The Suitcase Backpacker

Epic sights, cosy nights, and a much-needed reset

. . .

Aotearoa New Zealand

4 min read

Nestled in the cusp of the Southern Alps, arriving in Queenstown felt like stepping into a postcard. The Māori name for Queenstown is Tāhuna, which means ‘shallow bay’. It was used as a summer hunting ground and for the treasured pounamu (greenstone). I would be staying in this mountainous place for 3 weeks in total, the first week with the campervan crew and the latter weeks I’d be doing a work exchange at a local B&B. 

Queenstown (Tāhuna) is renowned for its adventure sports and adrenaline fueled activities. I, however, prefer to keep my feet on the ground and you will definitely not find me diving out of a plane in this lifetime. What I love about this place is the combination of adventure and serenity, there is the best of both here.

Exploring the Town & Milford Sound Magic

The first leg of my Queenstown stay was spent in an AirBnB with the campervan crew. During the second day I explored the town and discovered the beautiful botanical gardens. This quickly became one of my favorite spots—lush, tranquil, and perfect for a wander. I also loved walking around the CBD, a maze of cosy lanes lined with cafes, all set against the dramatic backdrop of the towering peaks. The evenings and late afternoons in the Airbnb were for watching The Marvelous Mrs Maisel with Alison – such a brilliant show, I definitely recommend it!

Midweek, Alison and I embarked on an unforgettable trip to Milford Sound with Mackenzie who was in town. My words barely do the experience justice, blue skies, cascading waterfalls, and playful dolphins frolicking alongside our boat. The views were panoramic and perfect, the still waters mirroring the majestic cliffs above. On the drive back, a massive harvest moon lit up the night sky, an eerie yet beautiful reminder that winter was on its way.

As the week drew to a close, it was time for bittersweet goodbyes. Alison was heading back to Auckland, Mackenzie to Canada, and Lachlan decided to stay on in Queenstown. My next destination in 2 weeks would be Christchurch, but before that I was now headed to the work exchange at a local B&B I’d organised through Helpx.

Settling into Work Exchange Life

Things rolled into a good start with a surprise room upgrade as a French couple, Marine and Joele, were staying in the backpacker bunker room. Unfortunately they had a campervan accident and the van needed to be fixed, so Janet had kindly given them somewhere to stay and work in the meantime. I was pretty chuffed that I had a lush queen room to myself and a heat pump!  I was vey grateful considering how cold Queenstown was now that winter was here. Bloody freezing. The view from the B&B was pretty dreamy, snow-dusted peaks framed by the occasional frosty mornings.

The B&B was overlooking the beautiful Lake Wakatipu, and views of Kawarau mountain range, meaning ‘pointy’ and ‘many’ in Māori, and otherwise known as ‘The Remarkables’. The vibe was quiet and cosy and my lovely hosts, Janet and Chris, had a sweet cat called Miss Kitty who would meow outside my door every other evening. The B&B was empty for the time I was there, Janet had closed the doors for a well earned break after hosting a busy 2-week conference. I was super enthused when Janet asked me to proofread chapters of her book she was currently writing. It felt good flexing this skill again, it had been a while. Definitely did not miss housekeeping! Lovely Janet would sometimes make me a hot chocolate in the mornings with the fancy hot drinks machine, topped with cream and marshmallows – it was soo good.

Evenings were cosy and quiet at the B&B. I occasionally played card games with Marine and Joele laughing beside the log fire, whilst sipping Chris’s beautiful homebrewed cider, with Miss Kitty the resident cat prowling around. The warm winter ambience made me want to stay in this place a little while longer. Being grounded in Queenstown was the recharge I needed.

Big-Screen Dreams & Moving on

When Marine and Joele left the B&B my duties switched to housekeeping. I missed their company, the B&B felt quieter without them. Their campervan had finally been fixed and they were continuing on their travels before heading to Australia. One unforgettable moment was discovering Chris’s home cinema in the basement, as you do—and yes a full-on cinema! It was epic. We watched Valerian one evening, his all-time favourite movie.

As much as I was looking forward to my next destination in Christchurch, I was not looking forward to moving and lugging my suitcase about again. I had a rough idea of where I was headed next, with another work exchange placement organised for 2 weeks, I would figure out work and more long-term accommodation later.

I was sad to say goodbye to this rustic town, to Janet and Chris, and of course Miss Kitty. I was, however, excited for the next part of my travels and moving to Christchurch (Ōtautahi), a flat city with no hilly streets! There are many hilly cities in this country that I realise I do not have the stamina for.

The journey to Christchurch was a long one—eight hours by bus—but the scenery along the way was of course pretty spectacular, car journeys here never disappoint. Rolling hills, glistening lakes, and the occasional stop at places we’d visited during the campervan trip made it a bittersweet end to my time in this magical corner of Aotearoa.