The Skyline gondola lifts you from the lakefront to Bob's Peak in about ten minutes, depositing you 450 metres above the town with a wraparound view of the lake, the Remarkables, and Cecil and Walter Peaks across the water. The terrace at the top is one of the few places where Queenstown's geography genuinely sinks in.
From the top you can ride the luge, walk the short loop to the lookout, eat in the restaurant, or — if you have the legs — paraglide off the launch pad. The gondola also serves a network of mountain-bike trails that drop back down through the bush. It is the obligatory tourist stop, and for once the obligation is justified.