Discover Queensbury

Queensbury can be explored through two very different themes: the challenging landscape of the Pisa Range and the history of travel. The Pisa Range Ridge Track starts at the Queensberry car park and provides access to Mt Pisa and other tracks in the Pisa Conservation Area. The Queensberry Inn was a roadside inn and coach station; its Stable Block preserves a built reminder of that era.

The Pisa Range Ridge Track: long and challenging

The Pisa Range Ridge Track should only be attempted by well-prepared groups. It crosses private land, and strong winds can occur along the ridgeline. There are no toilets or other facilities on the track, and water sources are unreliable. Dogs are not allowed. Camping is not permitted along the route up to the boundary of the Pisa Conservation Area.

The Mitre Rocks/Lowburn end is also important for route planning: there is no exit from the track there. Walkers must return the way they came or use alternative exits. Access to Mt Pisa and other tracks in the Pisa Conservation Area is part of what this route offers; however, its length and the stated restrictions make it a trip for which good preparation is essential.

Queensberry Inn: history of travel

From 1867 to 1925, the Queensberry Inn was a roadside inn and coach station. The Stable Block is the only surviving structure from the inn’s earliest period of operation. It was built in the late 1860s as a long, low, single-storey stone building with a stable, a harness room, and rooms for the stable hand.

The building was purpose-built as accommodation on a travel route and is of moderate architectural significance. The stable and harness room reflect the services provided for stagecoaches; the stable hand’s rooms add a practical dimension to the work behind the inn’s operation. In this way, the inn’s history has a tangible architectural aspect as well as its role in serving travellers.

Landscape features around Queensbury

The Column Rocks are distinctive rock towers characteristic of the Pisa Range landscape. The route from Queensberry passes the Alfern Creek Conservation Area and a small remnant stand of kānuka and Hall’s tōtara. These varied features give the surroundings different accents: rock formations, a small remnant of trees, and protected landscape.

Nearby Mt Pisa is 1,963 metres high and offers wide views across the Upper Clutha Basin, Central Otago, and the Southern Alps, including Tititea / Mt Aspiring. A farm track heads towards Pt 1,444 Trig, a trig point at an elevation of 1,444 metres.

If you are considering Queensbury as a place to stay, the kind of day you want can help guide your decision: a long, challenging day hike, landscape experiences, or a stronger interest in the history of the inn.

Other trail profiles in the Central Otago District

The wider destination of the Central Otago District offers other distinct landscapes and trail experiences. Bannockburn Sluicings is a scarred landscape shaped by a short-lived gold-mining era, which can be explored on foot or by bike along various tracks.

The Roxburgh Gorge Trail combines a 21-kilometre bike ride with a 13-kilometre boat trip. It is designed as a day trip and is graded 2–3. The Otago Central Rail Trail offers a different format: it is 152 kilometres long, graded 1, and suitable for a trip of one to five days. The trail can be ridden in either direction, with access available at various points; it is suitable for walkers, cyclists, and horse riders. The comparison shows two different planning options: a one-day combination of cycling and boating, or a trail designed for a trip of one to five days.

Discover more destinations

Roxburgh, Oturehua, Tarras, Cromwell, Naseby, Coal Creek Flat, Waipiata, Kyeburn Diggings

To the main travel overview: Central Otago District.