Central Queenstown is small and walkable — most accommodation, restaurants, and activity booking offices are within a 15-minute walk of the lakefront. The Orbus public bus network covers the wider Wakatipu basin including Arrowtown, Frankton, and the airport, at a flat fare.
A car is useful for getting to the ski fields, the Crown Range, Glenorchy, and the day-trip destinations. Hire is competitive at the airport and downtown; winter rentals include chains by default. The lakefront walk south to the Gardens and the steep climb to Bob's Peak are both more pleasant on foot than by any other means.