Wanaka
The quaint little settlement of Arrowtown owes its existence to the gold that's mixed in with the silt of the Arrow River and to one William Fox, a prospector who is believed to have been the first person to strike gold in the valley, in 1862.
Queenstown
Busy Queenstown bustles with activity and overlooks Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand's longest lake, and the Remarkables Mountains. It has the buzz of a city though it's a relatively small town.