town, Wanaka, Alexandra, and Cromwell. The nearest cities are Dunedin and Invercargill.Queens town is now known for its commerce-oriented tourism, especially adventure and ski tourism. It is popular with young international and New Zealand and Australian travelers alike.
The town is the largest centre in Central Otago, and the third largest in Otago. According to the 2006 census, the usually resident population of the Queens town urban area (including Fernhill, Frankton and Kelvin Heights) is 10,416, an increase of 22.1% since 2001
