The Gardens occupy a small peninsula jutting into Lake Wakatipu just south of the town centre. They were laid out in the 1860s and now contain mature stands of Douglas fir, sequoia, and pohutukawa, alongside a rose garden, a disc-golf course, and an ice rink. The lakefront path that loops the peninsula is the most pleasant short walk in town — about half an hour, with views back to the town and across to the Remarkables.
The Gardens are free, open year-round, and one of the few corners of central Queenstown that don't feel commercialised. A good place to recover from a heavy lunch or a heavier night.