The Crew

Adventure Queenstown Hostel Staff Collection

 Anne
Anne – Moose

Our first zookeeper on staff (surprising right?), Anne came to us after working for 7 years at a Zoo in the Netherlands. Her skills with animals transferred remarkably well to her new position in the hostel, but we’re not going to think about why that is too deeply.

Likes: Animals, Milkshakes, Singing, Gert (her car).

Dislikes: Cheese, Explaining where places are in the Netherlands, Not being able to find solitude.
 Marianne
Marianne – Agnes

Another member of staff who claims to hate heights, we secretly think Marianne loves all the scary activities in town. As our resident goofball, there’s never a dull moment when this bundle of energy is around. Combined with a heart of gold you’ll be hard pressed to not have a smile on your face if she’s nearby.

Likes: Bacon with maple syrup, Gold star stickers, Chocolate, Rainbows

Dislikes: Scorpions, Stale cookies, Ginger beer, Not being able to snap her fingers or whistle
 Gus
Ilsa – Gus

A self described optimistic nihilist, Gus arrived at our doorstep after travelling the USA in different musical and dramatic productions. Buy her a beer and ask to see her velociraptor impression and get ready to be impressed. You can regularly find Gus whipping up something complicated in the kitchen, putting random things on her head, and running through the hostel excitedly telling her new (terrible) jokes.

Likes: Cooking, Wearing Chacos up a mountain, Turning random things into instruments, Reading, Warm towels

Dislikes: Being mistaken for Canadian, Cold towels, Hot weather
 Jianna
Jianna – Gary

Once in a generation a woman comes along who changes everything. Jianna is not that woman, but she met that woman once and acted weird around her. As a trained cultural anthropologist she’s always interested in sampling other nations’ foods and exploring the diversity of the hostel. Born and raised in Deliverance country USA, she has an unfortunate history of always being casted as the evil character in theatrical plays. Despite these shortcomings you will surely hear of the recent chili eating contest win in Nelson and runner-up finish in a Rotorua baking contest. We’re all very proud.

Likes: Food, More food, Spice, The original (and only) Jurassic Park, Guys who play cello ie. Yo-Yo Ma, Aragorn, son of Arathorn.

Dislikes: Oreos
 
 Mr Claus – Less a guard dog and more a player with the ladies!

It was like this:  We get a whole ham on the bone for our Xmas in June, however it disappeared.  Soon after, a ransom note is delivered demanding a hostel puppy for the safe return of the ham.  After a lack of negotiation and Xmas rapidly approaching, we have no choice to give in and get a hostel puppy.  The ham was returned safely and we all had a great Xmas meal.  Mr. Claus is our guardian, not because he is so fierce but because everyone loves him!

Likes: Cuddles with the girls.

Dislikes: Being ignored, the arrival of Bear.
 Bear1
Bear – Actually… he has a new name every day!

Mr Claus got bored with all the girls, so we got him a friend.  Being 5 foot tall, Big Bear is actually bigger than many guests!  He will answer to any name as we change it every day. He’s so popular he needs to go ‘home’ every night as guests can’t be trusted keep their hands to themselves after a few drinks and our new friend is sweet and innocent.

Likes:  Looking hungover most days, lying around the lounge area, mornings, Mr Claus.

Dislikes: Having to be put away at night, tequila.
 
Lisa – Beatles Fanatic

The heart and soul of the hostel, Lisa’s been part of the AQ family since starting out as a seasonal worker in 2012 to now being Manager of AQ2! Originally from London, (the Canadian one) four years ago she expanded our hostel family when she had baby Molly, our littlest crew member! But this mama’s still cool: talk to her about anything from skydiving, to road-tripping, to Bob Dylan or The Beatles, and we think you’ll agree.

Likes: Music from before 1975, Molly, Hockey and Sleep.

Dislikes: Music after 1975, Day care costs and The Maple Leafs being so terrible for so long!
Brett – Snowboarder/Travel Buff/Occasional Chef

Having visited 60+ different countries around the world, and stayed in 100+ hostels… and counting, Brett knows exactly what backpackers want in a good hostel. He has lived in Australia and England as well as New Zealand, and brings a wealth of experience in understanding what intrepid travellers want in a short stay. An avid snowboarder with a love of sport, music and the outdoors, he’s always planning the next adventure.

Likes: His snowboards, Vinyl collection, Bluebird days, Fine wine, Being grumpy.

Dislikes: Crap snow, Crap wine, Mornings, Feeling irritable, Modern R&B & pop music.
 Dan
Dan – AmeriDan

Manager Dan is constantly buzzing around the hostel, fixing anything in sight, a stickler when it comes to attention to detail. In his free time, you’ll mainly spot him in the dining room, perfecting his DJ skills and catching up on his favorite TV shows. A comedy connoisseur, the best way to hear Dan giggle like a small child is to arrive armed with a really bad pun.

Likes: Good coffee, Dance music, New TV shows to binge watch, Road trips, Ticking items off the bucket list.

Dislikes: Instant coffee, Mornings, Clutter, Lo-fi audio.