Down south, on the Mainland, Waitangi Day passed with no fanfare or flames. Ignored and irrelevant. Certainly not respected and universally acknowledged like ANZAC Day or in more recent times, Matariki. Even up north where the day is a licence to air grievances with anyone and everyone who has come to NZ since the first Waka washed up on these Islands way back when, the atmosphere was by the looks of it from afar, relatively civil.
Plenty of bickering and poor behaviour is par for the course however and there were the usual shouting matches. As one politician described it, just a couple of muppets shouting in the dark. Pretty much sums it up, and more than a little bit sad considering how for the most part our country is tolerant and welcoming every other day of the year.
We have it sweet here in New Zealand. That’s what I’d like to celebrate on 6 February. Our cultural and ethnic diversity is worth the celebration. Wouldn’t you agree we mix and mingle pretty well?
It’s absolutely critical we do not forget what shaped our country. However, eventually grievances are righted as best they can 186 years after the fact, and eventually we need to move forward and build a better future. I like the idea of focusing on the future. It’s the only way.
Because looking back at your own family tree can be a little unnerving. My forebearers seem to be, as far as our family tell it, boring and average with one or two “war heroes” to hang our ANZAC Day hat on. Some have more questionable heritage, like a friend who found out his great grandfather was a cotton mill owner importing slaves to Manchester; another mate’s granddad was in the IRA. Neat. A mate who hails from the Te Tii Marae at the heart of our Waitangi Day kerfuffle’s told me that when his forefathers first got their hands on British muskets in a land trade deal, they promptly marched over the hill and slaughtered every man, women and child in Kaikohe, because we “hate those ***ts”. Brutal, and if I looked any deeper, I’m sure I would have questions on exactly what my great uncle and grandfather got up to in the wars they fought. You know the saying, don’t point a finger, because there is always three pointing back at you. Well, let’s leave it there and say tomorrow is a new day.
New Zealand is a spectacular country with a rich history of human settlement and plenty of opportunity to look forward to. Yes we have our squabbles, but the long and short of it is, New Zealand, Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud in 2026, is one of few countries on planet Earth that offers a greater opportunity with every generation that passes. Without fear of a war party marching over the hill and putting an end to it. Just like that. The end. Full stop.
Scott Stevens - Queenstown Media Group
How good to have the Highlanders back in town, and they didn’t disappoint 5000 fans at the Events Centre on Friday. George Coburn with Highlanders star winger Jona Nareki
ON THE APP THIS WEEK
Winter Olympic veteran Zoi Sadowski-Synnott - it’s a ‘privilege’
Wānaka snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott is about to compete in her third Olympics at the age of just 24.
Sadowski-Synnott is a member of the 17-strong New Zealand team set to compete at the Winter Olympics in Italy, which starts on Friday. She competed in her first Big Air World Cup in 2016 at the age of 15 and made her mark in 2017 with a World Championship silver medal in slopestyle.
A year later, she competed at the Pyeongchang Olympics, claiming a bronze medal in the big air. In Beijing 2022, she made history as the first Kiwi to ever win a Winter Olympic gold medal when she won the snowboard slopestyle title. She followed that up just days later with a silver medal in the Big Air.
“It is such a privilege to be coming into these ones having won gold in 2022,” SadowskiSynnott told RNZ.
“But the way I look at it is that it has been four years and I’m in a sport that the progression over a year changes so much.”
Following her 2022 Olympic Games success, she was named Halberg Supreme winner and went on to impress around the world before an ankle injury kept her off the slopes in 2024.
“The last four years have been a rollercoaster
with the highs and lows, [the injury] re-lit the fire in my heart to keep working hard.
“I’m hoping I can carry the momentum of last year so that when we get to the Olympics, I can show off and try my best.”
Since the injury, Sadowski-Synnott worked her way back to the top, winning the 2025 slopestyle world title (her third) and last month winning silver at the Aspen X-Games.
“I’m not going to put too much pressure on it, but I’m really proud and grateful for the level I’m at and just really excited to show all the work and progress that I have made over the past four years. I just want to do my best and if that gets me... it gets me and so yeah just hope for the best.”
With three Olympic Games under her belt, she has been able to share some of her wisdom with her compatriots. The average age of her teammates is just 20.
“I’ve told my younger team-mates who are going to their first Olympics to just have fun and really enjoy the experience because it is really special. Just focus on what matters most, which is putting down the best performance you can because you’ve worked really hard to get here.”
Sadowski-Synnott will get her Olympic campaign underway on Monday 9 February, with qualifying in the women’s snowboard Big Air.
Electric hydrofoiling vessel to be trialled on Lake Whakatipu
A next-generation electric hydrofoiling passenger vessel will be trialled on Lake Whakatipu in February, as part of an exploration into how future passenger connections between Queenstown and Kingston could operate.
Led by Kingston Village in partnership with marine innovator Vessev, the trial will focus on practical considerations such as travel times, passenger experience, and operational factors specific to Lake Whakatipu. The findings will help inform a wider feasibility study planned for later this year.
Kingston Village represents a new phase of growth for the township of Kingston on the shores of Lake Whakatipu. It officially launched 12 months ago, selling 120 lots in record time.
Kingston Village General Manager Nicola Tristram says the hydrofoiling ferry proposal is still in the early stages of a feasibility assessment, but the trial reflects a focus on planning for long-term liveability as the Kingston community grows.
“This trial will provide valuable insight into how lake transport could complement existing road and bus networks as well as the proposed cable car network for residents, commuters, and visitors,” she says.
“As the technology continues to evolve, the potential exists for future hydrofoiling ferries on Lake Whakatipu to carry up to around 30 passengers at a time, and this work will help ground those possibilities in real-world testing.”
Southern Infrastructure CEO Ross Copland says the proposed electric hydrofoiling ferry trial is an important step in exploring how Lake Whakatipu could play a more significant role in the region’s transport network.
“Queenstown is home to some of the busiest roads in New Zealand, with Frankton Road exceeding one million vehicle movements annually for the first time last year,” Copland says. “While projects such as the Queenstown Cable Car Network represent an important move beyond sole reliance on roads, no single solution will address the region’s transport challenges on its own.
“Southern Infrastructure is very supportive of this trial to learn how the two technologies can work together to build a high capacity, high frequency public transport network.”
Nighttime patrollers need more volunteers
by Sue Fea
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There’s not much that escapes the attention of Queenstown’s vigilant, volunteer Community Patrollers when party town hits full swing.
Patrol chairperson Gary Lonsdale is on the hunt for more volunteers with just enough nighttime activity for the 12-strong team to get around at present.
“We really need 20 and it’s only for about four hours on a Friday and Saturday night, from 8pm to 12 midnight,” Gary says. Anyone over 18 can volunteer and while it’s mostly retirees on board just now, they have had a young would-be police officer as part of the local crew. He says it’s the perfect option for someone considering a career in the Police. “We have a couple of new volunteers pending but it’s finding people with the time. A lot of people work two jobs here,” Gary says.
The team has its own clearly marked vehicle, even a defibrillator on board, and as well as patrolling the downtown area, volunteers often make their way out to subdivisions like Lake Hayes Estate at night to check that nothing’s amiss.
The Police are never far behind – a Police radio fitted to the vehicle. “We’re the eyes and ears of the Police. They always know where we are,” Gary says.
Patrollers never intervene, instead calling for Police to come when an emergency, criminal activity or disorder arises. They’ve saved many a young person who’s overindulged from falling victim to those with ill intent, ensuring they get home safely.
There have been warnings about partygoers walking home on the road verge late at night beyond Frankton in dark clothing, valuable snowboards clearly visible in vehicles with windows open secured and their quick action has often resulted in arrests, Gary says.
“A car outside the Police Station around 10pm one night was so full of smoke. People were seen approaching it. It was reported to the Police and after the car was searched drugs were allegedly found, resulting in a court appearance,” he says.
Patrollers also searched endlessly after finding a pile of clothing on Earnslaw Wharf late one winter night. “Someone reported that a person had jumped in the lake and after much searching a card was found in the clothing,” Gary says. “On visiting an address, the person of interest was found to be home. They must’ve been really cold as they had no clothes and it was winter, but a great end result.”
The main problem they see is intoxication and Gary urges young people out on the town to always ensure a non-drinker is in charge, stick to their group and not become separated.
They also volunteer as an extra presence at local events like the Queenstown Marathon.
Patrollers are all carefully vetted and must have a clean Police record. Anyone interested please email queenstown@cpnz.org.nz or phone Gary on 0272247977 for more information.
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CRIMELINE
by Sue Fea
Public urged to help - Fleeing motorcyclist allegedly clocked at almost 200km/hr
Police are warning motorcyclists that there will be ‘zero tolerance for unsafe behaviour on our roads’, after two motorcycle crashes — one serious, and an alleged fleeing motorcyclist who was allegedly clocked almost 200km/hr — twice the limit, in Central Otago last weekend.
The Vincent Rally was held at Omakau Racecourse attracting over 700 people. Police are appealing for the public’s help in identifying the alleged fleeing motorcyclist riding a sports bike on Ida Valley-Omakau Road around 10.20am on Sunday, 1 February. The driver was allegedly seen travelling at twice the posted speed limit and was signalled to stop. Police say they abandoned their pursuit so as not to endanger others. They say the rider was wearing a distinctive red and white helmet and allegedly continued to travel at speed passing two other motorcyclists. They’re appealing for information regarding the motorcycle, or its rider, and would especially like to hear from the two motorcyclists who were passed by the fleeing motorcycle.
Sergeant Bruce Martin says it’s “unbelievable, just stupid, how people will put themselves and others at risk.” Police also abandoned pursuing another motorcyclist allegedly clocked at 158km/hr at Fruitlands on Friday, 30 January, who was allegedly overtaking cars.
Downtown assault
Enquiries are continuing to identify the offender after a 21-year-old Queenstown man was allegedly assaulted by an unknown person and left with a bleeding nose and torn clothing, Haggart says. The incident occurred at 1.30am on Saturday, 31 January, in Searle Lane.
Police were also called to Camp Street at 3am on Monday, 2 February, after reports that about eight people were fighting there. However, they’d separated prior to Police arrival.
McBride Street – Frankton Road crash
A 26-year-old woman was issued with an infringement notice for failing to give way after a crash at the Frankton Road-McBride Street intersection just before 5pm on Friday, 30 January. Sergeant Tracy Haggart says the woman, who was driving a Hyundai, allegedly turned left out of McBride Street failing to give way to a Honda traveling along Frankton Road towards Queenstown. Both vehicles collided but nobody was injured, she says.
Pat on the back
Some overseas drivers may have been getting a bad rap for behaviour on our roads lately, but a couple of young American tourists have been praised for going out of their way to do the right thing after a crash in Arrowtown.
Arrowtown Business Association manager Nicky Busst says the young couple in their 20s had stopped her asking for her help as they were desperately trying to find the owner of a parked car that one of them had allegedly, accidentally crashed into with their Yes rental car opposite Rose Douglas Park in Arrowtown on Monday, 2 February.
“Both their rental car and the parked car were quite badly damaged – the whole left side of the rental and the whole back corner of the parked car,” Busst says. “This young woman was so concerned that she had to find the owner. She totally did the right thing,” she says. “We see damage to parked vehicles in supermarket car parks and subdivisions all the time, but these people went out of their way,” Busst says. Busst posted a photo of the damaged parked car on social media to help the couple locate the owner. They have since been located and the couple is contacting the Police.
Rescue helicopter
A St John Ambulance spokesperson says the rescue helicopter airlifted two separate patents - one in a moderate condition and one minor, after PLB and SEND device activations from the Mount Earnslaw area at the end of January. Another patient was airlifted after an accident near Aspiring Hut, also in a minor condition. All were taken to Lakes District Hospital.
Valentine’s Day is all about spreading the love — whether it’s for a partner, a friend, or even yourself.
From sweet gestures to simple smiles, it’s a great excuse to celebrate what makes life feel good.
Valentines
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Valentine’s Daybirdwatching
Whether you’re a pair of lovebirds, friends, whānau, or flying solo, everyone is welcome.
The session will be guided by Anna from Whakatipu Wildlife Trust and your local Arrowtown Librarian Dom.
A limited number of binoculars from our birdwatching kit will be available, so feel free to BYO binoculars.
Saturday 14 February
10.00–11.30am Meet at Lake Hayes Pavilion carpark.
Cancer Society finds new home in Queenstown COMMUNITY NOTES
The Cancer Society is set to celebrate the official opening of its new Queenstown–Tāhuna Centre on Thursday, 19 February, marking a major step forward in making cancer support more visible and accessible for the local community.
The centre’s new home in Remarkables Park – below the Queenstown Medical Centre, neighbouring a pharmacy and just around the corner from the charity’s second hand CanShop –places the organisation at the heart of a growing health hub, where people can more easily find help when they need it.
Central Otago Community Manager Tara Strahan describes the move as a “game changer” for the region, noting that the new space offers significantly more room to welcome individuals and whānau seeking guidance, connection and care.
“This new centre means we can be more easily found, better connected to the community, and more available to anyone who needs support. It’s warm, welcoming and designed to make seeking help as easy as possible,” says Tara.
The Queenstown team previously operated from Terrace Junction in Frankton. The expanded premises now opens the door to greater community engagement and future collaboration with health and social services across the district.
To mark the official opening, a blessing, ribboncutting and welcome will take place on the morning of Thursday 19 February. The wider community is then invited to drop in during the afternoon to meet the team, explore the facility, and enjoy drinks and kai.
Generous local fundraising has played a key role in creating the inviting new space, including a $4,000 contribution courtesy of Naylor Love and Cook Brothers via the Southern Swing golf series held at the Arrowtown Golf Club in January, which has helped furnish the centre with cosy pieces to create a homely atmosphere.
The team is looking forward to creating a warm, welcoming environment where people can “drop in for a cuppa and chat” with someone who understands the challenges of a cancer diagnosis
– because, as the team puts it, “cancer is hard, but finding help doesn’t need to be.”
The Cancer Society offers a wider range of supportive care services to help people navigate the challenges of cancer. This includes emotional support, practical guidance, transport to treatment, accommodation during care, and access to trusted information. Whether someone is newly diagnosed, undergoing treatment, recovering, or supporting a loved one, the Cancer Society is there to walk alongside them and tailor that support locally to meet individual needs.
Lakes Weekly gives community organisations in Queenstown Lakes the chance to address our readers directly though our Community Notes page. If you’d like to take part, email Jess at info@qmg.co.nz
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NEVER BIN A BATTERY
They cause fires if damaged or overheated, so keep them out of all rubbish and recycling bins. Safely recycle your batteries and electronic devices at Wānaka & Frankton Transfer Stations.
QUEENSTOWN DHARMA CENTRE, 12 LAKE ST
TUE (10 Feb) @ 6.30pm, ‘Natural Ease’ with Grant Rix SUN (15 Feb) @ 10am, ‘Cultivating Awareness Practice’ followed by Social Sunday
All are welcome.
Donations for the teacher/centre are gratefully accepted. See www.dharmacentre.org.nz / FB
Cutting Edge Queenstown @cuttingedge_queenstown
PHOTO PAGE
Fat Freddy’s Drop
Djs ft. Chopper Reeds & Mc Slave played at Sunday’s on Waitangi Day in collaboration with event partner; Keep it Low.
Photo credit: Federico Pagola
Robbie Gibson, Kieran Turnbull, George Coburn, and Stacy Coburn at the Bayleys Sponsors and Supporters Tent
Sol Tito with Moana Pasifika player Allan Craig at Highlanders vs Moana Pasifika match Friday
U13 Basin Bull players Carter, Noah, Brax, Jackson & Oliver) supporting the Highlanders at the Captains run on Thursday
Basin Bulls team sausage sizzle fundraiser at the Highlanders vs Moana Pasifika match
GOINGS ON ABOUT
EVENTS - MUSIC - ART THEATRE - AT THE GALLERIES
COMMUNITY
Valentine’s Day Birdwatching
Whether you’re a pair of lovebirds, friends, whānau, or flying solo, everyone is welcome! The session will be guided by Anna from Whakatipu Wildlife Trust and your local Arrowtown librarian, Dom. Meet at the Lake Hayes Pavilion car park for a brief introduction before beginning the walk. You’ll receive a bird checklist (in image form) featuring species commonly found at Lake Hayes. They recommend downloading the apps Merlin or eBird to help with identification. Booking is required through Arrowtown Library.
Nurture Mama: Pregnancy Strong
Expecting a baby and keen to learn more about musculoskeletal health? Part of the Nurture Māmā monthly series, this free 90-minute session is put on by Central Lakes Breastfeeding Trust. There is a full kitchen with microwave, cutlery etc provided and you are welcome to bring your own dinner. Light refreshments are provided.
Growing your own veggies isn’t just for summer. A garden can be productive year round if you know when and what to plant. Come along and get inspired at Dr Compost’s free Winter Veggies workshop. Find out which crops grow well in our region, when to plant for the best results, and how to protect your plants from our harsh climate. Grab your free ticket here: events.humanitix.com/growing-winter-veggies-queenstown
The Dr Compost home-composting project is funded by Queenstown Lakes District Council and delivered by Wastebusters to reduce organic waste in landfill.
When: Thursday, 12 February, 6pm – 8pm
Where: Sherwood, 554 Frankton Road
Little Pedallers
Calling all little pedallers! Come and join the Lightfoot team to help your little one gain confidence on the bike. Suitable for beginner bikers aged seven and under, they will teach skills like safe braking and turning, biking around obstacles and cycling independently to help build confidence and get them ready for the trails. Each session is held on the indoor courts and lasts 45 minutes, with the kids on the bike the whole time. A limited number of bikes and helmets are available if your child needs a bike.
In a nutshell, you bring your broken items to the Repair Revolution and the repair ninjas will try to fix them! For free! Think clothes, small electronics, toys, bikes, small furniture, or more, they’ve got you covered. You’ll also get to spend some time with the fixers as they repair your stuff, learning repair skills for yourself and picking up tips on how to buy better and choose products that will last a lifetime.
When: Saturday, 14 February, 10am – 2pm
Where: Salvation Army, 8 Pin Oak Avenue, Frankton
Love is All Around
ARTS
Remarkables Theatre presents Love is All Around –their much-loved annual promenade performance. Seven shows to choose from. Come and be entertained in the beautiful Queenstown Gardens. Meet at the rotunda for promenade theatre around the pond. There are literary lovers, friends, loopy lovers and lots of laughs. Which scene will be your favourite?
When: Friday, 13 February, 6pm, Saturday, 14 and Sunday, 15 February, 2pm, 4pm, and 6pm
Where: Queenstown Gardens, Park Street, Queenstown
When: Saturday, 14 February, 10am - 11.30am
Where: Meeting at Lake Hayes Pavilion Car Park, 719 Lake Hayes-Arrow Junction Highway, Lake Hayes Estate
Paul Ego ‘Stick’ - Solo Comedy Show
It’s taken 30 years of performing comedy for Paul Ego to get off his butt and do a solo NZ tour, so this is both very exciting and long overdue! Well known for his many years as Team Captain on the TV show 7 Days, Paul has also been part of award winning Breakfast Radio shows for both MoreFM and The Rock. However, his crowning achievement now seems to be voicing ‘Stickman’ for PAK’nSAVE - something he happily admits is “the best job he’s ever had”. Stick is your chance to see “NZ’s Top Professional Comedian” live onstage, delivering maximum laughs as he talks stickability, sticky situations and, of course, stick-men.
When: Wednesday, 18 February, 7.30pm - 9pm
Where: Sherwood, 554 Frankton Road, Queenstown
The Ayrburn Classic 2026
A celebration of motoring heritage and innovation with a sophisticated festival vibe, set against the spectacular backdrop of one of New Zealand’s finest hospitality precincts. Marked a little earlier in the calendar this year, you can look forward to revelling in the warm, light conditions synonymous with late February in Otago. They’re taking things up a gear this time, too, with more cars, more exhibitors, more action, and most definitely more thrills.
Carl Cox is back! Together with Audiology and George FM, Ayrburn are bringing the world’s most influential DJ here. Joined on stage by the internationally acclaimed Nicole Moudaber, this is one day out on The Dell that you will not want to miss. If 2025 was anything to go by these tickets will sell out in record time, so heat to Ayrburn’s website to secure yours today.
When: Sunday, 15 February, 2pm – 8pm
Where: Ayrburn, 1 Ayr Avenue, Arrowtown
Jackie Bristow
Nashville-based New Zealand singer-songwriter
Jackie Bristow and Australian guitarist-producer
Mark Punch return to Kinross Gibbston Valley on February 22, 2026, following their highly successful 2025 European tour. Their captivating live show blends soulful Americana, folk, and roots with stunning musicianship and heart. Jackie’s rich, emotional vocals and Mark’s world-class guitar work have earned them international acclaim, with songs featured on hit TV shows like Euphoria and The Brokenwood Mysteries, and tours alongside Bonnie Raitt, Boz Scaggs, and Chris Isaak. Together, they bring audiences a night of warmth, storytelling, and timeless songs.
When: Sunday, 22 February, 4.30pm
Where: Kinross, 2300 Gibbston Highway, Gibbston
If you would like your show, event, exhibition or meeting promoted in Goings On drop us a line at info@qmg.co.nz with the details
MUSIC
HOSPO GUIDE
*on selected beers and drinks
& Beer
Enjoy a burger & a beer for $30*
*on selected beers and drinks
Tuesday Pizza Night
15% off large pizzas, dine in or takeaway*
Now Pouring @ Atlas Brewery: 8 Wired Beer: Sicilia Aperitivo Spritz 5.5% An experimental ale capturing the taste of Italian summer.
Wednesday Quiz is back!
To book your team 03 442 5555 or info@lokalqt.co.nz
Gourmet Pizzas, BBQ platter & ribs, burgers Dine in & takeaway.
QTMBC
Atlas Nachos & A Pint*
$2 from every combo sold donated to QTMBC *Choose from 1812, Ginger Bear or Queenstown Lager Supported by Altitude Brewing, Crimson Badger Brewing & Emerson’s Brewery
*NEW Delivery via Uber Eats* Happy Hour
Happy
Chicken Parmi $25
Daily lamb roast $30
from 6.30pm DJ Gambo from 9pm
hour to 9pm Guinness $9.60
$14 cocktails*/ $10 Pints/ $14 Jugs
Everyday Café 1904 Coffee and Scone $10
Everyday Bar 1904 Cocktail & Bowls $25 Happy Hour from 4pm to 6pm Café 1904 Daily Coffee and Bowls for $15 between 10am and 12pm Everyday Bar 1904 Beers and Bowls for $20 from 4pm to 6pm Everyday Café 1904 Waipiata Pie and Bowls $25
Nick Shea from 5pm Ribera from 9pm Mad Mondays DJ Mad from 9pm
from 6pm Saturday Rinsed - local DnB night from 7.30pm
Everyday from 6pm Rib Eye/salad & fries $34 Fish ‘n’ Chips $25 Chicken Parmi $25 Tuesday
Lunar New Year Prize Draw
Over $1.5k in prizes 10 – 17 Feb R20 Venue. Game Responsibly Excl to Rewards Members. T&Cs apply. Daily
$10 House Drinks $16 Cocktails 4pm – 6pm R20. Drink Responsibly. Saturday Valentines Cards ‘n Cocktails FREE ENTRY - 5pm – 7pm R20. Game Responsibly. Drink Responsibly.
HOSPO GUIDE
$20 Lunch Special
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Arts+Culture
What’s all the buzz about?
by Jessica Allen
Te Atamira’s latest exhibition opens on Tuesday, Let the Honey Soak Through. Inspired by bee networks and their relationship with the environment, the installation will include a range of works exploring the patterns that bees create to sustain their lives, replicated by human systems, hiveware, keepers and agricultural formations.
Brainchild of artists Taarn Scott and Hana Pera Aoake (Ngāti Hinerangi, Ngāti Mahuta, Tainui/ Waikato, Ngāti Waewae, Tauranga), the pair first came together during covid when they were sharing a studio together in their hometown of Ōtepoti Dunedin on Stuart Street.
“The initial source of inspiration for the exhibition came in the form of building cladding we saw in the UK that incorporated solitary nesting tunnels or holes,” Scott says.
Pera Aoake adds “So from this, we thought what making our own version could look like and what that could look like if it was implemented in Aotearoa, especially because there are 28 native bees and 27 are endemic – they’re solitary but they’re still pollinators.”
And that fact is something that many people aren’t aware of – these 27 endemic species don’t produce honey or beehives. Ngaro huruhuru bees are as vital as ever for understanding the complexity of te aitanga pepeke (the insect world) in climate adaptation.
The artists feel it’s important to draw attention to these replicating systems and patterns that are integral to our lives and biodiversity, pollination and produce. These building blocks of life invite us to slow down and notice the cycles of repair and our entanglement as humans with lifeforms big and small.
“People will take different things from the show, so we don’t necessarily come to our work with specific things that we want people to think or feel. In saying that I think that good art is always something we can learn from – we can impart some knowledge or curiosity, then take that back into our lives.”
Most of the work was created in Driving Creek in the Coromandel as part of an artist’s residency. Driving Creek was once home to Barry Brickell, New Zealand potter, writer, conservationist and founder of Driving Creek Railway. When they were there, Scott and Pera Aoake were able to experiment with new materials and methods, which propelled them into their own making.
“We’ve been working with clay for about six years and so we were like ‘let’s make bricks, we’ve never made bricks before’,” Pera Aoake says. They created all the bricks by hand, which lends
them their own character. Putting everything together for the exhibition has been a process of its own, too. While they always have an idea of how everything will come together, they try to make it intuitive and as site-specific as possible. “We are lucky enough to be here for a week in the lead up to the opening, and it’s really, really nice to have time in the space. Especially with us both being based up North, this will probably be the bulk of the time that we get to sit with the work and see how it all feels together,” Scott says.
Let the Honey Soak Through will run at Te Atamira until 27 April. Opening Words will take place at the exhibition from 5.30pm on Tuesday, 10 February – all are welcome and it’s free to attend. For more information head to teatamira. nz/events/let-the-honey-soak-through
Hana Pera Aoake
Taarn Scott
Large section of Frankton Track closed
Work is underway to install a new wastewater pipe under Frankton Track to provide for our rapidly growing population. A large section is closed between Park St in Queenstown and Frankton Marina, with a detour along Frankton Rd for pedestrians and cyclists. Learn more at www.qldc.govt.nz/frankton-track-ww
Robins Rd closed for wastewater upgrades
Robins Rd is closed to traffic between Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel and Hamilton Rd for a new wastewater pipeline. Queenstown Primary School can be accessed from Camp St and the southern end of Robins Rd. Hamilton Rd and premises like McKibbon’s and Queenstown Holiday Park Creeksyde remain accessible from the northern end of Robins Rd. More at www.qldc.govt.nz/robins-road-ww
Love the Kawarau Riverside Reserves?
Community feedback has helped us shape a draft plan to manage a collection of public reserves that sit alongside the Kawarau River in Frankton. Have we got it right?
Share your thoughts on the draft Kawarau Riverside Reserve Management Plan by 29 March at https://letstalk.qldc.govt.nz
Community arts grants available
Are you a local artist or know someone who is? Grants are available via the Creative Communities Scheme for community-based groups that increase local participation in the arts. Applications close 27 Feb. For more info email jan.maxwell@qldc.govt.nz or visit www.qldc.govt.nz/ach-funds
Boating safety: speed matters!
When out on the water you MUST keep your speed under 5 knots (fast walking pace) within 200m of shore and 50m of any vessel, craft or person in the water. Always travel at a safe speed taking into account boat traffic, weather conditions and visibility.
Upcoming meetings & workshops
Did you know most Council and committee formal meetings and workshops are open to the public with some livestreamed and recorded? These are great opportunities to find out about decisions elected members are making for the district and your community. For times, venues and agendas use the interactive calendar at www.qldc.govt.nz/council-meetings
Sign up and Let’s Talk
Want to make sure your voice is heard on the important decisions that matter to you? Check out our dedicated web portal Let’s Talk. Register and start having your say at https://letstalk.qldc.govt.nz
www.qldc.govt.nz
Unlocking solar for renters
Solar energy presents a big opportunity to reduce electricity costs, cut carbon emissions, and improve energy resilience in Queenstown. But how can renters benefit from solar when they don’t own the roof? And how can landlords pay off their investment?
The Queenstown Electrification Accelerator is aiming to solve those problems and is launching a Solar for Renters trial to make low cost solar energy more accessible for residential and commercial rental properties.
- Landlords: Are you interested in reducing energy costs for your tenants, increasing the desirability (and value) of the property, and earning a stable return from solar?
- Tenants: Would you like lower power bills, reduced emissions, and greater energy resilience in your home or business?
It’s a big win-win, so if you’re keen to find out more, visit qea.nz/solar-forrenters to fill in an expression of interest. We’ll ask for a few details about you, your property, and your contact information so we can keep you updated and assess eligibility.
Your input will help shape a programme that works for both landlords and renters, with the goal of enabling nationwide access to lower cost energy for renters.
WATCH REPAIRS NOW
For all your repairs, watches, clocks, batteries, key cutting & straps.
Level One, Stratton House (Below Sky City), 24 Beach Street, Queenstown Mon - Fri, 9 30am till 5 30pm. Closed on Saturdays. Phone/ text: 027 217 0442
Public Notice | Pānui
Calling Local Artists
The Creative Communities Scheme grants are now open.
Are you a local artist or know someone who is? We’re giving out grants to community-based arts groups that increase local participation in the arts.
This is the second round of the Creative Communities Scheme funding, and whether you’re an emerging artist or an established one, we encourage you to apply.
Share your creativity and let’s grow diversity of the arts in our communities. Our online funding guide will assist you in completing your online application https://www.qldc.govt.nz/community/community-funding/arts-culture-andheritage-funds/
Don’t miss out. Applications close Friday, 27 February 2026.
For more information contact: Jan Maxwell, Relationship Manager Arts and Events T: 03 441 0469 M: 027 233 7934
Email jan.maxwell@qldc.govt.nz
by Sue Fea
My Life story
BRIAN THOMPSON
Roots that run deep
He’s rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous, had a yarn with the Queen and Nelson Mandela, and even donned wizard regalia for an Air NZ Middle Earth TV campaign.
All this without leaving the place of his birth.
Brian Thompson’s family roots go deep into Frankton soil… even back to the goldmining era at Macetown, and long before the concrete and metal masses that now occupy his grandparents’ farms.
A ‘Jack of all trades’ for Mount Cook Airlines at Queenstown Airport for 35 years, Brian also spent several years as ground crew for Corporate Jets, loading, manoeuvring and guiding private jets on the tarmac that now covers the paddocks he played on as a kid.
Brian’s local heritage is rich – his great, great grandfather running a hotel in the Nevis Valley in the 1860s before being a bootmaker for the miners at Macetown. “Prior to WWI my grandfather and his friend walked to Dunedin to go to the Melbourne Cup,” he grins. His grandmother panned the Arrow River for gold; her perfect love-heart-shaped gold find exhibited in Dunedin before being stolen.
Brian’s grandfather was born in Macetown, taking over his brother’s dairy farm where Remarkables Park is now, milking cows through WWII. He then bought 15 acres (for 1500 pounds) and ran market and strawberry gardens and a roadside stall –Pinewood Gardens, at Frankton.
Born in 1951, Brian grew up roaming the Frankton Flats, his paternal grandfather also buying the Shotover Hotel. “I remember as a kid sitting in the bar.”
His maternal grandparents – the Hansens, farmed the north side of the airport runway. “The government bought the land off them in the 1960s for a DC3 airstrip that went right through their farm,” Brian says.
Grandfather Hansen also had a market garden where Frankton Camping Ground is now during the 1920s and worked on the construction crew for the Kawarau Falls Bridge. “He put a line of
subdivided lakefront sections up for sale and they all said he was mad, no one would want them, so he gave them away with the place when it sold in the late 1920s.”
Brian recalls the big flood of 1957: “The old Shotover Bridge shook when we walked across it, water to the top of the big rock island.”
Bikes were left against a tree where BP Garage is now when they caught the school bus into Queenstown School, Brian First XV Rugby captain, U16 Wakatipu captain and a Vincent rep. After working for a shearing contractor, he joined a Fletcher’s crew building the new Lower Shotover Bridge, then earthmoving for John Bishop.
Brian married Nelda in 1977, and they took over Pinewood Gardens, Brian then working for legendary pilot Tex Smith at the airport from 1979, loading poisoned carrots which they dropped all over Central Otago to fight the rabbit plague.
“Tex said he and Trevor Cheetham were flying back from Te Anau in an Auster in the 1950s when the new metal propellor flew off. Tex said, ‘What the heck was that?!’ Trevor was sitting in the back reading a comic and said, casually, ‘Your propellor’s fallen off’. It was a long hike to Mount Nicholas Station after Tex performed an emergency landing.”
“The old Shotover Bridge shook when we walked across it, water to the top of the big rock island.”
Geoff Ramshaw at Mount Cook Airlines needed a hand one day, Brian rising to the call, quickly employed as a loader with Max Campbell. Brian became a tarmac multitasker, operating the pushback tug, refuelling and loading, and for eight years, also working as Queenstown Airport
Crash Fire Rescue Crew. They were long days, sometimes up to 16 hours. In that time there were eight crashes – a Cessna down beneath The Remarkables with multiple fatalities during the 1990s the worst he attended.
“A tourist collected her car via the Avis airport desk once, the guy instructing her to head out to the main road and turn right to get into Queenstown,” Brian says. “But she turned right at the end of the terminal building past the air control tower and out onto the taxiway. She got to the main runway then turned left. When the fire rescue guys caught up with her she said she was heading to Queenstown,” he grins.
Brian trained many newcomers before retiring in 2014, when he and Nelda travelled widely, before his stint with Corporate Jets.
While he’s a bit ‘mum’ on it, Brian’s met Tom Cruise, had a yarn with Queen Elizabeth II through the airport fence and chatted to Nelson Mandela in town for CHOGM.
He was a Frankton volunteer firefighter for 17 years, recalling the night a car brought a power pole down with a person trapped at Frankton around 2am. Brian had hurriedly donned his spare fireman’s overalls in his home garage, only undies on underneath. “I thought I’d change at the station,” he says. “But I met flashing lights and cops flagging me down on the way with power lines across the road. It started to snow and I was mighty cold,” he grins.
A health set back in 2020 has clipped his wings a little but with doctors telling him only 1% survive what he had Brian’s pretty happy just to be here.
Brian with his father’s Land Rover, purchased by his father in 1955, now in it’s 71st year, still functioning well
Brian was a local volunteer firefighter for 17 years
Brian, as a teenager, working on the early construction of the Lower Shotover Bridge
Nelda and Brian at Brian’s 25-year celebration with Mount Cook Airlines
Why not have some golden egg laying chickens in your backyard?
This seems like a good time to talk about getting a couple of chickens in your backyard to give you a couple of tasty eggs every day. It’s time to start transitioning to the good life, build some resilience in our lives, what better way than getting some chickens. What’s not to love about them? They’re pretty maintenance free. You feed them all your food scraps and supplement them with a little chicken feed and in return they give you eggs.
As we’ve all experienced in the last few months buying eggs has never been harder, a little rule change for happier chickens and the whole industry collapses despite a multi-year lead in for change. You don’t need to have a huge yard to house a couple of chickens.
1. They need somewhere secure at night to call home. Look online or pop down to your local hardware store and you will find small chicken ‘coops’ for not too many bucks. If you’re handy with a hammer you can build one for next to nothing using scrap timber. Just make sure it’s draught free and watertight. It’s handy to be able to lock them up at night. They need somewhere to perch/roost at night off the ground. Put a shout out on the local ‘Queenstown Chicken Lovers’ facebook page to see if there are any unused coops in the district. While you’re there see if there are any chickens for sale or been given away.
2. They need a run. Chickens need an area to scratch around in. You might consider a mobile run that you move daily to weekly. Or have a permanent area that you’ve fenced off.
This doesn’t have to be at the expense of lawn space. Why not fence an area of native planting or an area that has some fruit trees planted. It can be tucked away.
3. Water. There needs to be a continuous supply. Either a simple unit that you refill weekly or plumb in a basic line to a water feeder.
4. Food. No need to ever worry about your food scraps again. Chickens are the ultimate composters. Create a zone where you feed them every time. You could dig out an area roughly 1.5mx1.5mx30cm deep. Fill it with wood chips or leaves generously. Now ‘All’ your food scraps get put here including bones, meat, fish etc.
Feed the chickens in this zone every time. Anything they don’t eat gets scratched into the deep litter to be composted down. Once a year dig out and put on your veggie garden and refill with fresh leaves or wood chips. Chickens are going to need to be supplemented with some chicken pellets or grain. I find the best investment I ever made was the ‘the Grandpa feeder’. It has storage for 10 to 20 kg of chicken feed. The chickens step on the step and the lid opens for them to feed. Great if you need to go away. I’ve had mine for over 20 years and it’s still going strong. You can supplement their food with living plants. Plant out a row of silverbeet seedlings and put some chicken netting over them in an arc 40cm high and wide. Allow the silverbeet to do its thing. As it eventually grows poking out the mesh the chickens can nibble away without completely destroying the plants creating a continuous supply of greens. When their run is under fruit trees they clear up any fallen fruit.
5. Protection from predators means good fencing especially at night having the ability to lock them in for the night is key. Stoats and ferrets will come looking at night. They are brutal and will wipe your chickens out in a single night if the coop isn’t locked down. Other predators are visiting dogs. Even if your visitors claim their dog is chicken friendly, don’t believe them it only takes 1 dog. Many dogs haven’t even seen a chicken. I once lost 3 chickens to one ‘chicken friendly’ dog. Not such an issue in urban areas but worth being aware of Falcons and Hawks.
Generally not a problem, usually chickens are most vulnerable to these predators in the first week as they become familiar to their new surroundings. All though I did once have a Hawk come along every few days and take out one of my chickens each time. It was baffling I couldn’t work out who was killing my chickens till I caught the Hawk in the act.
6. Keeping them healthy with a diverse diet of food scraps and pellets. You can add a little apple cider vinegar to their water. There are a few other ailments to keep an eye out for like lice, that’s where ‘Queenstown chicken lovers’ community can be useful to ask questions and get advice.
7. Breeds. There’s a lot of mixers out there and they will lay eggs to their heart’s content. Top egg laying breeds are the commercial breeds ‘Hylines’ and ‘Shavers’. These chickens are incredible egg laying machines. They can cost around $10-25 per chicken. Then there’s the heritage breeds, there are some beautiful breeds out there. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some are dedicated meat breeds, some are dual purpose meat and eggs and then there’s some that are dedicated egg laying. Cost per chicken jumps right up and it can be hard to find a particular breed you’re after locally. You may have to venture via Trade Me to Southland or Canterbury. There are many ‘Chicken fanciers’ on Trade Me selling chickens with names such as Orpingtons, Wyndacots, Faverelle, Silkies and so on. You can take it a step further and buy an incubator and buy eggs in. This is a big step as you will need heat lamps etc, once the chick’s hatch. The best chickens to buy when starting out are Pullets, they are about 4-6 months old. These are young chickens that are nearing the start of their egg laying. They will lay all through their first winter. Most chickens stop laying over winter or have a much-reduced output.
8. Roosters are a no go unless you’re in a rural neighbourhood and you don’t have any neighbours nearby. I recall the kids at a local kindergarten being told their rooster had gone away to another home, when local residents ‘disappeared’ the dawn alarm clock.
If you’re friendly with your neighbours consider sharing the chickens and the chicken run with neighbours utilising dead zones on your fence line for the run. There are a few successful examples in the community where neighbours are making this work successfully.
Once you’re up and running, chickens are very easy and become super friendly. We had an old shaver we inherited from another family. She started getting out of her run every day and coming and hanging out with us. Eventually she’d jump up onto your lap and lay down while you were having a cup of tea.
Then there’s those glorious egg omelettes and egg Bennies that have never tasted so good with home grown eggs.
Dr Compost aka Ben Elms is a permaculture and gardening expert who’s been operating in the unusual Central Otago climate for over 20 years. Funded by QLDC and delivered by Wanaka Wastebusters, the Dr Compost project aims to reduce organic waste going to landfill. Got a question? Check out @drcompost on Facebook or benelms.com @dr_compost | @doctorcompost | benelms.com
1. What is the name of the scale used to measure the intensity of earthquakes?
2. Which New Zealand city was the country’s first capital?
3. Which language has the most native speakers worldwide?
4. What is the largest ocean on Earth?
5. Which element has the atomic number 1?
6. Which Māori word refers to extended family or kinship group?
7. What is the term for a group of wolves?
8. Which instrument measures atmospheric pressure?
9. What is the name of the first artificial Earth satellite?
Wellington
LOST & FOUND
Lost & Found
UNCLAIMED ITEMS SITTING AT THE Police Station, at 11 Camp Street, this week include:
- APPLE WATCH WITH PINK strap
- BLACK MOTOROLA PHONE
- OPPO PHONE IN BLUE and purple case
- HUAWEI PHONE IN CREAM case with cartoon stickers
- SILVER DELL LAPTOP, LOCATED at the Airport
- AIRPODS IN PURPLE CASE
- WHITE CAMERA ON TRIPOD, located at the Lakefront
- TASI MASINA, WALLET
- J LOPALA-JOHNSTON, WALLET
- CESAR BAEZ VALENCIA, WALLET
- OSCAR JACKSON-SMITH, WALLET
- NATHANIEL PERROTT, WALLET
- STEVE KYUNGJAE LEE, WALLET
& SERVICES
10. Which New Zealand city hosts the annual World of WearableArt (WOW) Awards? WATCH REPAIRS NOW
WHAKATIPU DRIVE MY LIFE ARE seeking volunteers to become mentor buddies to help our vulnerable people achieve their drivers licence. If you are interested or have any questions contact Louise Ward louise@reap.co.nz
EVERYTHING ELSE
Everything Else
BESPOKE GUIDED GARDEN TOURS IN Wānaka. Visit up to 4 beautiful private gardens of your choice! Experience for visitors and locals. Daily departure October to April. $100 - $179 per person. Gift cards. Florence 02102792481 | beautifulgardenswanaka.com
QUEENSTOWN DHARMA CENTRE, 12 LAKE ST
TUE (10 Feb) @ 6.30pm, ‘Natural Ease’ with Grant Rix SUN (15 Feb) @ 10am, ‘Cultivating Awareness Practice’ followed by Social Sunday
All are welcome.
Donations for the teacher/centre are gratefully accepted. See www.dharmacentre.org.nz / FB
Trades & Services Community
EASY ADMIN - INVITING LOCAL BUSINESS, we do: PAYROLL, XERO/MYOB, GST, CASHFLOW, AR&AP, INVOICING. Office Management & Consultancy. hello@easyadmin.co.nz | 0210 823 7381 COMMUNITY
DO YOU LIKE WOODCRAFT? LOVE tinkering in your woodshed? Come and join the Wakatipu Woodcraft Guild and meet like-minded people. We’re keen to boost numbers, skilled and unskilled. Contact Kerrie at wakatipuwood@gmail.com to come along for a look!
WHAKATIPU BEEKEEPERS SUPPORTING LOCAL BEEKEEPERS with sharing knowledge, mentoring and maintaining best practice. Most importantly a group of likeminded individuals who love bees. Meeting regularly, for more info or to join us whakatipubeekeepers@gmail.com
For all your repairs, watches, clocks, batteries, key cutting & straps.
Level One, Stratton House (Below Sky City), 24 Beach Street, Queenstown Mon - Fri, 9.30am till 5.30pm. Closed on Saturdays. Phone/ text: 027 217 0442
FULL-TIME CELLAR DOOR HOST / ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT
Are you looking for a hands-on, immersive experience at one of Central Otago’s pioneering, family-owned wineries? We are looking for the right person to join our team as a full time Cellar Door host and support to our administration team. We’re looking at a 5-day work week, including some weekend days.
JOB REQUIREMENTS:
• Hosting of tastings in the cellar door in a professional, friendly and welcoming manner
• Solid understanding of customer service and sales
• Order processing including Cellar Door, Trade and Internet sales
• Wine dispatch
• Strong computer skills including proficiency in excel with some accounting knowledge and experience preferable. Excellent written communication, organised, with proven attention to detail.
• Good knowledge of and a keen interest in wine would be an advantage
If you are interested and have the suitable skills, we'd like to meet you!
Please send your CV to wine@chardfarm.co.nz
Any questions call Jessie on 03 441-8452
Note: Applicant must be a NZ resident or have the ability to work
Sales Assistant
Applicantsmusthaveadriverslicence.PleasesendyourC.V.& applicationto info@partnersingrime.co.nz Need someone now?
There are currently over 300 willing job seekers ready to work in teh Queenstown area. Advertise your job at jobfix.co.nz
Queenstown Airport Paper Plus
We are looking for a Sales Assistant to join our friendly team at Queenstown Airport Paper Plus.
This role is Thursday to Monday, with shifts starting between 10.30am and 12pm and finishing at 8.30pm - approximately 42 hours per week.
About the role:
• Serving customers and providing excellent customer service
• Restocking shelves and maintaining store presentation
• Handling transactions and operating the till
• Helping keep the store running smoothly in a fast-paced airport environment
We’re looking for someone who is:
• Friendly, approachable, and customerfocused
• Reliable and punctual
• Comfortable working on their feet in a busy retail setting
• Available to work the full contract period until mid-January
If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now and join our team.
Email your application to queenstownairport@paperplus.co.nz
Full and Part time positions available
Amazing individuals required to join our fun team as:
• New Build & Commercial cleaning experts
• Air b n b & residential cleaning professionals
• Full training given! Great Pay Rates!
• Travel and vehicles provided!
Email us for full details and a trial! slithytoves33@gmail.com and check out our website www.slithytoves.nz
Committed to a healthy work/life balance!
Caregiver Required
We are looking for a contract caregiver to provide in-home care for a gentle lady with moderate dementia. The role will work in tandem with the current caregiver to provide care over 5 days in any consecutive 7 day period..
Based in the Queenstown area, you must have flexibility to work days, evenings, and weekends to provide care on the current caregiver’s unavailability
Duties include providing individual needs such as:
Networks Operator Wanaka/Queenstown
About Veolia
Veolia Australia & New Zealand is the only global company to provide a full range of environmental services in the fields of water, waste management and energy solutions. With the global expertise gained from serving the environment for more than 170 years.
We currently have a vacancy for a Networks Operator, who will be responsible for operating and maintaining water, wastewater and stormwater reticulation networks.Training is provided.
Responsibilities and Experience include:
• Maintenance and repair of the water and wastewater reticulation networks.
• Installation and repair of water metres and burst water mains
• Act as a point of contact for customer requests for service.
• Accurately log all reports and jobs, completing the necessary paperwork and filing where required
• Provide network operations support to the Networks Supervisor and Veolia team
• Participation of on-call roster and out of hours work
• Wheels, Tracks & Rollers endorsements
• Traffic Management , Working Heights, Confined Space
• National Certificate in Water Reticulation / Connexis Level 4 Water Treatment Certificate
• Computer literate and current full driver's licence (preferably with Class 2)
• Ideally have pipe welding, electrofusion, plumbing trade, drain layer or construction trade background/experience
For further information and to apply, please scan the QRcode.
To apply for this vacancy you MUST be a New Zealand citizen, resident, or have already secured the right to work in New Zealand and therefore hold a valid visa.
• Assisting with mobility, therapy exercises, walks, outings if requested
• Simple household duties such as light cleaning, linen changing, assistance in flower garden etc
• Grocery shopping and preparing light meals
• Personal hygiene
• Keeping track of medication
We value the following qualities:
• Ability to work well in a home environment
• Ensure safety, privacy and comfort always
• Great sense of humour and genuine empathy
• Reliability
• A caring, calm, cheerful and helpful personality
• Have discretion and maturity to work in a confidential environment
• Be confident in interacting with other family members, passing on relevant information in a timely manner
Previous experience in a similar role would be desirable. Must have a current driver’s licence.
Only those with the current right to work in this job will be considered, sponsorship is not available.
To express interest please email carerqueenstown2026@gmail.com
Looking for casual, temporary or long term work??
Queenstown Personnel and Labour Hire are looking for labourers for a variety of jobs around Queenstown with an immediate start.
Contact Sharleen - 027 778 7377 or email sharleen@qtplabour.co.nz
LWB ONLINE NOW
AT LWB.CO.NZ OR QUEENSTOWN APP
enquiries@qmg.co.nz
Handyperson (Part-Time – 3 Day Week)
Looking for a hands-on role with great work–life balance?
Arrowtown Lifestyle Village is seeking a practical, reliable Handyperson to join our friendly facilities team. This is a parttime role (Monday–Wednesday), ideal for a semi-retired tradie or someone wanting steady, meaningful work without full-time hours.
The Role:
• 24 hours per week (Mon–Wed, 8.30am–4.30pm)
• $32–$38 per hour (depending on experience/ qualification)
• General maintenance, repairs and upkeep across villas and shared facilities
• Supporting a safe, tidy and well-presented village environment
• Friendly interaction with residents
What You’ll Be Doing:
• Carrying out routine and reactive maintenance tasks
• General repairs, minor carpentry, painting and upkeep
• Equipment checks and basic servicing (e.g. smoke alarms, filters)
• Supporting safe, tidy and well-maintained facilities
• Interacting respectfully and professionally with residents
We’re Looking for Someone Who Is:
• Practical and experienced in general maintenance or trade work
• Reliable, tidy and takes pride in quality workmanship
• Comfortable working independently
• Respectful and personable with older residents
• Health & safety aware
Why Join Us:
• Enjoy a 3-day work week and long weekends every week
• Local, steady work with no travel
• Supportive, community-focused workplace
• A role where your work genuinely makes a difference
To Apply
Please send your CV and a brief note outlining your experience to jade@arrowtownretirement.co.nz
JOIN US
VEHICLE GROOMER
At Queenstown Motor Group, we’re also looking for a Vehicle Groomer to join our busy and growing dealership. We’re looking for someone that has a high standard of workmanship, that takes pride in their work to ensure all vehicles are presented at its best.
Have you got an eye for detail and a can-do attitude? Then this job is certainly for you!
What’s in it for YOU?
• Permanent full time 40-hour week
Join our Gems Team as a Casual Reliever!
We’re looking for caring, reliable, and enthusiastic relievers who would love to work with children in a supportive early childhood setting. You need to be passionate about supporting our youngest children as they grow and learn.
What We’re Looking For:
• A natural love for infants and young children
• Patience, kindness, and a willingness to learn
• Someone who's dependable and enjoys working as part of a team
If you’re looking for a place where you can grow and make a di erence every day — we’d love to hear from you! Please email Tash recruit@gems.net.nz
SIGNAGE PRODUCTION MANAGER QUEENSTOWN
Print Central is Queenstown’s leading signage, print, and label provider, delivering high-quality solutions for some of the region’s most highprofile businesses.
We’re looking for an experienced Signage Production Manager to lead our signage department and manage a team of seven skilled printers, finishers, and installers.
About the Role
• Lead and manage the signage production team
• Plan and oversee production schedules
• Manage projects from concept through to installation
• Ensure equipment, quality standards, and safety requirements are maintained
About You
• Proven experience in sign-making, fabrication, or digital printing
• Strong knowledge of signage software (e.g. RIP software) and Adobe Creative Suite
• Confident leader with solid project management skills
• Excellent communication and organisational skills
• Relevant industry qualifications (e.g. Working at Heights) are an advantage
Apply Now
• Competitive remuneration Ongoing training and the opportunity to expand your skills with
• Excellent working environment and conditions
To apply contact Duncan Wright duncan@queenstownmotorgroup.co.nz
Send your CV and cover letter to: graeme@printcentral.co.nz
