Community

Many people believe that sight loss is rare. But anyone can experience blindness, deafblindness, or low vision at any stage of life.

It’s hard to put into words how pleased I am about the government’s announcement of $180 million of new health funding coming to Otago Central Lakes over the next four years, and a commitment to a future integrated care hospital for inland Otago.

On Thursday, 21 May between the hours of 10am - 2pm, Queenstown and Arrowtown RSAs in conjunction with Veterans Affairs New Zealand are offering information clinics for all service personnel, whatever their service or age, at the Queenstown Events Centre, Joe O’Connell Drive Frankton.

The Wakatipu Toy Library — a beloved community-run service lending quality toys, games and play equipment to hundreds of local families — is facing its most urgent challenge yet.

Local hot sauce company Hell Cat Hot Sauce has taken home a win at the prestigious Mr. Chilli awards. The awards are the authority on the hottest hot sauces here and across the ditch - the competition is open to New Zealand and Australia.

Kia ora, neighbours! We are thrilled to announce that LitFest is back, marking our second year running this district-wide celebration of literacy, and thanks to your incredible support, the festival is growing!

Born out of Queenstown’s events sector, a new battery system is changing how outdoor productions are powered - without the noise, fumes or fuel.

Amongst Queenstown-Lakes’ world-class wide-open spaces is a passionate community grappling with growing pains.

Becky Osmond is the Cancer Society’s expert Prosthetics Service Coordinator, and she will be coming to Queenstown for free fittings on May 14.

After five weeks of steady progress, the Women’s Shed in Queenstown is nearing completion, with its long-awaited permanent home set to open to the community in May.

In 2016, I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. I had a mastectomy, endured chemotherapy so severe my oncologist recommended I stop early, and came out the other side looking, to everyone around me, completely fine. “Oh, you look fantastic!” people said. I could not bear it.

On Wednesday, 29 April, Altrusa will be holding their annual Quiz night.

In a positive step for Queenstown's event scene, Ayrburn's 2026 series including the Ayrburn Car Classic, Carl Cox, and The Dudes has achieved an average of 80% diversion from landfill. This means that four-fifths of the waste generated at these popular gatherings was kept out of dumpsites through recycling, composting, or other reuse methods, rather than being buried and forgotten.

There’s something quietly powerful about a song that everyone in the room already knows.

Winter hasn’t arrived yet, but for many in our community, the financial worry already has.

We all know our district is a leading tourist destination, and we all feel the impact of record numbers coming to the jewel in New Zealand’s tourism crown.

We all know the feeling of reaching into the fridge and finding a fossilised carrot or a slushy courgette.

Mental Health by Katherine Froggatt

Queenstown has always attracted people who think a little bigger. Entrepreneurs chasing bold ideas, creatives seeking inspiration, and professionals building something meaningful while surrounded by mountains that remind us why we slow down and take a breath.

Queenstown Golf Club has teed up a new source of energy - the Kelvin Peninsula’s abundant sunshine.