Sick or hurt in Queenstown: where to go and what it costs
One hospital with a 24-hour emergency department, one walk-in clinic in the town centre, and a free phone line for everything in between. Addresses, hours, fees and the bus to each.
Published 4 September 2026 · Last checked 19 September 2026 · Corrected 19 September 2026 · By Queenstown Pocket
In short: Emergency: 111, or Lakes District Hospital’s 24-hour emergency department at 20 Douglas Street, Frankton (entrance on Lucas Place). Anything less: walk into Queenstown Medical Centre, 9 Isle Street, 8am to 7pm weekdays and 10am to 5pm weekends. An overseas visitor pays the clinic’s overseas visitor rate, $300 minimum, medical or ACC. Not sure? Healthline 0800 611 116, free, any hour.
Where to go
| Situation | Do this | Where | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life-threatening emergency | Dial 111, or go to the emergency department | Lakes District Hospital, 20 Douglas Street, Frankton; emergency entrance on Lucas Place, 24 hours | Route 1 or any route to Frankton Hub, then a short walk; free parking on Douglas Street |
| Not sure how serious it is | Healthline, 0800 611 116, any hour, free | Phone | |
| Cuts, sprains, breaks, flu, bites, burns | Walk in, no appointment | Queenstown Medical Centre After Hours and Urgent Care, 9 Isle Street, town centre; 03 441 0500 | Walk from anywhere in the centre; Routes 1, 4 and 5 stop on Stanley Street |
| Mental health emergency | Emergency Psychiatric Services, 0800 467 846 | Phone |
Health NZ lists the Isle Street clinic’s weekday hours as 9am to 8pm; the clinic’s own page says 8am to 7pm, which is the figure used here. Ring 03 441 0500 if it matters. Both hospital and clinic are on the $2.50 Orbus network: the hospital is a short walk from Frankton Hub, and Isle Street is in the town centre.
What the walk-in clinic charges
| Consult | Fee |
|---|---|
| Urgent care visit | $120 |
| Standard GP consult, 15 minutes | $110 |
| ACC injury consult, 15 minutes | $69 |
| Nurse consult, 15 minutes | $51 |
| Child under 6, 15 minutes | $68 |
| Child 6 to 17, 15 minutes | $90 |
| After-hours surcharge, all ages | $55 |
| Extended consult, 30 minutes | $220 |
| Overseas visitor, GP or nurse practitioner consult (medical or ACC) | $300 minimum |
| Overseas visitor, child under 14 | $300 minimum |
- Which rate applies. The clinic charges the discounted non-enrolled rates to New Zealand residents and citizens, to people working and living in the Central Lakes area, and to anyone else eligible for publicly funded health care. Everyone else, which is most travellers, pays the overseas visitor rate of $300 minimum, charged in 15-minute increments.
- Pay first. Non-enrolled patients pay before the consultation; keep the receipt for travel insurance.
- ACC. ACC covers the treatment of accidental injuries (a fall on a track, a ski crash, a cut) for visitors as well as residents, which is why the injury consult is $69 rather than $120 on the non-enrolled rates. The clinic’s overseas visitor fee is the same $300 minimum for ACC and medical. Illness is not covered by ACC.
- Children. The clinic sees under-14s free for medical problems in the after-hours window (weekdays from 6pm, weekends and public holidays 10am to 5pm) and at any time for ACC injuries, but its terms require the child to be enrolled at a practice under the Wellsouth Primary Health Organisation, so a visiting child is charged the overseas visitor rate.
- X-ray and plaster. The clinic sets fractures, applies and removes casts, and stitches wounds, so most ski and trail injuries stop here rather than at the hospital.
Before you need it
Save 111, Healthline (0800 611 116) and the clinic (03 441 0500) in your phone. Carry your insurance details. On the tracks and the Glenorchy road coverage drops out, so decide who calls and from where before you set off. Australians: the reciprocal agreement covers public hospital emergencies only, as the Australians guide explains.
Questions people ask
Is there a hospital in Queenstown?
Yes. Lakes District Hospital at 20 Douglas Street, Frankton, has a 24-hour emergency department reached through the emergency entrance on Lucas Place, with a drop-off bay and free parking on Douglas Street. For anything life-threatening dial 111.
Where can a visitor see a doctor in Queenstown without an appointment?
Queenstown Medical Centre's After Hours and Urgent Care clinic at 9 Isle Street in the town centre is walk-in only, 8am to 7pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 5pm on weekends and public holidays, 365 days a year. It handles cuts, sprains, fractures (with X-ray and plaster), flu and the like. Non-enrolled patients pay before the consultation.
How much does a doctor cost for a tourist in Queenstown?
More than most visitors expect. Queenstown Medical Centre's published overseas visitor fee is $300 minimum for a GP or nurse practitioner consultation, medical or ACC, charged in 15-minute increments, and the same $300 minimum for a child under 14. The lower non-enrolled rates ($120 urgent care, $110 standard consult, $69 ACC) apply only to New Zealand residents and citizens, people working and living locally, and others eligible for publicly funded health care.
Are visitors covered by ACC in New Zealand?
Yes. ACC covers the treatment of accidental injuries for everyone in New Zealand, including visitors, which is why an injury consult is cheaper than an illness consult. It does not cover illness, and it does not replace travel insurance for evacuation, flights home or lost time.
Do Australians get free healthcare in Queenstown?
Partly. The reciprocal agreement covers immediately necessary treatment in a public hospital, so an emergency department visit at Lakes District Hospital, but not a GP or urgent care clinic visit or an ambulance. The Queenstown for Australians guide has the detail.
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Sources: Health NZ, Lakes District Hospital (opens in a new tab), Queenstown Medical Centre, After Hours and Urgent Care (opens in a new tab) and Queenstown Medical Centre, fees (opens in a new tab), retrieved 19 September 2026. Fees are the clinic's published rates and change without notice; the discounted non-enrolled rates apply only to the patients the clinic lists as eligible, and overseas visitors are charged the overseas visitor rate. This page is not medical advice. This independent guide is published by Tally Sphere Limited, a New Zealand company. Spotted a change? Report a problem with this page and the page address comes with your email.