LOCALS STUNNED: TRADIES DISCOVER ULTIMATE 'BACKYARD' HOLIDAY: THE FRANKTON FIORD CRUISE ON PLASTIC CHAIRS
*Two Queenstown locals redefine frugality and fashion in the middle of a housing crisis.*
Frankton has finally found the answer to Queenstown's astronomical holiday costs: a lakeside retreat complete with plastic chairs and smoko items from Mitre 10. Two local tradies, equipped with a hi-vis jacket and absolutely no sense of traditional comfort, have risen above the mounting house prices and rental car irritations with a jumpers-and-chilly-bin holiday package.
It's a scene reminiscent of the DIY holiday swagger that was peak chic somewhere around 1974. Until some tosser decided you needed to blow a year's wages to 'have a good time'. Merv and Ted haven't succumbed to that rubbish. They're pioneering the return to nature with nothing but a chilly bin and a red fuel canister masquerading as avant-garde picnic furniture.
"It's a bloody brilliant setup," Merv mused. "No more need for all that faffing around with rental cars when all you need is one well-placed hi-vis jacket. The mountains are cheering us on, or they're planning our demise. Hard to say."
Queenstown Council is reportedly bemused, unsure whether to applaud these blokes' innovation or to politely avoid eye contact. Meanwhile, the tourists braving Shotover Street's rental madness might just consider swinging by Frankton for a crash course in Kiwi frugality.
From the pier that nobody asked for but everyone appreciates, it's clear these two are setting new trends in scenic lounging. Who needs plush Jet Park luxury when you can have the grandeur of the lakeside, the simplicity of a plastic chair, and the audacity to pretend that this is all you've ever wanted?
It's a scene reminiscent of the DIY holiday swagger that was peak chic somewhere around 1974. Until some tosser decided you needed to blow a year's wages to 'have a good time'. Merv and Ted haven't succumbed to that rubbish. They're pioneering the return to nature with nothing but a chilly bin and a red fuel canister masquerading as avant-garde picnic furniture.
"It's a bloody brilliant setup," Merv mused. "No more need for all that faffing around with rental cars when all you need is one well-placed hi-vis jacket. The mountains are cheering us on, or they're planning our demise. Hard to say."
Queenstown Council is reportedly bemused, unsure whether to applaud these blokes' innovation or to politely avoid eye contact. Meanwhile, the tourists braving Shotover Street's rental madness might just consider swinging by Frankton for a crash course in Kiwi frugality.
From the pier that nobody asked for but everyone appreciates, it's clear these two are setting new trends in scenic lounging. Who needs plush Jet Park luxury when you can have the grandeur of the lakeside, the simplicity of a plastic chair, and the audacity to pretend that this is all you've ever wanted?
Reader Letters
Janice Walsh
What a brilliant idea! If only more people would embrace this kind of creativity, maybe we'd all be a bit happier and a lot less broke.
Sharon Ngatai
I don't know. Sounds like a recipe for a cold bum and a sore back to me. But hey, if it works for them, go for it.
Linda Chen
Honestly, this sounds like the perfect way to stick it to the overpriced tourism industry in Queenstown. Maybe we're all just too caught up in creature comforts.
Wayne Patterson
Not sure I’d enjoy dodging seagulls all day while sitting on a plastic chair, to be honest. They should think about upgrading their gear if they plan to turn this into a business.