Nicholas von Tunzelmann (also known as Nicholas Paul Balthasar Tunzelmann von Alderflug[1] or Paul Nicholai Balthasar Tunzelmann von Alderflug,[2] with his surnames often Anglicised as Tunzelman, 1828 – 31 July 1900) is famous as one of the first two European explorers to explore Lake Wakatipu and the site of the future town of Queenstown, New Zealand in 1860.
He and fellow explorer William Gilbert Rees were the first Europeans to settle the Wakatipu Basin.
Tunzelmann was born on the island of Ösel, Livonia, in the Baltic Sea (present day Estonia).
[4] He established a high country farm at Mount Nicholas on the western side of Lake Wakatipu (i.e. opposite Queenstown).
Encouraged by his sister, he tried fruit farming in New South Wales, Australia for five years before returning when he heard his 100-acre section at Lake Wakatipu might be lost.