Yes, there are beaches in Queenstown.
The Queenstown Beaches aren’t as nice as many of the ones you’ll find around the coastline, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be on your things to do in Queenstown list.
The following will give you an idea of what the different beaches near Queenstown offers.
Something to note is the temperature of Lake Wakatipu doesn’t change much throughout the year, remaining a steady 11-13 degrees.
THE BEST BEACHES IN QUEENSTOWN
1. Queenstown Bay Beach
2. Sunshine Bay Beach
3. Wilson Bay
4. Bob’s Cove
5. Frankton Beach
6. John Wilson Cove
7. Morningstar Beach
8. Park Street
9. Other places to swim in Queenstown
1. QUEENSTOWN BAY BEACH
In the heart of town is Queenstown Bay Beach. You’ll at least see this beach if you spend any time walking around town at all.
It’s not a beach you’ll see full of people on deck chairs…thankfully. But you can’t argue about its scenery.
There are some ducks hanging around and a few trees on the beach offering shade.
You’ve got Queenstown Gardens on the left hand side, and all the bars/restaurants/boats/water activities etc based on the right hand side.
Personally I like heading down here for sunset where you can grab a burger, ideally from Devil Burger and enjoy it with a couple of drinks.
A lot of people will jump in to take a swim, but it’s too cold for me most of the time! And it gets deep pretty quickly here.
2. SUNSHINE BAY BEACH
The Sunshine Bay Beach is great if you’ve got a couple of hours to kill, and want to go for a walk and enjoy time at a beach.
There’s a jetty you can jump off (some people fish), and you’ll see some people out there practicing their swim training 😮
The Sunshine Bay Track is one of my favourite easy walks in Queenstown with nice views (Hello Remarkables) and native bush.
The beach stretches for a couple of hundred metres but is a lot quieter than Queenstown Bay Beach above.
3. WILSON BAY
The beach at Wilson Bay is pretty with mountains on the opposite side of the lake framing the location nicely. And you’ve got the Seven Mile Track at your disposal
It’s a stony beach and is a popular spot for those to stop on the drive between Queenstown and Glenorchy.
4. BOB’S COVE
If you’re looking for one of the most photogenic spots in Queenstown, the beach at Bob’s Cove and the surroundings is it!
You can see the cove is quite nifty on Google Maps.
The beach area is small, but a nice place to relax in the afternoons when it gets some sun. And you can launch yourself off the jetty 😉
But while you’re here, make sure you take a walk on the Bobs Cove Track up to the viewpoint. It’s not a long walk but gives you a totally different viewpoint to other ones you usually see around Queenstown.
p.s. this also makes it one of the best Instagram spots in Queenstown.
5. FRANKTON BEACH
Frankton Beach doesn’t ring well to me as I think of the nearby shopping areas. But if you really despise stony beaches, Frankton Beach might be your best option for Queenstown Beaches to visit.
It’s also a shallower entry point, and some people even think it’s warm :p
There are a few little jetties in the area that people seem to enjoy jumping off. But I haven’t seen people really relaxing here at all, enjoying a beach as you traditionally see.
That said, you can park right by the beach (as per the photo above) which is convenient…especially for the ace sunsets from the Frankton Track.
And there are BBQ facilities which are ideal for summer. And at worst, you can visit The Boatshed Cafe and/or Altitude Brewing.
Oh, and the view of the Remarkables is pretty awesome…as are many other things to do in Frankton.
6. JOHN WILSON COVE
The John Wilson Cove is a hidden spot on the Kelvin Peninsula Track where an innocent sign doesn’t think you’ll be lead to anything amazing.
Bit it’s a nifty little cove that you’ll likely have to yourself, a somewhat rare thing in and around Queenstown! The view is out towards Cecil Peak and whatnot.
This isn’t a cove you’d go out of your way to visit, but if you wanted to do a walk around Lake Wakatipu the Kelvin Heights Track works.
The cove faces west, so it’s best done mid-late afternoon if you’re wanting some sun.
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7. MORNINGSTAR BEACH
If you’re looking for a beach next to the river, Morningstar Beach is a good sandy beach in Queenstown. The beach isn’t overly popular as it’s a 10-minute walk down a gentle track by the river.
You start from here, and keep walking along the road until you see the green and yellow sign pointing you in the right direction.
There are a few information boards along the way which is nifty, and you’ve got the historic steam engine on the other side of the river which you can see from the beach.
Note: this is not an appropriate spot to swim (nor is it allowed) because of the Shotover Jet running here.
Once you’ve finished at the beach, there’s a host of things to do in Arthurs Point like visiting the breweries or heading to the Onsen Hot Pools.
8. PARK STREET BEACH
This isn’t a formal beach, but when I biked past here one day I noticed a fair few people hanging out along this part on Park Street and it looked delightful (the photos look good right?).
The next afternoon I stopped and enjoyed it for myself. It’s close to the main Queenstown Beach but is a more residential beach with what I’m assuming are residents bringing chairs down to enjoy the sunshine.
So it’s less crowded, gets sun late into the afternoon and has stunning reviews of The Remarkables. Seems like an awesome beach in Queenstown to me!
9. OTHER PLACES YOU CAN SWIM IN QUEENSTOWN
If you’re wanting to know some other places to swim in Queenstown, you could consider:
- Lake Hayes
- Moke Lake
- Little Thailand
Moke Lake.
Lake Hayes is not the cleanest lake in the world, but as long as the council hasn’t declared the water unsafe to swim in, it’s a beautiful little spot! And the walk around Lake Hayes is pretty cool too.
Like Lake Hayes, you can both swim at, and walk around Moke Lake. Moke Lake isn’t going to be cold, but it’s a scenic spot where you can even spot the summit of Ben Lomond.
And if you’re after some cliff jumping, head to Little Thailand.
So there we have it. Some of the best beaches in Queenstown.
But there’s plenty more to be discovered. If you’re driving to Glenorchy or Kingston way there are some little bays and the like you can access and discover some of the more hidden Queenstown beaches.
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Hey, it’s Jub here. I’m the guy behind Chur New Zealand, helping you have the best time hiking, trekking, walking…whatever you want to call it…in NZ. I’m based in Queenstown and am always out and about exploring trails, old & new. If you have any questions, reach out.