How easy is it to use US dollars in the Queenstown area? Do they hammer you on the exchange rate if one used US dollars?

You're in New Zealand, use the NZ dollar.
At the moment the exchange rate is at .87,that is you (US) will get $1.12NZ for every US$.
But the exchange bureau and banks will take there 4-6%.
Our shops will NOT except US$.
just use your credit cards, Visa, Mastercard, Amex what ever and the credit card companies simply convert transaction from NZ -US and do not charge to do that.
Or get some NZ $ from your bank before you get down here.

put it through my bank account I'll only charge yo 2%

Just use credit card but have to watch what fees your bank and others charge it can get up there

Thanks gentlemen. We leave 2 weeks from today.

Get some NZ currency from your own bank before you leave home. They are a bank - they can order it in for you . Get denominations of notes in $20 and $100 as the biggest. That way you can change the biggy for smaller ones with far less hassles.

And use your bank card for as much as you can. NZ is fastly becoming a cashless society - everyone uses cards , cash is for dinosaurs ;-)

quote:

Originally posted by muzza:
Get some NZ currency from your own bank before you leave home. They are a bank - they can order it in for you . Get denominations of notes in $20 and $100 as the biggest. That way you can change the biggy for smaller ones with far less hassles.

And use your bank card for as much as you can. NZ is fastly becoming a cashless society - everyone uses cards , cash is for dinosaurs ;-)

Yep and you don't need cash for tips either, we don't tip

Dunno about the tipping thing in Queenstown. I suspect they have fallen into the international trap there of expecting a tip. After all , most of the folk who visit there are from countries that tip. Not that they will get any tip from me - other than " dont back racehorses "...

quote:

Originally posted by muzza:
Dunno about the tipping thing in Queenstown. I suspect they have fallen into the international trap there of expecting a tip. After all , most of the folk who visit there are from countries that tip. Not that they will get any tip from me - other than " dont back racehorses "...

I have been told the retailers have a two price system; one for locals and one for tourists, bloody scam if true. Perhaps just wear some H&F garb, a pair of gumboots and have a sheep out on the back of the Hilux and get the cheaper prices

Was in Queenstown in early April. You might want to consider getting a debit card funded for your trip. Put cash in it and have your bank get one for you. It will protect all your other accounts as it will be a standalone card and you don't have to mess with the money changers (exchange offices).

By the way, Queenstown is pretty cool. If you're looking for a real neat side trip, go to Doubtful Sound and take the overnight cruise. It's not easy to get to but its worth the trip.

Have a great time. NZ is a wonderful country and the people, wine and beer are great!

quote:

Originally posted by muzza:
Dunno about the tipping thing in Queenstown. I suspect they have fallen into the international trap there of expecting a tip. After all , most of the folk who visit there are from countries that tip. Not that they will get any tip from me - other than " dont back racehorses "...

We only tipped when we received really, really good service. I will say that any tip given is looked on as a very special gift by the server. They were all truly honored we tipped them. It makes it easy to want to tip for good service.

quote:

Yep and you don't need cash for tips either, we don't tip

Another reason I dont guide Kiwi's or Aussie's

If it weren't for tip's I would of had trouble making ends meet last season, as would most guides, but worse when things go wrong at the head office payment department !

quote:

Originally posted by Sarg:

quote:

Yep and you don't need cash for tips either, we don't tip

Another reason I dont guide Kiwi's or Aussie's

If it weren't for tip's I would of had trouble making ends meet last season, as would most guides, but worse when things go wrong at the head department end !

So I take it you tip your doctor, dentist, lawyer, petrol station attendant, school teacher, mechanic, shop assistant and every man and his dog who does a service for you?

Get real and charge a fair price for your service to make a living like everyone else does. Tipping has no place in our country for a selected few who somehow think they deserve special treatment on top of the fee they charge for doing a service they offer.

As for those that say tips are "not compulsory", you've answered that question quite nicely by telling us you don't guide Kiwis or Aussies because they don't tip i.e. for you tipping is compulsory.

Well said Eagle.

Tipping has to be the worst "custom" that has come to NZ and Australia. Its a subject that annoys the heck out of me here, and one that will surely lead to a huge shitfight in this discussion.

Just ban it outright is my opinion.

I didn't want to hijack the OP discussion and my first post was really just a tongue in the cheek remark, probably should have left the emoticon out. Nevertheless the very mention of tipping does start many of us off, and my hackles rise when ever this word is posted.

I'm sure larryshores will do what he wishes and what he is comfortable with and this will likely include tipping, coming from a culture where this seems to be the norm.

Unfortunately the saying "when in Rome do as the Romans do" seems to only work one way, where most of us hunting in countries where tipping is virtually obligatory do respect the custom (maybe grudgingly or often very uncomfortably), but those who travel or hunt in our countries where the practice is not a part of our culture, still insist on the practice.

I actually agree with muzza, tipping should be banned in our countries at least.

Hello Larry,

I live in Queenstown, You get whatever $ is available on the daily exchange rate. There are exchange facilities at every bank and plenty in the central CBD. Its just normal travel rules and commonsense. Should you wish to take up your last discussion with me where we left off I may be around, for a civil conversation. I wont be visiting you at GR though.

Get the debit card from your own bank and load NZ dollars.
Don't tip.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Weathered:
Hello Larry,

I live in Queenstown, You get whatever $ is available on the daily exchange rate. There are exchange facilities at every bank and plenty in the central CBD. Its just normal travel rules and commonsense. Should you wish to take up your last discussion with me where we left off I may be around, for a civil conversation. I wont be visiting you at GR though.[/QUOTE

After the hunt, we are spending 3 days at Eicharts and a couple of days at Blanket Bay. Perhaps we can get together.

quote:

Originally posted by muzza:
Tipping has to be the worst "custom" that has come to NZ and Australia. Its a subject that annoys the heck out of me here, and one that will surely lead to a huge shitfight in this discussion.

Just ban it outright is my opinion.

I don't like the fact I dont know what to tip others when in there country's, but it is good you can leave a comment on there service by not tipping if you choose !

Same for you guys who dont like tipping, don't like it, easy, don't tip & don't take tips, easy !

quote:

Originally posted by highlander:
You're in New Zealand, use the NZ dollar.
At the moment the exchange rate is at .87,that is you (US) will get $1.12NZ for every US$.
But the exchange bureau and banks will take there 4-6%.
Our shops will NOT except US$.
just use your credit cards, Visa, Mastercard, Amex what ever and the credit card companies simply convert transaction from NZ -US and do not charge to do that.
Or get some NZ $ from your bank before you get down here.

Don't get too much NZ money at your US bank prior to going over.

Most US credit card companies DO CHARGE an exchange fee. The best we found was 1%.

Not all US banks will exchange US $ for NZ $. My girlfriend and I went to NZ this past March. Before we left we got $800 USD exchanged for NZD at a bank in Denver. The bank DID NOT give us the top exchange rate PLUS they charged us an exchange fee.

While in NZ we put everything (after we spent the exchanged $$) on our credit cards. I used my Cabela's Visa. They used the exchange rate of the day they received the charge, and they charged be a 1% exchange fee. Since Cabela's gives me 1% in points on all of my charges, I basically broke even on their exchange fees.

quote:

Originally posted by Sarg:

quote:

Yep and you don't need cash for tips either, we don't tip

Another reason I dont guide Kiwi's or Aussie's

If it weren't for tip's I would of had trouble making ends meet last season, as would most guides, but worse when things go wrong at the head office payment department !

At the end of my NZ hunt this past April, the outfitter gave me his bill and included two envelopes -- one for a tip for my guide, and the other for a tip for the kitchen and lodge staff. The outfitter told me the tip is normally 5-10% of the lodge (hunt) fees, and the split is 60% for the guide and 40% for the staff.

My hunt lasted one week, and we stayed an additional two weeks with a rental car trying to see as much of the South Island as we could.

We spent our last night in Queenstown, and that night we pooled all of our NZ money, intending to spending all of it before we left so that we wouldn't have to pay additional exchange fees to change it back to US dollars at the Denver bank.

We had $34 NZD in paper, and $4 in coins. We decided to use up this money to fill our rental car with gas before we turned it in at the airport.

So my instruction was to stop filling when the pump reached $38. The pump shut off at $34.60. Happily I went in to pay and discovered that we had left the $4 in coins on the motel room bed. I only had $34 NZD. I explained this to the station attendant and asked if he would take the balance over $34 in US dollars. He said yes, but at a 1:1 exchange rate, and only in even dollar amounts.

Larry, are you hunting there, and how long are you staying?

My girlfriend and I tell everyone that our New Zealand trip was truly our trip of a lifetime.

Have a GREAT TRIP!!!!

quote:

At the end of my NZ hunt this past April, the outfitter gave me his bill and included two envelopes -- one for a tip for my guide, and the other for a tip for the kitchen and lodge staff. The outfitter told me the tip is normally 5-10% of the lodge (hunt) fees, and the split is 60% for the guide and 40% for the staff.

Boy I'd love to be able to know and publish the name of that outfitter and encourage everyone who provided a service to him to include a couple of envelopes with the bill so he would be 'obliged' to tip. What a bloody cheek in our country.

I wonder if those that encourage and accept tips declare this income for tax purposes while the rest of us salary and wage earners pay our rightful taxes?

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:

quote:

At the end of my NZ hunt this past April, the outfitter gave me his bill and included two envelopes -- one for a tip for my guide, and the other for a tip for the kitchen and lodge staff. The outfitter told me the tip is normally 5-10% of the lodge (hunt) fees, and the split is 60% for the guide and 40% for the staff.

Boy I'd love to be able to know and publish the name of that outfitter and encourage everyone who provided a service to him to include a couple of envelopes with the bill so he would be 'obliged' to tip. What a bloody cheek in our country.

I wonder if those that encourage and accept tips declare this income for tax purposes while the rest of us salary and wage earners pay our rightful taxes?

I would have to agree on that, outrageous from a NZ/OZ Outfitter & poor taste even from a African one !

No one should asked for or expect (in NZ/OZ) to be tipped, it is a nice surprise that comes in very handy at times !

More than one of the Outfitters I have worked for has kept tips or gifts (scopes,knives,ammo) left for or sent to me after a hunt !

Larry, the advise to get a debit card is spot on. I think some bank do a Travel card.

The other suggestion is to visit a couple of the wine shops in town. They offer a tasting card which you top up with say $20 and then taste a variety of the wines in small quantities. A great experience and you finish with the ability to drive legally but also buy some really nice wines that you enjoyed tasting.

Naki:

Wow, a charge for tasting wines?
First I've heard of being charged for that.
Europe and around CO, CA didn't when I was there.
Thanks for the education, I learned something new this evening from this.
George