Moving to New Zealand and doing a Working Holiday Visa was a bucket list item for a long time. Only did we (my partner, Niko, and I) move to Queenstown after the recommendation from so many people in Colorado. After doing some research and finding out that Queenstown was surrounded by mountains, had 4 ski resorts in the area, and was considered the “Adventure Capital” of New Zealand, we were sold on it.
Winter at the Queenstown Resorts
We moved to Queenstown in particular because we wanted to experience life in another ski town and ride at ski resorts across the world. We also both wanted to be in the mountains and felt that this would be an amazing place in the summertime as well. While we didn’t get to ski or snowboard as much as we hoped this winter, we’re honestly not that mad about it because we were quite underwhelmed with the ski resorts here.
Colorado ruined us.
I need to preface this first by saying that in Colorado we were absolutely SPOILED with some truly exceptional, world class skiing and riding (not to mention backcountry access). The resorts there have varied terrain, many different types of runs, several ski lifts and multiple lodges with a number of bars and restaurants to choose from. Colorado also receives amazing amounts of nice fluffy snow and the views are always epic. Coming from Colorado, we were not sure what to expect of the ski resorts or the ski towns here as this was our first time ever skiing or riding outside of the US.
Remarkables and Coronet Peak
There are numerous ski resorts all around New Zealand. I don’t know much about any of the others that are located outside of the Queenstown area, so I can’t speak to what our experience might have been elsewhere.
The two resorts we went to (Remarkables and Coronet Peak) were small, with only about 4 lifts each, short runs, not much terrain, and only one lodge with limited food and drink options. The bars here pretty much only serve cans and bottles, and there is no such thing as going to a bar at the top of the mountain and getting a quick shot of tequila in between runs. I KNOW my friends in Colorado would be shocked and saddened by this fact. (We both were.) On nice days, however, the “Ice Bar” opened up at the top of one lift at Remarkables, which offered not only drinks but also an incredible view of the Southern Alps.
Unfortunately for us, we came during a winter with relatively low levels of snow accumulation, and so much of the season was icy. Even though the powder days here were nothing like what we have seen in Colorado, they were still quite fun! And the views of the Southern Alps surrounding both resorts were just jaw-droppingly beautiful any time the sun was out.
I can’t speak much about Cardrona or Treble Cone resorts, since we never got a chance to experience either. These resorts are closer to the town of Wanaka, another (though quieter) ski town about an hour from Queenstown. However, I have heard that both resorts are epic and have some really nice parks and advanced terrain. If we had done things a little differently, I think we would have chosen to stay in Wanaka for the winter and rode at those resorts instead, since we both feel we would’ve enjoyed the resorts and the Wanaka lifestyle a little more than Queenstown.
Speaking of Queenstown….
Oh, Queenstown. This place seemingly never sleeps. It’s bustling and busy, with absolutely STUNNING scenery. I have never once gotten bored of the views here, with huge mountains just raging over the city like mad beautiful giants. It’s a party town; an active nightlife here keeps people out until 4 am hopping over to bars or different DJs around town any night of the week. There are tons of places to eat and so many other outdoor adventure activities outside of the ski resorts, like skydiving, jet boating, hiking, mountain biking, you name it. (We recently went on a canyon swing and then bungee jumping a few days later… 10/10 so much fun, would do again.) You can do most of these activities any time of the year because the lake never freezes and it usually only snows high up in the mountains near the ski resorts! (A winter without snow everywhere was very strange indeed.)
So tell me, why do we kinda hate it here?
Even with all the good parts of Queenstown, something about it just feels a little off for us. Neither of us feels very enamored, even though we’ve met loads of foreigners who fell in love and settled down here (much like our beloved home in Colorado).
I’ve lived in numerous places throughout my life, with short-term and long-term “homes,” and I don’t know exactly how to describe this feeling. Some places feel like home quite naturally, and others just don’t. Queenstown doesn’t really feel like “ours” you know? It’s not our place.
Some good things about Queenstown:
There are so many cool bars here! Cocktail bars, pubs, nightclubs, late night lounges. Much liquor and boozy times abound.
Not only is the bar scene fun to experience as a guest, but I feel very lucky to have landed a job at one of the best cocktail bars in town. (They even won an award for best bar in Queenstown this year.) The bar has many spirits and liquors on offer, plus fresh juices, herbs, syrups and garnishes to choose from (or the ingredients to make a new one), and they encourage bartenders to be creative. I’ve had nearly any ingredient I wanted at my fingertips for experimenting with cocktails over the past few months. They put new cocktails on the menu every season, and I even got one of my own cocktails on their menu recently. 🙂 Needless to say, I have learned so much about mixology and I can definitely say I’m 1000% a better bartender after working there.
The scenery is just incredible everywhere you look. Mountains and lakes galore.
The location is ideal – very close to some of the most famous and remote parts of New Zealand that tourists come to visit throughout the year.
There is always something to do (hiking, biking, boating, sightseeing, etc.) and the nightlife is plentiful.
It’s an outdoor and adventure lovers paradise.
It’s a melting pot of people from all over the world, some who are visiting for a short time, and others who’ve made it their permanent home.
Some factors that contribute to our lack of enthusiasm:
This town is bougie AFFFF. For my Colorado friends out there, I would compare the culture of this town to an Aspen and Breckenridge baby on steroids. Ugh…
Queenstown caters heavily to tourists. Like, too much. There are tourist traps everywhere. There are obnoxious tourists everywhere. At times the emphasis on tourists makes it feel a bit overrated.
The cost of living is ridiculous and it’s hard to find (affordable) housing. Thanks to the hefty tourism price tag here, all winter long we felt like this town was squeezing every penny out of us – even when we were living in our van and not paying rent. We both get paid a “decent” wage for our industry but living in this town it doesn’t feel like enough. It’s been pretty hard to save money for our future travels.
This area of New Zealand does not like freedom campers. We didn’t feel welcome here while living in our van. We also felt the sting of hypocrisy because there is a housing crisis and simply not enough homes for the people who actually live and work here. (So just let us live in our fucking van, ok?)
Next Moves
You never really know if you’re going to like living somewhere until you just show up and live there. Years ago before Niko and I met, we both moved to Colorado of our own accord and fell in love with it, both staying longer than intended. But here in Queenstown? We’ve been here for almost 6 months and while I’m immensely grateful for the experience of snowboarding in another country, for working at an amazing cocktail bar here, for the nightlife and especially for the natural beauty all around us, I think we’re pretty ready to pack up soon and head somewhere new.
What’s next? We’re trying to figure that out. Currently we’re planning on leaving sometime after the new year and heading to the North Island for the remainder of our visa. Before we settle down again, we will travel around the South Island for a bit and hit a few more of the places that we’ve been wanting to go, since this will most likely be our last chance to explore the rest of the South Island.
As for where we might end up in the north, we’re thinking about Wellington or the Bay of Plenty region. TBD. 🙂
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