Frankton Marina: The Local's Guide to Queenstown's Best-Kept Secret

Frankton Marina (officially Queenstown Marina) is a lakeside precinct of boatsheds on Lake Wakatipu, about 5km from central Queenstown near the airport. It’s home to a cluster of cafes, a brewery, two wine venues, a pizza shed, a pilates studio and a jet boat operator, all with uninterrupted views to The Remarkables.

Ask a tourist where to eat in Queenstown and they’ll point you to the CBD. Ask a local and they’ll send you to Frankton Marina.

It’s still flying under the radar for a lot of visitors, and if you’re staying in one of our apartments or studios at Marina Apartments, it’s literally on your doorstep. Here’s what’s actually down there.

Coffee and brunch

Norka’s Kai Cafe is a pet and boat friendly lakefront cafe and a locals’ pick for a laid-back coffee stop. Great coffee, fresh juices and smoothies, sandwiches made fresh daily, and a cabinet of banana bread, cookies, cupcakes and brownies, with gluten-free and vegan options throughout.

The Boat Shed Cafe is the marina’s brunch institution, set inside a restored 1869 railways building with a deck right on the water. The chorizo scramble and the Boat Shed benedict (cold smoked salmon, poached eggs, hollandaise) are both menu standouts, and it’s popular enough at peak brunch times that booking ahead is worth it.

The Boat Shed Bakery is the cafe’s sister venue elsewhere at the marina. Speciality Wolf Coffee (roasted just down the road in Arrowtown), almond croissants with a genuine local following, ham and cheese croissants, dulce de leche choux buns, and a rotating cabinet of fresh sandwiches and sausage rolls if you want something savoury too.

Drinks with a view

Altitude Brewing is the marina’s craft beer stop, self-described as “our little red shed”, pouring their own beers and ciders on tap. There’s no kitchen, so food comes from whichever resident food truck is running: The Smoke and Pickle (Friday to Tuesday) or Grub Club (Wednesday to Sunday), both keeping the same hours as the tap room.

Fino Wine Bar is the more polished option: 40-plus boutique wines mostly from small, family-run Central Otago vineyards, curated by sommelier Eugene Kliushneu, alongside a seasonal, European-inspired sharing plates menu. It also doubles as the Queenstown tasting lounge for Quartz Reef.

Wet Jacket Wines cellar door rounds out the wine offering, open daily from midday to 6pm (last hosted tasting at 5pm). Bookings aren’t essential but are recommended, and the team will talk you through the history and stories behind the label.

Italian Way runs a permanent wood-fired pizza shed at the marina, hand-stretched dough, cold beers and a lake view, from the same team behind the region’s popular pizza truck pop-ups.

Get moving

Hustle & Flow is a reformer pilates studio right on the water. Classes run 45 minutes and span every level, from a beginner-friendly intro class through to open-level reformer and a dedicated 60+ class. Marina parking is $2 an hour, free if you’re a member.

KJet calls the marina home base, running jet boat trips up the Kawarau and Shotover rivers. Trips technically depart from the Main Town Pier, but KJet will happily pick up guests from the marina, which is why a lot of people staying in Frankton start their jet boating day right here.

Getting there

The marina sits at Sugar Lane, about 5km from central Queenstown. Walk or bike the Frankton Track (note: a footpath detour along Frankton Road is in place through 2026 while the track gets upgraded), catch Orbus buses 1, 4 or 5 to Marina Heights and walk two minutes from there, or take Orbus Ferries, the scheduled water taxi service running daily between Queenstown Bay and Frankton Marina, stopping at Bayview and the Hilton on the way. One-way fares are $14, or $10 if you tag on with a Bee Card.

If you’re staying at Marina Apartments with Element Escapes, you can skip all of the above. It’s a two minute walk from your door to the boatsheds, so coffee, brunch or a sunset wine is never more than a stroll away. For guests staying elsewhere in Frankton or around Kawarau Falls, it’s an easy 15 to 30 minute walk along the lakeshore, or a short drive with plenty of $2-an-hour parking on site.

Frankton Marina FAQs

How far is Frankton Marina from central Queenstown?
Frankton Marina is about 5km from central Queenstown, roughly a 10-15 minute drive, a 15-30 minute lakeshore walk, or one stop on the Orbus Ferries water taxi.

Can you get to Frankton Marina without a car?
Yes. Walk or bike the Frankton Track (currently detoured via the Frankton Road footpath through 2026), catch Orbus bus routes 1, 4 or 5 to Marina Heights, or take the Orbus Ferries water taxi from Queenstown Bay.

Is there parking at Frankton Marina?
Yes, on-site parking is $2 an hour. Some venues, including Fino Wine Bar, also offer complimentary parking for their guests.

What’s at Frankton Marina?
Frankton Marina has three cafes (Norka’s Kai Cafe, The Boat Shed Cafe, The Boat Shed Bakery), a brewery (Altitude Brewing), two wine venues (Fino Wine Bar, Wet Jacket Wines), a wood-fired pizza shed (Italian Way), a reformer pilates studio (Hustle & Flow), and jet boat pickups with KJet.

The takeaway

Frankton Marina packs a genuinely full day out into a few hundred metres of boardwalk: coffee, brunch, a pilates class, a jet boat ride, and a wine or a pint at sunset, all with the same view the postcards use. Book one of our apartments or studios at Marina Apartments and you’ve got the whole precinct on your doorstep, worth building your whole stay around.