Cardrona Alpine Resort and Treble Cone Ski Area have partnered with Wānaka Backpackers Bothy to provide staff accommodation for winter 2022 and beyond.

‘The Bothy Central’, which is located in the former Base Backpackers on Brownston Street, is currently being quickly refurbished in order to be ready for staff by early June.

It will house 120 people hired by Cardrona and Treble Cone for the upcoming winter season, which historically is a difficult time of year to find rental properties in Wānaka. 

Wānaka Backpackers Bothy owner Dave Brown said he had seen first-hand the need for seasonal worker accommodation in the town.

He was pleased to help provide “safe, secure and warm accommodation…” for skifield workers.

Cardrona staff on the slopes. PHOTO: Cardrona Alpine Resort

Wānaka’s workforce accommodation shortage has been building for years, Workforce Accommodation Network (The WAN) founder Carmen Blacker told the Wānaka App last year.

Carmen founded The WAN in December 2020 to help address the pervasive issue of seasonal rental shortages.

“Historically, when there’s a shortage, the workers will sleep in their cars or bunk on friends’ floors,” she said.

The number of local rentals available for last year’s ski season dropped by around a third compared to the previous year.

Another challenge associated with seasonal workers and accommodation is affordability.

Cardrona and Treble Cone said the workers at ‘The Bothy Central’ would be charged between $180-200 per person to live in shared rooms with two people in each. 

The rate, varying by $20 depending on room size and layout, would include power, internet and heating.

Cardrona and Treble Cone general manager of experience Laura Hedley said the location was central and the rates affordable.

The Wānaka App asked property management company Home & Co’s director Colleen Topping how the rates compared to the current Wānaka average.

“Houses with no utilities included range on average from $216 per room to $233 per room for winter rentals,” she said. 

“Then you would have power, gas and internet on top so it would depend on which providers you use and if, for instance, you can arrange a wifi account for a four-month period only at a reasonable rate.”

For people coming here just for the season who may not want to rent a whole house, what's available may be more limited.

Cardrona and Treble Cone employ around 900 people during winter (which includes approximately 100 permanent staff), which means ‘The Bothy Central’ will be able to accommodate around 13 percent of its total staff this winter. 

The ski areas have also been working with the Workforce Accommodation Network (WAN) and local real estate agents to organise winter accommodation for their teams.

The Bothy Central will be staffed by Wānaka Backpacker Bothy employees who will also live on site.