Queenstown's iconic gondola shutting down for $200m upgrade

A transportation system that's served visitors in our southern tourist mecca for more than 50 years is about to be shut down for upgrades.

It's one of the most stunning rides above Queenstown on Bob's Peak, roughly 450 metres high with views to take the breath away.

"I get a bit anxious, but that was really fun," one tourist told 1News.

Another said: "It's pretty sick, it runs pretty smooth."

But now, the current gondola cabins are soon to be history. Part of a wider $200 million project to renovate the attraction which includes bigger gondola cabins from Austria.

"It's been a long time coming, to be honest," Skyline Queenstown general manager Wayne Rose said.

The four-seater cabins will be replaced with 10-seaters.

"From our perspective this will set the business up for the next 30 to 40 years," said Rose.

It's the second major upgrade since the cableway was built in 1967.

The first version, was the first in the Southern Hemisphere and it's still the steepest.

Site manager, Brian Ramsay, helped replace the bubble cabins with the current system in 1987 - now he's back to do it all again.

"[The current system] we've got it up to nearly 1000 people an hour... with the new one that'll increase to 3000 people an hour."

This week is the last time the public can ride on the gondola before it's closed for 10 weeks to install the new ones.

It's been a big project with some "challenges" along the way.

Project manager, Paul Embleton-Muir, said: "We've gone through Covid, we've had to make the space, we've had to remove 40,000 cubic metres of rock just to get in there... it's a big one."

It will be decommissioned on Sunday, but people who are keen can get a piece of Queenstown history.

The company is selling the four-seater cabins with all money raised going to local charities.

"We put one on TradeMe to test the water and that went for $5300... we've since uploaded another five."

He hopes around 20 will be up for auction.

The renovations of the gondola line is expected to take 10 weeks, then visitors will once again be riding high against Queenstown's dramatic backdrop.