However, as thousands drive west to catch the summer heat, a group of about 50 Queenstown and Arrowtown locals have a clear road to the tranquillity of the Otago coast.
"We’re the reverse migration," Arrowtown resident Michael Thomas said.
Mr Thomas said his family first bought a crib at Long Beach five years ago, and friends from around Queenstown soon began doing the same.
Now five families own houses there and several more rent over the Christmas period.
The quiet nature of the beach community meant it was a "great way to holiday", Mr Thomas said.
"The kids go enjoy themselves — they go play in the forest. Everybody knows each other.
"The locals are really good, especially with the kids."
It was great to be able to see the coast, he said.
"You can get pretty landlocked when you’re living near the Wakatipu. The sea’s always better than lakes."
At the peak of the influx about 50 of the group were at Long Beach, which was significant considering the settlement contained about 100 homes.
It seemed most were holiday homes, but there were also a few full-timers, Mr Thomas said.
At the weekend as well as Mr Thomas’ family, Lakes district locals the Cruikshanks, Molgats, Edmonds, McQuilqins, De Haans and Apses were also in residence at the coastal settlement.
The majority would stay for about 12 days over the break and return sporadically through summer.
Cellphone coverage at Long Beach was "bad at best", Mr Thomas said.
"The kids haven’t got wireless or anything like that, so they haven’t got the option to be on the internet. It makes them get out there."
On bad-weather days they went into the city to visit museums and do things which "weren’t really available" in Queenstown, he said.
"I’m originally from Dunedin, but I never thought I’d come back for summer holidays."
Ed Cruikshank, whose family lives between Queenstown and Arrowtown, said Long Beach was attractive for its peacefulness and safety.
"The kids can go off and muck about on their bikes on the street. There’s no shop, no pub," Mr Cruikshank said.
When the family stayed home during the Christmas period in the past they tended not to leave the house, he said.
"It’s just very busy. Very congested. It’s pretty nice getting away from that.
"It’s kind of old-school New Zealand."
