Tāhuna, New Zealand

Queenstown, or Tāhuna, is situated in Otago on the South Island of New Zealand. Built upon the shores of Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown is surrounded by the Southern Alps, including “Ben Lomond” and “Queenstown Hill” as well as “Coronet Peak” and “The Remarkables.” First settled by the native Māori people, it was a purely Māori settlement until European explorers arrived during the 1860s.

 

The name “Lake Wakatipu” is derived from the Māori word “Whakatipu wai-Māori.” The lake itself is formed by glacial processes and is the longest lake in New Zealand. While the meaning behind the name is unknown, it has been translated to “growing canoe,” “growing bay” and “trough-goblin,” the last referring to the lake and the monster that rests within it.

 

Otago was the site of one of the largest gold rushes in New Zealand. Queenstown’s population began to swell after a rapid influx of foreign miners in the 1860s.

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