Key facts
- Fact 01
Skyline says its Queenstown gondola is the steepest aerial gondola in the Southern Hemisphere; no independent ranking was found.
- Fact 02
Doppelmayr gives the current Skyline Queenstown gondola a vertical rise of 438 m over a total inclined length of 760 m.
- Fact 03
The Skyline Queenstown gondola has 35 cabins, each carrying up to 10 passengers, on 10 towers.
The Skyline Gondola runs from Brecon Street, a short walk from the Queenstown town centre, to the Skyline complex on Bob's Peak. Skyline's own page calls it the steepest aerial gondola, and the steepest cable car lift, in the Southern Hemisphere. That is the operator's claim: we found no independent ranking or measurement behind it, and it describes the lift, not the slope.
The numbers come from the builder. Doppelmayr New Zealand's release for the current gondola, published on 30 June 2023, gives a vertical rise of 438 m over a total inclined length of 760 m, on 10 towers. Skyline describes the ride as 480m up over Lake Wakatipu to the top of Bob's Peak. The system has 35 cabins, each carrying up to 10 passengers, runs at up to five metres per second and began public service on 29 June 2023.
The first gondola was officially opened on 17 November 1967, the Otago Daily Times reported, and Skyline Enterprises says its founders built the Southern Hemisphere's first and steepest aerial gondola that year. Destination Queenstown records 56,000 riders in the first year, a 4-seat Doppelmayr lift from 1987, and the 10-seat gondola with a new base terminal in 2023.
Bob's Peak is on the Ben Lomond side of town, not part of the Remarkables. DOC's Ben Lomond Track starts at the gondola base, and fitter walkers can ride up and hike from the top complex to the 1,326 m Ben Lomond Saddle and back. From the top, Skyline lists views of Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Walter Peak and Cecil Peak, and Queenstown itself.
Skyline says each gondola ticket is one return trip, the luge is entirely at the top, and cabins are flush to the platform and can be slowed or stopped, so wheelchairs and prams fit. Rather walk? The Tiki Trail starts at the gondola base and takes around 1 to 1.5 hours, with more than 400 m of climbing.
Our Ben Lomond day hike planner covers the walk beyond the top, and our short walks guide has easier options in town.
Questions visitors are asking
Is the Queenstown gondola the steepest in the Southern Hemisphere?
That is Skyline's claim. Skyline says its Queenstown gondola is the steepest aerial gondola in the Southern Hemisphere, and Skyline Enterprises says its founders built the first and steepest in 1967. We found no independent ranking or measurement, so treat it as the operator's description rather than a verified record.
How high does the Queenstown gondola go?
Doppelmayr New Zealand, which built the current Skyline Queenstown gondola, gives a vertical rise of 438 m over a total inclined length of 760 m. Skyline describes the ride as 480m up over Lake Wakatipu to the top of Bob's Peak. The two figures come from different sources, so we quote each as stated.
When did the Queenstown gondola open?
The first Skyline gondola in Queenstown was officially opened on 17 November 1967, the Otago Daily Times reported. Destination Queenstown says it was replaced by a 4-seat Doppelmayr lift in 1987, and the current 10-seat gondola began public service on 29 June 2023, according to Doppelmayr New Zealand.
Is Bob's Peak part of the Remarkables?
No. Bob's Peak, at the top of the Skyline Gondola in Queenstown, is on the Ben Lomond side of town. DOC's Ben Lomond Track starts at the gondola base on Brecon Street. The Remarkables are across the water, and Skyline lists them among the views you see from the top.
Can I walk up instead of taking the Queenstown gondola?
Yes. Skyline says the Tiki Trail starts at the gondola base on Brecon Street in Queenstown and takes around 1 to 1.5 hours to walk up, with more than 400 m of climbing. DOC's Ben Lomond Track also starts at the gondola base, and the gondola top complex is on its route to Ben Lomond Saddle.