Frankton, Otago

Frankton is a suburb of the town of Queenstown in the South Island of New Zealand.

Frankton was named after Frances—the wife of the area's first European settler William Gilbert Rees. He started farming at Queenstown in 1860, and Frankton was established in 1863.

The Otago Witness of 14 February 1863 remarked that 'with all its natural advantages nothing can prevent Frankton being the chief township of the district'. The government moved all its buildings including the warden's Court and the gold receiver to Frankton. With no road between Queenstown and Frankton this created all sorts of inconveniences. The police at Queenstown Police Station travelled daily to the Court at Frankton. After a banquet in June 1863, hosting the secretary of the goldfields, and the police commissioner St. John Branigan, the decision was reversed.

Frankton is located at the end of a large inlet in the northeastern shore of Lake Wakatipu known as the Frankton Arm on State Highway 6. It is one terminus of the short State Highway 6A, which runs seven kilometres west from there to Queenstown.

Frankton is located on the edge of a larger area referred to as the Frankton Flats, which is the area of land approximately bounded by Lake Wakatipu, the Kawarau and Shotover Rivers, and State Highway 6 to towards Cromwell. The Frankton Flats is located in the Wakatipu Basin and enjoys longer sunshine hours, particularly in winter, than the majority of land in central Queenstown, which is predominantly south facing.

Queenstown Airport is located at Frankton. The airport provides direct international flights to Australia, and domestic flights around New Zealand.

Remarkables Park Town Centre is a medium-large sized shopping centre in Frankton, and serves as the principal shopping area for Queenstown residents.

The Queenstown Events Centre, operated by Lakes Leisure, is also located in Frankton and contains the main recreational and sporting facilities for Queenstown residents. Facilities at the Queenstown Events Centre include Alpine Aqualand (swimming pools and hydro slide), sports fields for football and cricket, cricket nets, indoor courts and events facilities.

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