Queenstown

Currency

New Zealand is effectively cashless — contactless cards work everywhere including small cafes and trailhead huts. There is little reason to exchange cash at all.

ATMs & cards

ANZ, ASB, BNZ and Westpac machines are all over the town centre. Note that many NZ merchants add a small card surcharge. Decline conversion.

New Zealand is close to cashless, so you may not need a withdrawal at all.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Very safe town, but the mountains demand respect: weather changes fast, alpine tracks need proper gear, and you should always log your intentions for longer walks. Adventure operators are well-regulated. NZ sun is intensely strong — burn times are short even when cool.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.

Worth having

• Routine vaccinations up to date

Getting treated

Excellent, and unusually generous to visitors: the ACC scheme covers everyone in the country, tourists included, for treatment of accidental injury regardless of fault or nationality. Illness is not covered, so insurance is still worth having.

The weather in the mountains is the hazard. There are no snakes and nothing venomous worth worrying about.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

The Fergburger queue is a local ritual, though the neighbouring bakery is just as good with no wait. Central Otago is excellent Pinot Noir country — the cellar doors are 30 minutes away.

Getting around

• Rental car — the best way to reach Milford Sound, Wanaka and the trailheads
• Walking — the town centre is tiny and entirely walkable
• Orbus — local buses to Frankton, Arrowtown and the airport, NZ$2 with a Bee Card
• Shuttle — ski field and trailhead shuttles run in season
• Airport: Orbus route 1 to the town centre (25 min, NZ$2)

Must-see

Things to do

• Take the Skyline Gondola for the lake view
• Day trip to Milford Sound
• Hike the Ben Lomond track
• Bungy jump at the Kawarau Bridge
• Taste Pinot Noir in Gibbston Valley
• Cruise on the TSS Earnslaw steamship

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

New Zealand English — local usage

• Hello (Māori, widely used)Kia orakee-a OR-a
• ThanksCheers / Ta
• Flip-flopsJandals
• Cool boxChilly bin
• Holiday homeBachbatch
• Sweet, no problemSweet as
• The bill, pleaseCan we settle up?
• GoodbyeHaere rāHIGH-reh rah

Religion

No majority faith

Around half report no religion. Māori tikanga governs behaviour at marae and at sites of significance, and is respected as protocol rather than religion.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Learn kia ora and use it; Māori greetings are part of everyday speech
• Remove shoes entering homes
• Clean hiking boots between parks — biosecurity is taken seriously
• Log your intentions before any serious walk

Don't

• Do not confuse New Zealand with Australia, or the accents with each other
• Do not sit on tables or pillows — in Māori custom, surfaces for food and heads are not for sitting
• Do not tip; it is not part of the culture
• Do not underestimate the weather in the mountains; it changes within the hour