Why Study in Queenstown, New Zealand?

The city of Queenstown, New Zealand, is world famous among extreme sports enthusiasts – it’s even known as the Extreme Sports Capital of the World. Because of this and its natural beauties, the small city is very popular with people from all over the world and has a large number of tourists during all months of the year, both in summer and winter.

However, it’s not just tourism that makes Queenstown a captivating city. The location is also popular with international students who want to learn English or take a technical course, and still work in New Zealand while they are studying. In this post, we’ll show you what you need to know to study in Queenstown, from the city’s infrastructure to cultural life! Keep watching and learn more!

The city of Queenstown is located on the South Island of New Zealand, in the Otago region, with just under 9,000 km² in length and just over 20,000 inhabitants. It is 1,612 km from Auckland – the country’s largest city – and 974 km from the capital, Wellington.

The city is calm and peaceful, with little movement of cars, but with many tourist attractions, which makes Queenstown one of the most popular destinations for those planning to study in New Zealand.

The city’s climate varies throughout the year, averaging 22℃ (reaching a maximum of 30℃) during the summer and freezing temperatures (about -2℃) throughout the winter – which generally has no snow. The time difference for Brazil is approximately 15 hours more.

The city has its own airport, but it only operates domestic flights or to some parts of Australia. Departing from Brazil, it is necessary to disembark at Auckland International Airport and then take another plane to Queenstown.

Whether you are looking for an adventurous destination and experience a new culture, or those looking to improve their English, gain an international qualification or even find a job opportunity, Queenstown is the ideal destination.

Currently, international students who go to New Zealand for a period of up to 3 months do not need to apply for a tourist visa before boarding. Permission to enter as a tourist is granted upon arrival in the country. The tourist visa allows you to study for up to 12 weeks in the country.

If you are interested in living in New Zealand and taking a course with a longer duration, you will need to apply for a student visa. There is the possibility of visas that allow the exchange student, in addition to studying, to work 20 hours a week (or 40 hours during vacations). For this, you must take a course of at least 14 weeks in a category 1 school. If you are studying at a category 2 school, you will need to take a course of at least 24 weeks and present IELTS with a 5.0 grade.

The city has high quality English language schools such as Southern Lakes English College, Language Schools New Zeland and ABC College of English. In addition, Queenstown is also home to a Southern Institute of Technology campus, which offers a variety of technical certification options.

Regarding the labor market, most of the vacancies are aimed at the hotel and tourism sectors, as this is the strong point of the local economy and the vacancies fit very well in the work permit of international students. The cost of living in the city is moderate and you can live well at around NZ$1,000 a month and the minimum wage in the country is NZ$15.75 an hour.

Although small, the city has a great infrastructure, a lot of security, quality educational institutions, good hospitals and public transport. As a tourist destination, it is busy all year round – and the number of people triples during high seasons.

Queenstown is the ideal place for those who enjoy lush landscapes and contact with nature. The city is surrounded by the Southern Alps and sits on the shores of the beautiful lake Wakatipu – which has small beaches for bathers. These natural elements give the city an even more charming air.

The city’s main attraction, extreme sports attract practitioners from all over the world and from the most diverse modalities. The most popular in Queenstown are: skiing, rafting, bungee jumping, flightseeing, lake surfing, hang gliding, skydiving, jet boating, mountain biking, rock climbing and sky diving (and there is much more on the list of activities the city offers) .

In the city, you can find some of the best extreme sports agencies in the world and several packages for the practice of these and other modalities.

For those who enjoy artistic tours, Queenstown has museums and galleries such as the Ivan Clarke Gallery, the Vasta Design Store, The Ivy Box, the Central Art Gallery and the Lake District Museum & Gallery.

There are also a number of parks with beautiful scenery, such as Queenstown Gardens, and nature reserves. Being very popular with young people, Queenstown has a lively nightlife, with pubs, bars and parties. The city also stands out for its gastronomy, with great restaurant options, such as the charming Perky’s Floating Bar and Rata, which specializes in local cuisine. In addition, the city has seasonal festivals that take place annually, such as the Winter Festival and Queenstown Jazzfast.

Queenstown is still known for wine tourism. In the region, you can find Pinot Noir wineries that are part of the famous Central Otago Wine Route.

So, were you interested in study in Queenstown? You can find even more information by visiting the city’s official website or go to CatEight.com to find an agency specializing in study for New Zealand and Oceania. Remember that having this support is essential for your trip to be a unique and hassle-free experience!