Tourist attraction service in Queenstown, New Zealand
Top station of Skyline Queenstown
Skyline Queenstown is a tourist attraction service in Queenstown, New Zealand. Skyline provides a gondola, a restaurant at the top station, and a luge back to the base station. It is owned by Skyline Enterprises.[1]
The prominent hill above Queenstown known as Bob's Peak (itself part of Ben Lomond) was a popular vantage point, but difficult to access due to the steep terrain. Ian Hamilton, a bus company owner, had a road cut in 1961 with a gradient of 1 in 4.5 in places so that he could drive tourists to the view point. Two years after Hamilton's death, Jon Dumble bought his shares and took on two business partners for Skyline Tours. They built a chalet on Bob's Peak, which opened in January 1964. In 1965, planning permission was received to build a gondola, upon which Skyline Enterprises was launched as a public company, which bought out Skyline Tours.[2][3] Dumble became the company's first managing director.[2][4]
A luge, inspired by the facility in Ngongotahā near Rotorua, was built in 1998. Since 2011, the gondola can carry mountain bikes up to Bob's Peak.[2]
The top terminal building is situated on the slopes of the Ben Lomond mountain peak 450 metres (1,480 ft) above the level of Lake Wakatipu. It has various activities such as a gondola, luge, a mountain biking park, and hiking sites. The main complex features amenities such as a restaurant and bar, cafe and a gift shop.[5]
The luge tracks are over 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) long. The luge features two tracks, the Blue Track and Red Track, varying in steepness and corners/turns.[7]
