Generally we’re of the opinion that most people are pretty good when it comes to the way they conduct themselves in life, however there’s always a few bad eggs that ruin it for the rest. Unfortunately if one person has an issue with another, that issue quite often gets dumped on our already quite full plate to deal with. So to save some time, we thought we’d put up a few of the more regular things in a sort of positive/negative/positive sandwhich (so you don’t think we’re just a bunch of negative noddy’s)…
Do: Be respectful of people’s personal space – if you’re in a dorm room, the space afforded to you is a mathematical equation. Specifically – square meters of room / how many beds in room = your space. Just because you got there first, doesn’t mean you can claim the room as sovereign land. That flagpole you’ve erected means nothing (and that flag with your face on it is shit)!
Don’t: Turn the room lights on between the hours of 12am and 8am. Your bed has a light, the bathroom has a light (and a door to keep that light in the bathroom), and no doubt the phone you’re traveling with has a light. Pretty sure you’d be upset too if you hoped for a good nights’ sleep and someone woke you in the wee hours of the morning to blowdry their hair. Got a 6am flight to catch? You should have packed your bag and sorted yourself the night before, NOT at 4:30am, you plonk.
Do: Talk to eachother. With the advent of the smart-phone, we’ve noticed that people are less inclined to spark up a chat with their neighbour at the breakfast table. Remember, you’ve all got at least 1 thing in common – you decided to come to Queenstown and stay with us! Start chatting and living in the now, those instagram posts and facebook likes can wait – you’re not that popular anyway.
Don’t: Leave a mess, particularly in the kitchen. Please, for the love of all that is good and clean, PLEASE clean up after yourself. As your parents/guardian/ex-spouse would have no doubt told you at some point in your life, those dishes aren’t going to clean themselves. We work incredibly hard to provide a kitchen any cook would be proud of (and we work even harder to keep it that way), but it only takes 1 person to take it from chef-chic to chef-shit.
Do: Get out and enjoy your surroundings. The weather is crap? Got a hangover? Too bad – most of you are only here for a couple of days at best! Do you want your memories of Queenstown to be the interior of our (well equipped, clean and friendly) hostel, or do you want your memories to be of the scenery, adventure and social life? Put a jacket on, grab a coffee/panadol, and go get involved you silly sausage.
Don’t: Forget your room key. We get it – you’re on holidays, free of the responsibilities of every-day life. However that’s not entirely true is it? You’ve got things to be on time for (flights, adventures, reservations), things to manage (personal belongings, budgets, expectations) and things to look after (wallets, passports, ROOM KEYS!!). In fact, apart from the general things expected of any guest – read the above list for a few -it’s literally the only thing we make you responsible for. Would you get up at 3am to let the person in that’s banging on your door, crying and spilling their pie on themselves? Do yourself a favour and don’t be that sorry individual.
Do: Make the most of your days and keep a smile on that dial. Hell, you’re in Queenstown – no one’s going to listen to anything you’ve got to complain about anyway; you’re already in a place that hopefully makes food taste better, music sound sweeter, and life just a little bit more worth living 😉
