A booming Queenstown ski season means more day-trippers visiting Glenorchy, but business owners are looking forward to tourism demand increasing when the Great Walks season starts in earnest in October.
The Queenstown Times spoke to four key tourism operators in the lakeside township about how the winter months were treating them.
Glenorchy Cafe owner Grant Treleaven said if a poor ski season occurred, more customers flowed into businesses like his.
He wanted more snow on the slopes and a good ski season as it would benefit the entire Wakatipu.
"If Queenstown is dead, you really feel it out here.
"There's a lot of Australians, but they are the majority every year. They come here for the skiing and use their hire car for a day here or Gibbston."
The cafe was employing five staff as normal for winter and would hire up to 14 during the summer.
Mr Treleaven said customer numbers in Glenorchy increased markedly when the Routeburn, Rees-Dart and Greenstone Caples walking tracks opened. The annual fishing competition in early October created a sharp rise in trade and the township's peak season was between Labour Weekend and Easter.
"That's when it's busy. If it's not, you've got to start asking questions," he said.
"It's 60% to 70% Australians over the summer and Kiwis in January as Glenorchy and its walks are a cheap getaway. February is when Europeans arrive and Asians float through all year."
Kinloch Lodge co-owners Toni and John Glover said their upmarket bed and breakfast and trampers' accommodation had benefited from publicity as an author's pick in the latest Lonely Planet and as a recommendation in the Rough Guide.
They also noticed an increase in custom after they introduced an espresso machine and seating to The Trading Post earlier this month.
The retail outlet, which doubled as the reception to their Glenorchy Lake House retreat, was now retaining customers who used to leave the premises to book a trip, for example, and not always come back.
However, the Glovers decided to temporarily close Kinloch Lodge for two months until August 21. Although they thought this winter was busier than last year, expected guest numbers did not justify the lodge's operating and staffing costs, they said.
"Glenorchy lives on its peak and shoulder seasons and it's generally a low period during the winter," Mrs Glover said.
Mr Glover said the temporary closure of the lodge had allowed them to carry out maintenance.
"Winter is something to be savoured as we're rushed off our feet in summer. Some people say winter is when we get our place back.
"The trick is to earn enough in the summer so you don't need to worry in the winter."
Luxury lodge Blanket Bay has been playing host to Aucklanders, Australians and Americans for the most part this winter.
Blanket Bay was offsetting the traditionally quieter period with a three-pronged approach - a locals' discount to celebrate the lodge's 10th birthday this year, a special stay-four-nights-and-pay-for-three deal for domestic and international guests, and domestic packages in association with Air New Zealand and a car rental company.
Operations manager Anna Elms and guest services manager Judy Bartlett farewelled eight guests from New Zealand, Singapore and Europe on Friday. They were waiting for three couples to arrive on Friday afternoon.
"I think Australians are staying closer to home rather than going abroad, because it's a lot cheaper to ski in Queenstown than Australia and there's a lot of excellent packages going," Ms Elms said.
Ms Bartlett said the advent of cheaper and direct flights meant Queenstown became a weekend getaway for many Australians, with less lead-in time required than normal.
"Summers are more affected by the recession because that's peak time for international guests."
Australian tourists were bringing a "vibrancy" by opting for Glenorchy on alternate ski days, Dart River Jet Safaris business unit manager Andy Chapman said.
"Overall, we've had a good winter, our numbers have been up on last year, with a noticeable increase in Australians. We're seeing them come up for our two jet-boating products and our wilderness safari, which includes a tour of Paradise."
The operator was employing 15 staff, as normal for the time of year, and numbers would swell to 35 in the peak summer months.
