Arts and Culture

The region's gallery and craft workshop trail would take days to do justice, yet a few hours can happily be spent watching jewellery makers at work, taking an artist-hosted studio tour or eyeing up New Zealand paintings and sculptures on show in some fabulous galleries.

Artist and Gallery Guide Adobe Acrobat Document: 3.23 MB, 8 minutes @ 56kbps

Every Saturday morning a craft market at Queenstown's lake-edged Steamer Wharf offers all sorts of artisan products from traditional greenstone carved necklaces to hand-painted ceramics.

Talented musicians of all styles play in local bars and cafés adding verve and vitality to the already buzzing nightlife.  A contemporary selection of films as well as Hollywood blockbusters and annual film festivals will satisfy movie buffs at either of the district's cinemas.  For theatre goers, comedy, drama, bodice-ripping period plays, musical and pantomine all play their part in a packed calendar of stage events.

Lights, camera... action
Films such as The Water Horse, 10,000 BC, The Lord of the Rings, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Vertical Limit and Prince Caspian are part of a growing catalogue of movies filmed here and give credence to the region's silver screen potential. 

Lord of the Rings locations are in abundance.  Take a four-wheel drive tour to the site of Isildur's fall, horseback ride past The Misty Mountains, jetboat through the setting for Isengard or simply walk up Deer Park Heights to the site of the battle with the Wargs.

Take a drive out to Glenorchy where you'll find many vistas are curiously familiar - they've featured in epic films and countless TV commercials over the past 30 years.  

Silver screen - the world in one location
Any enquiries about filming in the Queenstown Lakes District should be directed to the local council's dedicated office to facilitate filming www.filmqueenstown.com.