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People are being sought to volunteer in some of Wānaka’s most stunning homes, while making a difference for breast cancer. With just one month to go, Breast Cancer Foundation NZ is seeking more volunteers for the NZ House & Garden Tours in Wānaka on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 February. The tours offer an exclusive look inside the beautifully curated homes and gardens featured in NZ House & Garden magazine.

Disqualified driver allegedly assaults Police: A 29-year-old local man was charged with assaulting and resisting Police, refusing to accompany an enforcement officer and driving while disqualified after Police were called to Hanley’s Farm by a member of the public concerned about the way a van was allegedly being driven at 12.30am on Tuesday, 13 January.

Workers are arriving in Queenstown and leaving within weeks because the cost of living is too high, recruiters and unions say. Despite record-high visitor spending and hundreds of job listings, data shows a growing gap between average pay rates and day-to-day living costs in the district.

Arrowtown Creative Arts Society’s (ACAS) Remarkable Picnic Opera will return in February. Off the back of a successful 2025, the seventh Opera features seven ‘big’ voices, a varied programme and includes a new, vibrant pre-show performance from renowned electric violinist, Arna Morton.

For more than 50 years he’s played a key role in Search and Rescue at the head of Lake Wakatipu, often in treacherous alpine terrain, with some 100 operations under his pack belt.

A taxi driver was allegedly punched and kicked to the ground in Earnslaw Park by three Rolleston teenagers who’d allegedly taken off without paying their fare – one charged with assault with intent to injure, Police say.

Robert Burns was many things – a poet, a lyricist, a liberal thinker. According to local Scot, Chris Hutton, he was also just ‘a sucker for love’.

The Ministry of Education has decided to keep most of Queenstown's school buses for now, despite finding most students are not eligible for the free services. It signalled last year that routes could be cut where public buses already exist - sparking pushback from parents and principals worried about student safety and attendance.

A body believed to be missing tramper Connor Purvis has been found near Lake Ōhau. Search and rescue teams looking for the 20-year-old in the South Island's Mackenzie Basin said a body was found on the southern side of Mt Huxley about 9am on Wednesday.

The number of first-home buyers in Queenstown has climbed to an 18-year high, making up 19 percent of all the district's property purchases in 2025. That is despite soaring property prices and thousands of people on waitlists for affordable housing schemes - with one buyer facing a $600,000 average increase in house prices since he first started looking.

Described as one of the "most iconic and beautifully preserved DC-3s flying today," the New Zealand owned Spirit of Douglas has been confirmed to appear at next Easter’s Warbirds Over Wanaka airshow as part of its ambitious Global Tour.

Otago Regional Council is urging parents around the Queenstown district to plan ahead when using public transport to get their children to school, from the start of term 2 next year.

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) is asking what matters most to you and your neighbourhood or community, with early insights to be used to develop a draft Long Term Plan 2027-2037 and help inform the elected Council’s future decision-making.

Rhythm and Alps returns for its 15th anniversary this December with its biggest event yet - featuring a stacked first lineup featuring international heavyweights and homegrown faves.

Angus Watson has been painting colourful artworks for 35 years now. His annual exhibition will take place in January at his home studio in Dalefield, showcasing his vibrant striking artworks. He loves to welcome people to come see his art and is looking forward to another year.

Residents and visitors to Queenstown Lakes District are encouraged to do their part to help save water this summer, using simple changes at home or the holiday house to safeguard water supplies during what is sure to be another long, hot, and dry summer.

Aside from the hustle and bustle of Queenstown’s tourism buzz, a humble South American man – the spiritual backbone of the local Brazilian community, is quietly beavering away, ensuring the wellbeing of our migrant community.

As people look forward to Christmas gatherings, New Year’s Eve parties and summer festivals, Hato Hone St John is urging everyone to prioritise their safety. The emergency ambulance service has faced sustained high demand throughout the year, and crews across Aotearoa New Zealand are currently gearing up for another busy Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve - peak periods where staff prepare for an increase in demand.

Christmas is often painted as the season of joy, but this year many families are carrying a quieter load. Rising unemployment, higher living costs, and tightening household budgets have made the lead-up to Christmas feel heavier than usual.