Unlike the Remarkables Mountain Range overlooking Queenstown, the small cluster of shops here is pretty easy to navigate. The town centre is almost on a grid system, with one or two cobbled pedestrian outdoor shopping malls - amongst plenty of cafes and bars where the single young staff that flood in here to work the tourist season socialise.

Known NZ and Australian chains sit side by side with adventure outfitters, one-off small boutiques and high-end luxury brands, as the international high-end traveler starts to embrace wilderness travel more and more.

The pastures of New Zealand are famous for being dotted with sheep so this is a fantastic place to pick up sheepskin rugs and hand knitted woollens. ‘Merino mink’ is the ultimate luxurious combo of NZ merino wool and possum fur. THE MOUNTAINEER SHOP and KOHA around the corner are very touristy but the best shops here in Queenstown for the natural fibres.

PETER ALEXANDER is the perfect place for winter PJ’s and smalls. There are a couple of really nice little one-off boutiques, which is what I gravitate towards to really get a sense of a place. “ANGEL DIVINE” is a lovely shop with a lot of local and Sydney designer labels like Kate Sylvester, Karen Walker, Zambesi and Kirrily Johnston. DECODE has niche NZ labels under one roof, put together with an eye for young, funky street attitude with labels like Firefly, Pest Control and Chalky Digits.

There are a few Australian chains for knock-off trendy staples, like WITCHERY and COUNTRY ROAD, probably one of the only centres within a wide geographical area where a local girl could pick up a maxi-dress or a pencil skirt.

Then there is the thin end of the wedge - a Louis Vuitton store for anyone who wants an international luxe label. It is a boutique size store located in the middle of the mall and the staff there said is really geared to the Asian market. At the moment it is the lone wolf, but I am sure there is a desire to draw other global retail labels.

‘Queenie,’ as the locals call it, is not a fashion capital, but if you lost your luggage you could put together a mini-wardrobe and not feel that you were in a time warp.

Because this town is base camp for recreational activities what the retail culture here really excels at is OUTDOOR OUTFITTERS. Countless shops stock world-class equipment and clothing with the best niche and mainstream brands for mountaineering, snowboarding, skiing and trekking. If you go to R & R SPORTS and OUTDOOR SPORTS you’ll find enough gear to keep you in trouble for a very long time.

What is great about investing in essential adventure pieces in Queenstown, from ankle-support, thick soled boots to ‘tramping’ (hiking) wear and backpacks, is that the staff, unlike their city slicker counterparts, all walk the walk and use this stuff in the great outdoors themselves. And you may be on the other side of the world, but whatever is cutting edge out there in ‘outdoor performance wear’ has followed you here.

You’ll also find good coffee, sweet shops a lot of trinkets and souvenirs and enough urban street fashion, denim and skater looks to keep a teenager happy.