Content

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.

Queenstown skier Alice Robinson is a genuine contender for the podium in two events at the Winter Olympics in February. Robinson has followed up her historic Super G World Cup win last week by finishing second in the same discipline at the latest event in France.

Looking for the perfect gift for the golf lover in your life? Or doing some last-minute corporate gifting? Then Christmas shopping just got easier!

Christmas is a time for full plates, full calendars, and full houses - but it’s also a time when hearts are under extra pressure. Often referred to as the "Christmas holiday effect" or "holiday heart syndrome" (HHS), December and January are the peak months for heart-related deaths in New Zealand and around the world.

Queenstown’s newest golf attraction is on track to officially open to the public early next year. The nine-hole, par 32 Gibbston Valley Golf Course designed by Kiwi golfing legend-turned architect Greg Turner has been carefully planned to offer a modern take on the centuries-old game.

The latest experience to launch in Queenstown is Village Picnic’s Mystery Picnic. Participants will get to solve clues, enjoy fun activities and uncover a day-trip scavenger hunt, punctuated with stops at some of our region’s gourmet, artisan producers.

Te Atamira have curated a fun-filled arts and crafts programme for tamariki aged 5 – 13 these school holidays. There’s a Christmas programme, which will be held next Monday and Tuesday before the January programme kicks off on Tuesday, 6 January.

Rescuers have been called to the Mount Brewster and Brewster Track area twice in the past week. Three climbers had to be rescued near the summit of Mt Brewster on Saturday afternoon (13 December) after they became bluffed – stuck with cliffs above, below and on both sides, a Maritime NZ spokesperson says.

Wakatipu Alpine Cliff Rescue Team members’ specialist skills were called in at 5.30pm on Saturday (13 December) to help locate the two Australian-based climbers who died on Sabre Peak in Fiordland National Park.

A young Gore lawyer, he arrived in Queenstown in the mid-80s, after copping flak for his foray into politics, hoping to open a wine bar. Unfortunately, impending licensing law changes were delayed so Kevin Phillips, 76, now a retired southern District Court judge, was forced to open a Queenstown legal practice instead.

Cromwell, NZ — The much-loved National Cherry Pit-Spit Championship returns to McNulty House Gardens in the Cromwell Heritage Precinct proudly hosted by the Cromwell & Districts Promotion Group.

Police Search and Rescue have recovered the bodies of two people from the Fiordland National Park. Police were notified at around 7:40pm on Saturday 13 December that the pair were missing, when another climbing party activated a beacon after the pair failed to return from their intended route.