History

U-Drive Boats In December, 1957, a new venture started on Queenstown Bay. Dick Rout and his wife, Clarice, arrived from Hamilton to start a company called U-Drive Boats. Having seen a similar operation working well on Lake Okataina, near Rotorua, they decided that Queenstown would be the ideal place for…

The Meteor story began in 1950 when a young Frank Haworth, fresh from flying Catalinas in the Pacific, arrived in Queenstown. William Rees, the founder of Queenstown, was Frank’s great grandfather, so he arrived with historical links and an adventurous pedigree. Frank bought the small service launch and began his…

Tourism on the Bay and Beyond Excursion launches on Lake Whakatipu have always played an important role in tourism on the lake. They provided commercial back-up to the Earnslaw when it became the sole steamer, but also provided extremely popular day trips for generations of visitors. The best known were…

On the Water Queenstown Bay has always been the focus of tourism activities on the lake. With its numerous wharves, it has seen the comings and goings of boats of all shapes and sizes, from steamers to excursion boats. Rowing boats were available for hire on Queenstown Bay as early…

In a continuation of our 2020 ‘Cribbies’ theme this month we’re branching out into a long hot summer favourite, ‘Picnics and Barbeques’ with Lakes District Museum. Picnics & Barbeques Mealtimes for the Cribbies were significantly more relaxed and less formal than they were at home. Picnics and barbeques were the…

We usher in the beginning of summer and long hot days by continuing our series on local cribbies. Families on Holiday “Simple and uncomplicated” The freedom while on holiday at the crib remains a strong memory for all cribbie children. The only restrictions on most children were clear-set boundaries stipulating…

POST WORLD WAR II – THE ARRIVAL OF THE CRIBBIES By the end of World War II, it was said of Arrowtown that the only thing moving in the main street during the day were the shadows. The population was in rapid decline and Arrowtown was in danger of becoming…

Queenstown Lakes District Holidaymakers Through The Ages The First Half of the 20th Century By 1900, the influx of visitors was such that the Queenstown Borough Council sought government aid to develop the area’s amenities. Seating, tracks, tree planting, sports grounds, electric lighting, and water and sewerage connections were all…

Queenstown Lakes District Holidaymakers Through The Ages – the Late Victorians In this edition we’re beginning a look back in time at holidaymakers through the different eras of tourism locally. Adventurous tourists have been visiting the Wakatipu and the Queenstown Lakes District since the very early days of settlement. McKay’s…

A glimpse at skiing in the old days… with Ray Clarkson When Ray Clarkson passed away in October 2016 he left his lifelong collection of skis to the Lakes District Museum. Ray was born in Cromwell in 1929, was a teacher and Director of Education in Invercargill, and lived for…