CS

Queenstown's landscape defines it completely. The looming mountains of The Remarkables, which you'll find on any postcard of the town, are a massive draw for tourists and those wishing to move here from far away. The mountains were the main reason that we came here, so that we can ski.

What we didn't realise is that there are so many other reasons to come to Queenstown, and from talking to people that come into the ski shop the skiing is such a small part of the town. But that doesn't come without its problems.

Queenstown is so attractive that there are issues with housing, transport and the volume of people using the roads. Granted, the roads are pretty good compared to London and other major cities but there are constant upgrades to the road network causing chaos during rush hour. If you want to go to the mountain it's easier to go between 9 and 4, otherwise it can take twice as long.

In terms of housing everyone basically lives on top of each other in Queenstown. We are living in flat D and the land was originally one property. A, B and C are all built in steps on top of each other. The rest of the town is pretty much the same and if you happen to live in a house expect to have at least 5 or 6 flat mates. It's not ideal for us but it's not long term and is doing us really well to start off our travelling. We feel lucky to have the place we do with so much demand for flats and rooms here. You get the picture anyway.

The weekly pay in Queenstown means that the hospitality business is less cyclic and people don't run out of money by the end of the month, so bars thrive. Having a lot of people here in their twenties helps as well though.

The town is small and there's a lot of tourists here at the moment during the height of winter, which keeps me in my jobs. When that dies down though so will work so I'll see what September and October hold when they come around.

Everywhere you go in Queenstown you'll see something that will stick in your memory forever, just a walk down the road is a print from a postcard. That's why people love it and as long as the mountains surround Queenstown it will thrive.