Kingston
The village at the southern end of Lake Wakatipu, at the bottom of the Devils Staircase, and home of the Kingston Flyer steam train.
Kingston sits at the southern tip of Lake Wakatipu, at the bottom end of the Devils Staircase — the stretch of SH6 that runs along the lake with the Hector Mountains climbing straight out of the water on the far side. It is a small place, and quiet in a way Queenstown stopped being some time ago.
Before the road, this was the transport hub. Steamers ran the length of the lake to Queenstown and the railway came up from Invercargill to meet them, which is why a village this size has a railway station at all.
The Kingston Flyer
The Flyer is the reason most people turn off the highway. It runs the 14 km between Kingston and Fairlight behind a vintage steam locomotive, and it has opened, closed and reopened more than once over the years, so check before you build a day around it.
As things stand, public tours run every Sunday from October to May, and the train is closed over winter. Fares are $85 to $95 for adults, $75 to $85 with a SuperGold card, $35 for children aged 5 to 16, and free under 4. Online booking is essential, and departure times are published on their schedule page rather than fixed year-round.
The lake end
The beach at Kingston is shingle and the water is cold, which does not stop anyone in January. It is a good spot for a stop on the way to or from Te Anau and Fiordland, and the lake view north up the Devils Staircase is the best one on that road.
Nearby
Frankton and Queenstown are back up the lake; Glenorchy is at the other end of it. Lake Wakatipu has more on the lake itself.
More in Towns
See all
Arrowtown
Eighteen kilometres from Queenstown: a gold-mining village with its original street intact, the Arrow River walk, and the autumn colour in April.
Glenorchy
Forty-five minutes up the lake from Queenstown: the red shed, the lagoon boardwalk, Mrs Woolly's, and the trailheads for the Routeburn and the Rees-Dart.
Wanaka
The quieter lake town, an hour from Queenstown over the Crown Range. Cardrona and Treble Cone, the willow at Roys Bay, and getting there in winter.