The 10 best things about Queenstown

So I thought I would put together a quick list of the best things about living in Queenstown that you wouldn't know about unless you actually live here.

I'm not talking about things like the snow or the lake or the hunting and fishing - everyone knows about that stuff!

So, in no particular order:

- The grass doesn't grow over winter. Not even a little bit. Between late April and Late September we (by which I mean Greg) didn't have to mow the lawns once.

- In the summer, if you hang your washing on the line after work, it's dry before you go to bed. The combination of long, dry, hot days, and the breeze coming in off the lake in the evening mean it dries really quickly

- No Ants. I have not seen a single ant inside since we moved to Queenstown!

- Locals' Days and locals' discounts. The best one by far is the Shotover Jet Locals' Day where for $15 a head you can experience what tourists pay $109 a head for. All the money raised goes to a local charity - last year it was Diabetes Wakatipu and this year it is Plunket.

- We don't have to flush out the boat motor after we've been out. Unless it is really dirty we don't have to clean it either. Boating no longer means an extra 1-2 hours of cleaning after we get back home. Yay for fresh water!

- Work opportunities are great. An article in the local paper the other day highlighted that there is currently zero unemployment in Queenstown. Not a single person in Queenstown is currently on the unemployment benefit. Also, with the impression everyone has of Queenstown (i.e. expensive and transient) there are great opportunities if you are willing to show long term commitment.

- Crime isn't high. Half the time we don't lock our cars or even our house. We haven't set the house alarm since December last year. As a result, you also see kids playing in the street and riding their bikes unaccompanied by adults. It's great to live in a community where kids can still be kids.

- We will NEVER run out of good places to eat out. There are so many restaurants and cafes in town it's not funny, and many of them serve fantastic food.

- The Remarkables Sweet shop has the best fudge any of us have ever tasted. Creamy, rich, yummy...

- The weather is great. We actually get all 4 seasons - Autumn colours with leaves that actually crunch when you walk on them, Winters with actual snow, Spring with lots of rain and new growth, and hot dry summers with long warm evenings.