Where the energy
felt right
How Janice Lecias found her place in Queenstown
A remote tech worker swaps city stress for mountain air, lake dives, and the kind of clarity only nature can provide.
When Janice Lecias packed up her car in Auckland for a three-day solo drive to Queenstown, it wasn’t part of a long-term relocation plan. It started as a holiday. But as the days unfolded, through Marlborough, Canterbury and eventually Central Otago, it became clear that this was more than a pause. It was a reset. “There was more freedom in the South Island,” she says. “There are a lot fewer people and I was coming from a space where I needed a break.”
A move shaped by instinct, not strategy
Janice’s journey south was shaped by spontaneity. Flooding in Nelson redirected her to Kaikōura, where she planned to surf for a day. That day turned into a week and then more. “The energy was different. Relaxed, open,” she says.
She found herself in a glass pod in the hills of Waipara, then worked remotely in Alexandra, then biked the Lake Dunstan Trail from Cromwell to Clyde and explored Lake Hawea, Wanaka and Queenstown. Each place added another layer. By the time she returned to Auckland, she already knew she would be back. This time for good.
A lifestyle that supports high-pressure work
Working in cyber security, Janice manages the kind of stress that doesn’t always switch off at 5 p.m. “It’s a high-stress environment,” she says. “But here, if I’m feeling it, I can walk to a trail. You step outside, look up at the mountains, and everything changes in minutes.”
Queenstown’s rhythm has given her new tools for balance. She has traded skating and surfing for freediving. “It’s cold at first, it’s quiet, and your whole body resets,” she says. “The water’s crystal-clear and peaceful with the kind of silence you don’t get anywhere else. It’s like heaven in the lake.”
Freediving sessions happen twice a week in Lake Wakatipu, with additional breath-hold training in a local pool. For Janice, it has become less of a sport and more of a ritual.
Why Queenstown made sense
Janice describes Queenstown as a place that matched her energy. She was drawn to a new development with a growing community that offered the kind of low-key, outdoors-focused lifestyle she had been looking for.
She acknowledges that while the cost of living is real, it is not dramatically different from Auckland. “You adjust. It depends on how you live and what matters to you,” she says. She also appreciates the family-friendly, connected feel of the area. “You meet people through community clubs, or just being outside. It’s easy.”
Advice for other tech workers
Janice is clear on one point. If you’re thinking about it, and the lifestyle suits you, don’t overthink it. “If you have the means and the work flexibility, just try it. It’s not for everyone, but if it fits, it really fits.”
For now, Janice is enjoying the balance. Her days are structured around work, breathwork, pool training, lake swims and occasional community meet-up and social catch-ups. “This place brings out the best version of myself,” she says. “And that version of me? She’s staying.”