[TheDude]

I've been offered a job in Queenstown at 60-65k (no formal contract yet) Is this enough money to live comfortably? I'm not really a high maintenance person. I've heard that Queenstown is one of the best towns in NZ and I'm really excited about this oppurtunity. I just don't want to move over there and then have to return home b/c I can't afford it.

[ellenmelon]

First off, welcome to the forum. Are you coming over by yourself or with family? How old are you? Queenstown can be a very expensive place to live, but its a pretty cool town. Very tourist orientated..
Personally, I think with that wage you would be ok, as a single person which is the vibe Im getting..
A quick search on www.trademe.co.nz (nz's ebay..but simpler) for flatmates wanted (on the assumption you are wanting to flat) shows rooms in a shared flat at around $120 dollars a week. A place by yourself/with family is a good bit more it would seem.
If you could give more info about what kind of lifestyle you lead where you are right now (do you like to eat out? Out every weekend at the pub?) we can help you out more...
:D

[TheDude]

First off, welcome to the forum. Are you coming over by yourself or with family? How old are you? Queenstown can be a very expensive place to live, but its a pretty cool town. Very tourist orientated..
Personally, I think with that wage you would be ok, as a single person which is the vibe Im getting..
A quick search on www.trademe.co.nz (nz's ebay..but simpler) for flatmates wanted (on the assumption you are wanting to flat) shows rooms in a shared flat at around $120 dollars a week. A place by yourself/with family is a good bit more it would seem.
If you could give more info about what kind of lifestyle you lead where you are right now (do you like to eat out? Out every weekend at the pub?) we can help you out more...
:D

Thanks for the response.

I'm a single 28yr old male, who is relatively active. I have no children, though I do own a small dog.

I like to workout so I'd definitely be joining a local gym. I usually only drink once or twice a week. I'm sure I'll be going out more in Queenstown to try and meet friends and fit in with the community. My alcohol tastes are rather modest, I prefer a good quality beer over fine wine or mixed drinks.

I cook often and will only go out to eat about once a week for dinner. I usually eat out 5 days a week for lunch.

For hobbies I'll be snowboarding, biking, hiking, kite boarding (eventually) and watching American football via the internet and a slingbox Sept - Dec.

I'm very laid back and rarely buy clothes, though I live in a very hot environment now and will need to buy cold weather clothing.

I have some student debt from the States and are required to pay $120 monthly (US dollars) for student loans.

I'll also need to finance an automobile eventually as well.

Like most Americans, I love movies and will be frequenting the theaters (once a week?)

Like I said, I haven't signed a contract and have the opportunity to do some negotiating.

[Moorf]

Dude - you sound perfectly matched with Queenstown!!

That's a pretty good wage for the lifestyle you'll be looking for, as long as you don't want to holiday abroad once a year and don't go OTT on the car and accommodation. I think you'd like it there given your outdoorsy hobbies and being single I bet it's a right laugh as nightlife seems busy during peak seasons (oohhh I wish I was 10 yrs younger... you should have SEEN the talent in Wanaka *sigh*)

HTH
Moorf

[ellenmelon]

Thanks for the response.

I'm a single 28yr old male, who is relatively active. I have no children, though I do own a small dog.

I like to workout so I'd definitely be joining a local gym. I usually only drink once or twice a week. I'm sure I'll be going out more in Queenstown to try and meet friends and fit in with the community. My alcohol tastes are rather modest, I prefer a good quality beer over fine wine or mixed drinks.

I cook often and will only go out to eat about once a week for dinner. I usually eat out 5 days a week for lunch.

For hobbies I'll be snowboarding, biking, hiking, kite boarding (eventually) and watching American football via the internet and a slingbox Sept - Dec.

I'm very laid back and rarely buy clothes, though I live in a very hot environment now and will need to buy cold weather clothing.

I have some student debt from the States and are required to pay $120 monthly (US dollars) for student loans.

I'll also need to finance an automobile eventually as well.

Like most Americans, I love movies and will be frequenting the theaters (once a week?)

Like I said, I haven't signed a contract and have the opportunity to do some negotiating.

I'd say you will be fine. There are some things that do cost a lot here (internet :( ) and the cinema can be costly too. Car insurance is relatively cheap. You are well placed to enjoy a lot of the outdoor activities you enjoy and you really will be living in a very beautiful part of the country! There are people from all over the world living there which is pretty cool too. The Dux de Lux (sister pub to the original in Christchurch www.thedux.co.nz) has a micro brewery as you say you're into your beers. Steinlager Pure is supposed to be nice (but I wouldnt go near the original Steinlager, blech!).

[TheDude]

Dude - you sound perfectly matched with Queenstown!!

That's a pretty good wage for the lifestyle you'll be looking for, as long as you don't want to holiday abroad once a year and don't go OTT on the car and accommodation. I think you'd like it there given your outdoorsy hobbies and being single I bet it's a right laugh as nightlife seems busy during peak seasons (oohhh I wish I was 10 yrs younger... you should have SEEN the talent in Wanaka *sigh*)

HTH
Moorf

I noticed how expensive the internet and cellular phone service is and was completely shocked! I noticed that all the ISP's have caps on download useage?! What's that all about

Here in the states I pay about $70 a month for 1500 minutes, 400 text and unlimited cellular data (128kbps). For high speed net I pay $50 a month for unlimited download/upload at 6mbps.

I'm an American sports junkie. I am addicted to college football and the NFL. I assume I'm going to have to stream most of this off the internet and will need at least 30-40 gigs a month. Am I looking at over 100nz a month for internet?

[TheDude]

I'd say you will be fine. There are some things that do cost a lot here (internet :( ) and the cinema can be costly too. Car insurance is relatively cheap. You are well placed to enjoy a lot of the outdoor activities you enjoy and you really will be living in a very beautiful part of the country! There are people from all over the world living there which is pretty cool too. The Dux de Lux (sister pub to the original in Christchurch www.thedux.co.nz) has a micro brewery as you say you're into your beers. Steinlager Pure is supposed to be nice (but I wouldnt go near the original Steinlager, blech!).

What kind of beer do kiwi's like? I prefer stouts and lagers. My future employer seems to love wheat beers. Is this common in New Zealand? I can't stand wheat beers :cheers

[katandbob]

What kind of beer do kiwi's like? I prefer stouts and lagers. My future employer seems to love wheat beers. Is this common in New Zealand? I can't stand wheat beers :cheers

Wheat? what ever - I just buy the stuff for the OH:laugh

but check out our local brewery http://www.invercargillbrewery.co.nz/

they do taste nice - if I say so myself - but I usually stick to wine!

Kat

[willsken]

Hey Dude! :D

I pay $59 for 10 gig and it's just not enough. 30 gig is $100 pm and 50 gig is $150pm. This is with Telecom and I'm sure there must be cheaper out there but I'm signed up with them for a year and haven't looked into other companies yet. Horribly expensive but if your a net junkie the costs are a necessity.

[jubjub]

We have gone with xnet, and I would think you can get them anywhere broadband in available.

http://www.wxc.co.nz/

We pay a $39 basic service fee, then $1 per gig after that, its very fast! Knocks telecom into a cocked hat.

[willsken]

Off to look at that right now.... my year must be nearly up by now! :exit

[wiki]

I'm from not too far from Queenstown and have a couple of staff based up there. They're on about half of what you're on and live pretty well...

I can't deny it's a more expensive location (especially for accommodation because demand is so high from seasonal workers), but you can certainly look after yourself on a reasonable budget if you don't go overboard.

Try to time when you come over with the shoulder seasons (if possible) - between March-April or Sept-Oct as there are fewer workers and therefore more choice. Then, if you can be a position to sign a 12-month lease you'll be sitting pretty when the workers head back in (loads for ski season and high summer, but it dips on those shoulders)

A good tip, though, is that if you're heading over to Dunedin or Ingill for a looksee then make time for a big dry goods and alcohol shopping trip. Q'town supermarket prices are more expensive because of the extra freight to get it there (but you can get some good wine prices direct from the vineyards).

You're about 2 hours from In'gill and 3 hours to Dunedin (um, although I've just realised I've never driven Queenstown to Dunedin directly) - but the roads can be quite slow going at times and you can get stuck behind a campervan or a car towing a boat really often without decent places to overtake (no freeway, no multilanes)

If you've got any other Q'town questions, please ask. I'm going up on Friday for a staff meeting and can tell you the latest and greatest.

[ellenmelon]

A good tip, though, is that if you're heading over to Dunedin or Ingill for a looksee then make time for a big dry goods and alcohol shopping trip. Q'town supermarket prices are more expensive because of the extra freight to get it there (but you can get some good wine prices direct from the vineyards).


i was going to say that, but i wasnt sure was my info a bit outdated..

[TheDude]

I'm from not too far from Queenstown and have a couple of staff based up there. They're on about half of what you're on and live pretty well...

I can't deny it's a more expensive location (especially for accommodation because demand is so high from seasonal workers), but you can certainly look after yourself on a reasonable budget if you don't go overboard.

Try to time when you come over with the shoulder seasons (if possible) - between March-April or Sept-Oct as there are fewer workers and therefore more choice. Then, if you can be a position to sign a 12-month lease you'll be sitting pretty when the workers head back in (loads for ski season and high summer, but it dips on those shoulders)

A good tip, though, is that if you're heading over to Dunedin or Ingill for a looksee then make time for a big dry goods and alcohol shopping trip. Q'town supermarket prices are more expensive because of the extra freight to get it there (but you can get some good wine prices direct from the vineyards).

You're about 2 hours from In'gill and 3 hours to Dunedin (um, although I've just realised I've never driven Queenstown to Dunedin directly) - but the roads can be quite slow going at times and you can get stuck behind a campervan or a car towing a boat really often without decent places to overtake (no freeway, no multilanes)

If you've got any other Q'town questions, please ask. I'm going up on Friday for a staff meeting and can tell you the latest and greatest.

Are there good beaches in Invercargill? Are there surfers there? I'm really wanting to get into kiteboarding and will be looking for nice beaches. I know Dunedin is supposedly a good place for surf but if Invercargill is a closer drive, it would make sense to go there over Dunedin.

[katandbob]

Are there good beaches in Invercargill? Are there surfers there? I'm really wanting to get into kiteboarding and will be looking for nice beaches. I know Dunedin is supposedly a good place for surf but if Invercargill is a closer drive, it would make sense to go there over Dunedin.

There are loads of beaches - ORETI Beach is the largest - you can travel from Otatara (the township it is accessed from - which is virtually joined to Invercargill as it only has the airport and a few fields & the river between them.

Watch the DVD "the worlds fastest indian" with anthony hopkins in it for a good look at how long it is LOL

Oreti has its own surf club, Oreti Surf Life Saving Club

And is situated on the which is just before the beach 2000 hectares of land for recreational sports Sandy Point Domain (http://www.icc.govt.nz/index.cfm?7EE061DE-0B9B-509D-323D-B1A4205365B5) & heres a map (http://www.zoomin.co.nz/nz/invercargill/oreti+beach/)

there are also other beaches around that people surf from, and I know that there are tons of surfers in Invercargill - one Aucklander actually came to study at SIT because of the surfing available here! LOL
here check this site out - may make sense to you http://www.winzurf.co.nz/windsurf/wgtnz/wgtnz39.htm but I am not really gen'd up on this sort of thing - but I love body boarding - we went to Curio bay in the catlins and had a go - oh and I we want to try it on the surf at waimatuna wetlands - now those waves were big!

have fun in QT, but remember it all costs - I think we spend $3,000+ in 06 when we went for the Labour weekend - 4 of us, but we went bungying, on he shotover jet, quad biking (the best fun and also cheapest and the longest)

next time I go I am taking the tent, and just chillin beside the lake!

Kat

oh and I forgot to mention they do the land surf thingi with weird karts with attached sails like a windsurf board?? I'm sure you know what I mean - but its supposed to be brill and with such a big beach - excellent for it!:clap