queenstown’s streets are my canvas even if it’s raining or whatever

i woke up to the smell of street murals mixed with wet pavement and my heart was all messed up. queenstown’s 3630896 thing? whatever it is, i used it as a reference to squat in a bus stop and spray paint a failing joke about the harbor. the weather here? i just checked and it’s like 22 celsius with 91% humidity so i’m basically in a sauna with no face mask. didn’t prepare for this. my spray cans are running dry and my phone battery is at 12% which is great because hate tech right now.

someone told me that if you walk past the wharf at night, a guy named jake sells glow sticks in used gas masks. i don’t know if that’s true. maybe. probably not. but jake sounds like someone who’d do that. also, the coffee shop where i tried to buy a drip pour-over had a sign that said "exists only during monsoon season" but i got there during a 22celsius drizzle. shut up. it tasted like grass and regret.

the neighbors? well, they’re like the ghosts of queenstown. not literal ghosts but like the random tourist who asked me for directions three times then didn’t ask anything. or the couple who played whale noises on their loudspeaker at 3 am. maybe they’re actually just trying to summon a real whale? idk. harbor’s got a reputation for secrets.

i heard that the tram ride to the mountain is cursed. like, if you blink too fast while passing the lighthouse, the driver curses you by honking. i didn’t believe it until i blinked too fast. now i’m scared to look at lighthouses. the real curse might be the weather. it’s 91% humidity which means either i’m going to dehydrate or i’ll turn into a moldy biscuit. both bad.

here’s a map if you wanna find where i was:

. it’s somewhere near the street art cluster that only exists on google street view. real person i swear.

i took three photos of the harbor. unsplash got them tagged with "queenstown" if you want to see the same feels. one’s a sunset with a boat that looks like it’s fake. another’s a pigeon sitting on a graffiti wall. the third? i don’t remember. probably the sea_level data from the JSON ruins it. like 1013hpa? who cares.

some local gossip? a retired fisherman told me that the swan boathouse is haunted by a sailor who plays accordion. i visited it. there was no accordion. but the smell of old salt and someone’s forgotten breath was enough. also, someone warned me that the coffee shop i liked had a rat problem. turned out it was a raccoon wearing a tiny hoodie. how chic is that?

if you get bored, the next city over is rotorua. it’s a short drive away. also, someone on yelp said the best pie in town is at a place called "the crusty" but also posted that their health grade is a c. take that as you will.

i’m drenched now. the rain stopped but i’m still wet. maybe this is art. maybe not. i’ll post the photos anyway. somewhere in the chaos, there’s a story. or maybe it’s just 22.23celsius and i’m too lazy to care.

links? try tripadvisor for queenstown, yelp for local food nonsense, and unsplash for forgetting what i shot. also, maybe check out thehustle.com if you wanna know what a real artist’s life is. or don’t. i’m done. my spray can is leaking rainbow paint onto the bus stop. hope this doesn’t stain like forever.

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