Mo Time, Mo Wellness: A Queenstown Guide to Movember

November is the month a lot of otherwise sensible men decide to grow a moustache. Some of them suit it. Most of them do not, and that is rather the point: every questionable Mo is a conversation starter, and the conversation is about men's health.

If you are in Queenstown for Movember, you are in a good place to take it seriously without taking yourself too seriously. The town has saunas, ice baths, hot pools and some of the best thinking walks in the country, and most of them are a short drive apart. That is where having your own car from Evolve Rentals earns its keep, because a proper reset rarely happens all in one postcode.

What is Movember?

Movember is a men's health charity that runs its big fundraising push every November. The money goes to four causes: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. The moustache is the famous part, but it is the excuse, not the goal.

There are several ways in. You can grow a Mo, sign up to Move and commit to 60 kilometres over the month, host an event, or invent your own challenge. And if none of that appeals, you can simply back somebody who is doing it. Everything you need is on the Movember website.

Where can you do a sauna and ice bath in Queenstown?

Two places, and they could not be more different.

ōStudio is at 36 Grant Road in Frankton, a few minutes from the airport, and it is the one to pick if you want it done properly and indoors. There is sauna and ice bath contrast therapy, float therapy, massage and a recovery space, and it opens early: 6am on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7am on the other weekdays and 8am at weekends. A sauna before breakfast is a very good way to start a day, and an even better way to justify a large breakfast afterwards.

Wellspace is the outdoor version. It is a wood fired barrel sauna on the banks of the Kawarau River, with rounds of about 15 minutes at 80 to 100 degrees and ice baths at 1 to 4 degrees, or the river itself if you are feeling brave. There is a heated lounge and a fire to sit by between rounds. Book online before you go.

Where are the best hot pools near Queenstown?

Onsen Hot Pools, at 160 Arthurs Point Road, is the one everyone means. The pools are private and cedar lined, set high above the Shotover River, and there is a day spa on site as well. It is open from 9am to 11pm, and it books out, so reserve a pool well ahead rather than hoping to wander in.

It is 10 minutes from town up Gorge Road, which makes it the easy end to a day on the hill or a long walk. An evening soak with the canyon going dark below you is about as close to switching your phone off as most people manage.

How do you clock up the 60km Move challenge in Queenstown?

Spread it across the month and let the scenery do the work. Sixty kilometres is about two kilometres a day, which in Queenstown is less of a challenge and more of an excuse to see things.

The trick is not doing the same walk every day. Drive somewhere different each weekend and walk from there. Our guide to five Queenstown viewpoints is ranked by how much effort each one takes, which is useful when the legs start to object in the third week. And the Glenorchy day trip has the walks at the head of the lake, 45 minutes along one of the best drives in New Zealand.

For a slower day, Arrowtown has river walks right on the edge of the village and a good coffee at the end of them. Nobody has ever regretted finishing a Movember walk at a bakery.

How do you get a mate to open up?

Go for a drive. It sounds too simple, but plenty of men find it easier to talk side by side than face to face, and a car is about the most natural side by side there is. Nobody has to make eye contact, there is something to look at, and there is always the scenery to fall back on if the conversation needs a breather.

Pick a road with a view and no rush. The lake road to Glenorchy, or the back road to Arrowtown past Coronet Peak, will do nicely. Pull over at a lookout, get a coffee, and ask how he is actually doing. Then listen. That is most of it.

It does not need to be a big moment. The Mo is there to make it easier to start.

And if it turns out to be a bigger conversation than one drive can hold, anyone in New Zealand can free call or text 1737 at any time to talk to a trained counsellor.

How can you support Movember while you are in Queenstown?

Turn the trip into the fundraiser. If you are signed up to Move, every kilometre you walk here counts, and a photo from the top of a Queenstown lookout gets a lot more sponsorship out of your mates than a screenshot from a treadmill. Post it, tag the people who owe you a favour, and send them the link to your page on the Movember website.

Not taking part yourself? Find a friend who is and back them. Everyone knows at least one man attempting a moustache in November, and the kindest thing you can do for his effort is put some money behind it. The second kindest is not commenting on the moustache.

Getting the car sorted

We bring the car to you. Nobody else in Queenstown does that. Someone from our team meets you where you are staying, walks you round the car and hands over the keys, so your November starts with a sauna or a trail rather than a queue at a rental counter.

Whether you are growing a Mo, walking your 60 kilometres or just taking a mate for a drive, book your car with Evolve Rentals and make the month count.

FAQs

What does Movember raise money for?
Movember funds four men's health causes: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention.

How can you take part in Movember?
You can grow a moustache, sign up to Move and walk or run 60 kilometres during November, host a fundraising event, create your own challenge, or donate to someone who is taking part.

Where can you do a sauna and ice bath in Queenstown?
ōStudio at 36 Grant Road in Frankton offers indoor sauna and ice bath contrast therapy. Wellspace runs a wood fired barrel sauna with ice baths on the banks of the Kawarau River, booked online.

Do you need to book Onsen Hot Pools?
Yes. Onsen Hot Pools at 160 Arthurs Point Road is open from 9am to 11pm and pools must be reserved, so book ahead.

Where can men get mental health support in New Zealand?
Anyone in New Zealand can free call or text 1737 at any time for support from a trained counsellor.