Young immigrant families in the Wakatipu face similar issues to many young families in the resort - social isolation and lack of family support, says a family care worker.
Plunket Southland and Otago area manager Barb Long says immigrant families can also face cultural isolation.
Many of them are limited by language difficulties and unaware of how to access health care, child care and play-centres.
Ms Long's staff is at the coal face of care for young mothers in the Wakatipu.
Although they work with all the families they know about, staff are concerned some immigrant families with young children are unaware of how Plunket can help.
It's a symptom of Queenstown's fast-growing, multicultural and sometimes isolated immigrant community, Ms Long says.
The Wakatipu has always had a very international community, with not only tourists and seasonal residents but also visitors who go on to stay and work.
But what may surprise many is just how much more cosmopolitan the community has become in recent years.
According to Department of Labour statistics for the past year, Brazilians topped the nationality numbers arriving in the Wakatipu with 1196 on work permits, 10 on student visas, and 35 visitors, totalling 1231.
This was similar to the previous year's total of 1,295 but more than double the number the year previous to that of 471. The second largest group is from the United Kingdom with 722, followed by 179 from Japan.
The past year has also seen significant numbers of arrivals from Ireland (103), India (88), the United States (106), the Czech Republic (92), South Korea (102), and the Philippines (114).
Completing the picture are 61 Nepalese, 10 Venezuelans and nine Polish citizens, who arrived on work permits in the past year.
It is a mix that has made the Queenstown Lakes District Council realise it needs to know more about its migrant population and the potential positive and negative impacts, Queenstown Lakes Mayor Clive Geddes says.
He estimates permanent arrivals at 400 to 500 a year, as well as 3000 to 4000 short-term workers here for less than a year.
"They are mainly welcomed and orientated by their employers, some of whom have very comprehensive programmes for that."
Current council strategies include monitoring residential and visitor population increases community by community; conducting studies on residential, business and industrial capacity; and undertaking a growth management study and labour force survey.
However, Mr Geddes says the council now recognises it needs to be involved with migrants "at the personal level".
QLDC staff are currently working on a new handbook aimed at migrants explaining council services and functions and, for the first time, printed in several languages.
The council also plans to produce a folder for new residents and "set up some networking", QLDC communication manager Meaghan Miller says.
Networking is something Queenstown Primary School principal John Weston says is important for migrant families, but adds that English proficiency is critical.
The school has about 37 pupils receiving funding to provide extra help with their English and another 30 who no longer receive funding although "it's clearly evident that English is not their first language".
Mr Weston says he welcomes the migrant families and the mix they bring to the school community, but he also acknowledges there are problems for the school in coping with the extra demands - and for the families "who go without a lot" doing "jobs New Zealanders don't want to do".
It is not hard to spot new migrants to Wakatipu at local supermarkets, fast-food outlets, vineyards or behind the scenes at hotels, mostly in low-paid jobs.
And it is the low pay that lands some of them in the care of the local Salvation Army.
Queenstown Salvation Army community officer John Helvadjian says often it is the financial pressures of living in the Wakatipu that bring migrants to their attention.
Mr Helvadjian says many of them come with the expectation that "it's a party town paved with gold and they are going to make money", but find the reality quite different.
"Plus they often have an alcohol dependency. They can get a job, but they soon find their overheads are too high and they can't afford to live here."
He says the biggest group they see is single males aged between 20 and 30.
Those who come with limited English can be isolated and, lacking opportunities to improve their language skills, pick up inappropriate language, or do not understand the use of swear words, "and that limits the kind of jobs they can get", he explains.
"Some struggle and struggle and get through it, but some leave," he adds.
Those who cope or, better, thrive, often do so by finding a community they can relate to and developing good support networks.
Living in the Wakatipu
Department of Labour communications adviser Simone Olsen explains the different categories of immigrants that may enter New Zealand.
There are a number of immigration policies available which enable people to work temporarily in New Zealand. These include Working Holiday Schemes (WHS).
We currently have WHS arrangements with 26 countries.
There are also seasonal work policies through the Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme, the Variation of Condition policy for visitors and General Work policy.
The latter two categories are labour market tested to ensure New Zealanders are not displaced and New Zealand terms and conditions are not undermined.
There are no minimum requirements for standards of English for temporary permits.
There is a minimum standard of English requirement for residence applications.
WHS are bilateral arrangements.
The recognised seasonal employer policy has a preference for Pacific Islands Forum nationals.
Most other temporary work policies have no country preference or quotas.
Ms Olsen told Queenstown Times the Department of Labour is increasing its Queenstown immigration office resources to help meet demand by appointing a manager by the end of May.
