General manager Wayne Rose is referring to the view that unfolds from the viewing deck, a view he has marvelled at since joining Skyline Queenstown in 2005.
"It has to be one of the most beautiful vistas in the world," he said.
Skyline Queenstown opened its new extension building this week, which features an expanded viewing deck, new food and beverage offerings and a redesigned Stratosfare Restaurant.
Opening "bang on target" and on budget, it was part of a wider $300m transformation of the complex which had been under way since 2018, Mr Rose said.
The new interior drew inspiration from the surrounding landscape, with deep blues and greens inspired by Lake Wakatipu and the tussock-covered peaks of the Southern Alps.
Later this year, Skyline planned to open its new Vortex slide, set to be one of the longest slides in New Zealand, and launching from the viewing deck with a 20-metre vertical drop, Mr Rose said.
In the past eight years, Skyline Queenstown has opened a new four-seater chairlift, luge track upgrades, 10-seater gondola, a 397-space multi-carpark and new base and top gondola terminals.
With the extension building now open, deconstruction of the existing building began immediately with the full development of the top complex expected to be completed by early 2029.
Once complete, the viewing deck would expand from 68sq m to 430sq m and the capacity of Stratosfare restaurant would increase from 330 seats to 650, Mr Rose said. It would also feature conference and events facilities, an additional cafe, a new bar, an indoor children’s play area and a large retail offering
As one of the most visited attractions in New Zealand, with close to a million visitors a year, ensuring safety of guests through the construction and ensuring the least impact on their experience had been paramount. Record numbers of visitors were logged in each month from December to February, Mr Rose said.
While the construction could not be hidden, what they could do was raise awareness of what was going on at the site, why it was happening and what was coming in the future, and provide some excitement for what was being delivered in 2029.
Mr Rose stepped into the general manager role in 2017 and inherited the redevelopment vision, now being the person responsible for delivering it.
It was not only the biggest single investment but also possibly the most complex construction he could think of in the company’s history, he said.
He hoped it would benefit the entire Queenstown community.
