As Wānaka transforms from a holiday destination to also being a family-friendly town, the affluent lifestyle that once represented the town is no longer accurate.
Parents who move to Wānaka either for a healthier lifestyle or to snap up jobs in a growing region have found themselves unable to keep up with a district economy designed more for short-term tourists than long-term families.
This has resulted in families facing financial struggles and needing external support to get by.
Community Link manager Kate Murray said their services had been in higher demand, the food bank doubling its intake over the last two years.
"The issue is that people are struggling to make ends meet" she said, explaining that a growing number of their clients had been families, many of whom had a double income yet still could not cope with the cost of living.
Several of the families struggling were earning just enough to cover costs, Ms Murray said.
Sudden costs such as a car repair or a trip to Dunedin Hospital "tips them over financially".
This often resulted in parents having to choose which of their bills to pay.
Mount Aspiring College principal Nicola Jacobsen has also seen an increase in families who need more financial support, some having to live in campgrounds or other temporary housing.
"People are working incredibly hard to make sure their child doesn’t miss out" she said, giving examples of parents working paycheck to paycheck, trying to make sure their children did not feel left out.
The school has experienced a diverse range of families inquiring about extra support as a result of an increase in the number of immigrant families over the past two years.
"They see so many opportunities within, and they are probably under a little bit more financial pressure because they might have just moved to New Zealand. That’s a huge expense" she said.
The need for extra support had been noticeable in the greater demand for second-hand uniforms and families coming to talk to the school about help with school supplies and devices.
Ms Jacobsen had observed these financial hardships were made more difficult in a place like Wānaka where financial struggle was not as normalised as it might be in other parts of the country.
"I think one of the hardest parts of being a teenager in Wānaka is that we are statistically the least diverse place in New Zealand. So, if you’re different in any way you really feel in yourself that you are standing out"
Having taught in Auckland, she felt that teenagers in Wānaka could feel more self-aware if their families could not afford what was considered normal even if it was something like ski passes for the winter.
This self-awareness was made even worse if the financial difficulties got much worse, resulting in higher stress levels for the students.
The rise in these issues was the result of a several factors including a general increase in cost of living and lingering impacts of Covid on the tourism industry.
With more families moving to town, experiences were becoming more diverse and perceptions about what was normal needed to shift and community support should continue to grow.
"I think it’s that realisation that not everyone here is living in the same way" Ms Jacobsen said.
"Everyone’s really supportive of each other in terms of supporting local businesses. I think that’s a real strength of the place"
