LWB_Issue_919_Online

LAKES WEEKLY

LOCALLY OWNEDSINCE FOREVER BULLETIN

Why Mental Health Awareness Week is everyone’s business

If you run a business in Queenstown or manage a team, I want you to read this next sentence and then pause and read it again: Reduced mental health is the primary cause of lost working days and productivity loss in most Westernised countries (Source ACC).

Got your attention yet?

The message is pretty clear, if you are interested in running a successful business or operation, then you need to be taking the mental health of your workforce seriously. But what we hear a lot from local businesses is they don’t know how to support the mental health of their staff or don’t know where to start.

That’s where Mental Health Awareness Week comes in. This year’s annual week-long focus on mental wellbeing is being held from 18-24 September, and it’s a chance for local businesses and organisations to think about how they might do more to support the mental wellbeing of their staff.

Let’s face it. Looking after your mental health isn’t rocket science. Just like we all have physical health, we all have mental health and no, mental health is not mental illness. It’s a fact of life that mental health is a part of who you are and once you realise that you can start looking after it.

It’s actually pretty easy to support your mental wellbeing. In fact, you might not even know you are doing it. That habit you have of escaping to your garden at the weekend? Good for your mental health. Going out for a bike ride after work? Good for your mental health.

But what’s great is when you do know what supports the wider mental health of your staff, team and community. Now you’re really talking.

Headlight is a Queenstown-based charitable trust which is making it easy for communities and organisations to talk about mental health.

We’ve launched the Mental Health Awareness Week toolkit for Queenstown Lakes and Southern businesses and workplaces. The kit is free and it makes it easy to get staff and colleagues taking active steps to support their mental health at work. What’s more it’s fun and contributes to a culture that shows you care about your people, and their wellbeing. Plus there are opportunities to ‘give back’ to local mental wellbeing community projects too, so in this case everyone wins.

So, if you haven’t downloaded it yet, you can find it at www.headlight.org.nz and get going. Your mental health will love you for it. Your staff might too.

Anna Dorsey, Chief Executive of Headlight

Queenstown’s Cool Wakushima and Australian Daisy Thomas were all smiles as they choppered into the Minaret Range backcountry to represent Team Oceania in the inaugural international Obsidian Team challenge. Team Europe were crowned champs, bringing to an end another successful Winter Games NZ. Photo: Winter Games NZ. See more at lwb.co.nz

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Cards on the table over a visitor levy

By Paul Taylor

It was a fiery and fun ASB Great Debate in Queenstown last week as heavy-hitters from the four highest-polling political parties locked horns over tax, spending, infrastructure, housing, tourism and more.

And, with Queenstown Lakes facing a funding

levy, which would enable council to pass on some of the costs

Here’s what they all said

ACT Party leader David Seymour

“No, not specifically, but I have something similar that I think gets at the problem. You see, tourism generates a massive amount of revenue, especially through GST for Central Government. Our view is that fast growing areas like Queenstown, like Hamilton, like Tauranga, like Auckland, in fact, everywhere should be getting a portion of the GST that Central Government collects on development in that area. I was talking to people at the Council today. They said ‘you know what, that would be about $80 million a year for Queenstown under Act’s policy because there’s so much development going on’. The beautiful thing about it is how it changes councils’ incentives. You see, there’s only one time a council actually comes to you and gives you fast service, that’s when they’re issuing a parking ticket. because they get revenue for issuing you a piece of paper. And if we did the same thing with building consents, or for resource consents, if they got revenue in return for allowing development in the area, they’d have the incentive but also the means to pay for that development. So that would be a very similar effect, although not specifically the same as a local visitor levy.”

National deputy leader Nicola Willis

“That’s not our policy. We acknowledge the issue that is very heartfelt in this area, and that’s why we want to sit down and do a deal with Queenstown, where we agree to fund some of the infrastructure that is needed to support a vital source of productive growth for New Zealand, which is tourism, and the export dollars it brings in. We are a country in a current account deficit of huge proportions. We can’t afford to turn our back on tourists and that means we need to partner with Queenstown to invest in the infrastructure you need to support it.”

Labour finance spokesperson Grant Robertson

“From our perspective, Jim Boult’s here [at the debate], we did some work on this when Jim was the mayor, what we said was, ‘let’s hear what the local community wants. We’re prepared to back what the local community wants’. There is, as has been mentioned already tonight, the problem with some court cases that have happened around the country on this exact proposal, which holds it up, but I’m certainly not against that, in principle. What we also think we need to do is take a look at a more nationwide version, in a sense, which is the International Visitor Levy that we brought in, that helps fund both tourism and conservation projects, and use that more widely to be able to actually develop some of the issues that have been faced here in Queenstown.”

Green Party co-leader James Shaw

“Yeah, I do. I remember in the 2017 Great Debate I got a round of applause when I said it was Green Party policy to bring in an International Visitor Levy, which we then did in Government, and that has funded some projects around here as well. And the idea that you would have something localised, you know, with the caveats, and getting through the legal issues that Grant [Robertson] talked about, yes, absolutely. I also agree that we do need to look at funding and financing of local government because we have ended up in a situation where, over the course of several decades, successive governments have effectively had an abusive relationship with our local authorities, and tried to run everything centrally and only done the projects that Central Government wanted to do. And I do think that we need to empower local government to be able to make those choices for themselves.”

blackhole of tens of millions of dollars over the next 10 years, they were asked directly if they support a local visitor

to tourists.

Pollies line up at Thursday’s ASB and Queenstown Business Chamber of Commerce Great Debate, from left, David Seymour, Grant Roberston, host Jack Tame, Nicola Willis and James Shaw

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Next gen reforesters digging in

By Sue Fea

Record numbers are volunteering at Whakatipu Reforestation Trust planting days, including an unmissable contingent of young people and children, as a concerned new generation rises up in battle to restore the land.

“There’s a lot of eco-anxiety and climate concern out there and coming along to a planting day is a tangible action that gives people a sense of agency,” trust operations manager Karen O’Donahoo says.

“Many people can’t afford to buy an $80,000 electric car, but they can come along to a planting day and feel like they’re making a difference.”

People seem keen to be part of a collective action. “Knowing that kōwhai tree they’ve just planted will absorb carbon for years to come and feed native birds is a great feeling, especially when it’s on a large scale. We have an opportunity to make a difference here that we wouldn’t have in a big city, and people want to be part of that.”

The trust had a record of more than 110 people turn up at Lake Hayes Showgrounds to plant on 9 September, many of them young people and children. By midday the area was filled with 650 native trees. The previous weekend at Whitechapel 80 volunteers planted 1500 trees in several hours. By the end of this month, and this year’s planting season, trust volunteers hope to have planted 80,000 natives around the basin. They could hit 100,000 next year, with some big planting projects planned.

It’s greatly heartening for trust founders Neill and Barb Simpson and the handful of original volunteers who started 10 years ago trying to rescue and restore the basin’s biodiversity. For a long time the Simpsons were lone voices advocating for this locally. Back in his 20s, long before catch phrases like ‘climate change’ existed, the legendary local botanist and conservator Simpson, now 90, had been concerned about biodiversity.

“The writing’s definitely been on the wall for a very long time,” he says. He and Barb teamed up with the likes of wilding pines activist Peter Willsman, John Wilson and Hans Arnestedt transforming the Simpsons’ Whakatipu Islands Reforestation Trust into the new trust.

With just 5% of the basin’s original beech forests remaining there was work to be done. The trust opened its Jean Malpas Nursery in Jardine Park in 2014, after Simpsons’ seed raising took over their home vegetable garden, and since then it’s “snowballed”.

It’s been tremendously encouraging to see people in their 20s and 30s volunteering to help. “Younger people are more tuned into the environment than many of us older people,” he says. “If we don’t have a healthy environment we can’t survive long. Younger people will be affected the most. I think they’ll have to put up with a lot more than us.”

“It’s such a unique and incredibly precious feeling to look around after a planting session, having been part of that transformation, and seeing the land given back to Mother Nature, all in its rightful place,” O’Donahoo says. There’s plenty of great work underway with community groups, local business volunteers, even conference delegates, chipping in to help. A collaboration with Mana Tāhuna Charitable Trust will carry out massive planting around the wetlands at the Rutherford Road end of Lake Hayes, where willows have been removed, from 18-22 September. A planting day at Slopehill precedes that, followed by one at Bush Creek to finish the season on 30 September.

“Our work’s becoming so visible – a massive area from Ladies Mile to Lakes Hayes to Whitechapel,” O’Donahoo says. “It’s so different to 10 years ago and people see we’re making a difference.” That’s also translating into hands on experiential learning for local schoolchildren and youth through the trust’s Education For Nature Programme. Kids learn how a wetland should function, propagation, tracking and trapping predators and how to care for native plants.

For information see the trust’s website: www.wrtqt.org.nz

Celebrating the hard yards – local volunteers at a Whakatipu Reforestation Trust planting day

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A blooming good time... Arrowtown show celebrates its centenary

By Sue Fea

It’s 100 years since Arrowtown’s best blooms first took centre stage at what was originally the Arrow Horticultural and Industrial Society Flower Show, funded by a group of enthusiastic local gardeners.

This Friday, 22 September, the current Horticultural Society will mark the anniversary with its annual Spring Flower Show in the Athenaeum Hall. Judges admire their way around hundreds of entries, not only beautifully scented spring flowers, but home baking, preserves, crafts, and this year ‘fancy work’ like crocheted lace and cotton doilies. Creators of everything from embroidered table or tray cloths to beaded headbands, cushions and handbags will all be vying for first place too.

“We’re encouraging people to enter what would’ve featured in the show 100 years ago, including baking that was around then like ginger gems and Churchill Slice,” president Jean Britton says.

Originally two shows were held – one spring, one summer, until about 2000, Britton says. A Lakes District Museum Lake Wakatip Mail newspaper clipping, dated 19 February, 1924, says the first summer show was opened by ‘Mayor Bruce’ and the society’s first president ‘Mr S. George’ took top honours for his vegetables. ‘Mrs George’ won Best Cut Flowers, while ‘Mrs Blathwayt’ and ‘Mrs Hanton’ cleaned up too.

While the industrial name has been dropped, that originally covered handcrafts, baking and embroidery.

Committee member Wendy Clarke says the show was based on the post World War I model, encouraging people to grow and garden in a rural area and show off their produce. Children have always been involved and this year Clarke’s expecting strong entries from schoolchildren and adults once entries open on 21 September.

“We had so many entries last year we had to put up extra tables,” she says. “It’s definitely a local institution and very much a generational event.” The hall supper room is always full of entries from preschool and primary schoolkids.

Arrowtown Pre-school and Arrowtown Primary School junior children’s entries in a past show

Classes for older children, include photography, baking and handcrafts.

A special new Centennial Cup is being added to this year’s line-up. Overall, ‘1920s’ will be the theme and an invite-only, catered celebratory lunch will be held on 23 September for all those who’ve been involved with the Flower Show over the years. Local NZ celebrity chef Nadia Lim is guest speaker at the lunch, and if she attends the show, even she will have some stiff competition in the baking section.

At $5 a head for afternoon tea – tea or coffee and two to three tasty slices of homemade baking, or sandwiches - this committee has turned a blind eye on inflation. Despite this the committee still raises enough money to donate its proceeds to local charities with whitebait and farm fresh eggs among this year’s raffle prizes.

And, Glenorchy’s 101st Flower Show will be held on 30 September.

Arrowtown Horticultural Society Spring Flower Show

Friday, 22 September, 1-5pm

Arrowtown Athenaeum Hall

Admission: $3 adults, children free

The first ever Arrowtown Flower Show. Photo: Lakes District Museum

LAKES WEEKLY POLL

LWB regularly polls locals on issues affecting our region. This week’s responses are below.

After two recent crashes blocking the Shotover bridge, are you concerned about access in and out of Queenstown in the event of an emergency?

Yes - 83%

No - 15%

Unsure - 1%

Are you using cash more, now that many businesses are charging a fee for using contactless credit card payments?

Yes - 28%

No - 68%

Unsure - 4%

Do you think King Charles III has performed well in his first year?

Yes - 21%

No - 25%

Unsure - 54%

Do you agree with National's election approach of ruling out the visitor levy, or bed tax, as a possible new revenue stream for councils?

Yes - 16%

No - 64%

Unsure - 20%

Have you decided who you will vote for in the General Election?

Yes - 58%

No - 31%

Unsure - 11%

There were 169 respondents this week. If you would like to take part: you can sign up on the LWB Facebook page.

MENTAL health

Awareness Week is on this week

18 - 24 September

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, a week to spotlight the importance of mental wellbeing, foster understanding, and create a supportive community.

This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week theme is Five Ways, Five Days. Life has been a rollercoaster lately, with stress and feeling overwhelmed hitting us from all angles. We’ve faced uncertainty, unfamiliarity, and hardships that have left us with mixed emotions. That’s why the Five Ways for the Five Days of MHAW, provides a set of proven tools to boost our mental health when we need it.

Five ways to wellbeing

Simple yet proven actions you can use every day to help you find balance, build resilience and boost your wellbeing.

TAKE NOTICE / ME ARO TONU

This is about focusing your attention on the little things and remembering what brings you joy. It could be as simple as appreciating birdsong or pausing long enough to really savour that first sip of tea.

GIVE / TUKUA

Our sense of purpose, empathy and happiness increase when we give to others. It’s a win-win! Connecting to others and showing you care through the gift of time, your kind words, or sharing food and other resources.

BE ACTIVE / ME KORI TONU

You don’t have to be a gym bunny to get active. Find movement that makes you feel good - this will lift your mood and be great for your body, too!

CONNECT / ME WHAKAWHANAUNGA

Converse, listen and be there for important moments (everyday moments are also important!), to reinforce and strengthen relationships with peers and loved ones.

KEEP LEARNING / ME AKO TONU

When you learn or experience something new, new connections are created in your brain that boost confidence and widen your perspective. This helps to keep you fresh, motivated and ready for change or challenge.

First Youth Mental Health First Aid Aotearoa Courses start in Southern Lakes

The first Youth Mental Health First Aid Aotearoa courses are under way this month in the Southern Lakes, before being rolled out across New Zealand.

There’s already a waitlist in one area for the innovative new programme for adults that covers common mental health challenges and crises experienced by young people (aged 11-18) like depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, substance use and psychosis.

During the two-day training, participants are taught how to notice that a young person (aged 11-18) might be experiencing a mental health challenge, and the best tools to provide mental health first aid. The course also covers communication skills specific to young people and outlines professional support pathways.

The funding to adapt the international evidence-based programme for New Zealand-specific use was provided by Te Hau Toka Southern Lakes Wellbeing Group.

“We know early intervention can make a real difference and we now have over 25 trained Youth Mental Health First Aiders out in our community. Better still, many more will go through the programme over the next few months,” says Te Hau Toka Acting Chair Jo O’Connor.

The first programme was held in Te Anau earlier this month, followed by a second in Queenstown for youth workers.

IF YOU NEED help now

1737 Need to talk, Freecall or text 1737, 24/7, for support from trained counsellors. www.1737.org.nz

Depression: P: 0800 111757 Free text 4202 | www.depression.org.nz

Suicide Crisis Helpline: P: 0508 828 865 | www.lifeline.org.nz

The Lowdown: P: 0800 111 757 / Free text 5626 | www.thelowdown.co.nz

Youthline: P: 0800 376 633 | Free text 234 | www.youthline.co.nz

Family Violence: P: 0800 456 450 | www.areyouok.org.nz

Alcohol Drug Helpline: P: 0800 787 797 / Free text 8681 www.alcoholdrughelp.org.nz

Women’s Refuge: P: 0800 733 843 | www.womensrefuge.org.nz

Sexuality issues: 0800 688 5463 between 6pm & 9pm | www.outline.org.nz

Southern DHB: Crisis Mental Health Service: 0800 467 846

Wanaka Mental Health Peer Support Group: www.mentalhealthwanaka.org

Your Life Live It: helpline@yourlifeliveit.com | www.yourlifeliveit.com

Calendar

Whakatipu Youth Trust is inviting the community to join its programme of events for Mental Health Awareness Week. They are hosting a variety of events that demonstrate ways to support our well-being and connect with one another.

Recycle Boutique Clothes Swap

Tuesday 19, September, 5pm -7pm at Queenstown Resort College Café Cost: Gold-coin donation as entry fee.

In light of “giving” and “connecting”, Recycle Boutique (a local consignment store where you can shop and sell your clothing) and Whakatipu Youth Trust are hosting a Clothes Swap at Queenstown Resort College. You can bring clothes along on the night that you want to swap- if you do please only bring 5-7 pieces of clothing so our incredible volunteers are able to display all the clothes donated. This event is inclusive of all ages, genders, ethnicities, and sexual identities; the clothing will not be separated into gendered items. Come down, connect with your Queenstown whanau and pick up some preloved clothing - for free! (Well, for one gold coin donation).

Art in Motion with Sunny Sky

Wednesday, 20 September, 5:30pm - 7.00pm at The Hub, 5a Red Oaks Drive Frankton Cost: $5-Register ahead of time at whakatipuyouthtrust.org.nz

Sunny Sky and Whakatipu Youth Trust have created a fun-packed night of music, movement & art. Come and uplift your energy and feel groovy through mindful movement & art meditation. What a great way to “connect”, “move” and “learn” a new way of taking care of our wellbeing. This event is open to 10 to 14-year-olds and is registration only.

Ride to Thrive

Saturday, 23 September, 10am-2pm at Pump track, Hanley’s Farm

Cost: Free!

(Coaching is $10pp, sign up online at whakatipuyouthtrust.org.nz prior to event)

As a round-up event for Mental Health Awareness Week, Whakatipu Youth Trust are hosting young people, families, and friends to their “Ride to Thrive” bike day. Onward MTB are coming along to offer coaching, there will be 2 time slots 1030 to 1130am and 12pm to 1pm, pre-registration for coaching is necessary, see our website to sign up. There will be some bikes and helmets for use. Neat Meats will be providing a sausage sizzle and raffle prizes and spot prizes are to be won. Ride to Thrive is about coming and giving biking a go!

By Tsehai Tiffin

Youth Mental Health First Aiders after completing the first course in Te Anau

Why Mental Health Awareness Week is

everyone’s business

By Anna Dorsey, Headlight chief executive

If you run a business in Queenstown or manage a team, read this next sentence and then pause and read it again: Reduced mental health is the primary cause of lost working days and productivity loss in most Westernised countries.(Source ACC) Got your attention yet?

The message is pretty clear, if you are interested in running a successful business or operation then you need to be taking the mental health or your workforce seriously. But what we hear a lot from local businesses is they don’t know how to support the mental health of their staff or where to start.

That’s where Mental Health Awareness Week comes in. MHAW is a chance for local businesses and organisations to think about how they might do more to support the mental wellbeing of their staff.

Let’s face it. Looking after your mental health isn’t rocket science. Just like we all have physical health, we all have mental health and no, mental health is not mental illness. It’s a fact of life that mental health is a part of who you are and once you realise that you can start looking after it.

It’s actually pretty easy to support your mental wellbeing. In fact you might not even know you are doing it. That habit you have of escaping to your garden at the weekend? Good for your mental health. Going out for a bike ride after work? Good for your mental health.

But what’s great is when you do know what supports the wider mental health of your staff, team and community. Now you’re really talking.

That’s why we’ve launched the Mental Health Awareness Week toolkit for Queenstown Lakes and Southern businesses and workplaces. The kit is free and it makes it easy to get staff and colleagues taking active steps to support their mental health at work. What’s more it’s fun and contributes to a culture that shows you care about your people, and their wellbeing. Plus there are opportunities to ‘give back ’to local mental wellbeing community projects too, so in this case everyone wins.

So if you haven’t downloaded it yet, here is the link, your mental health will love you for it. Your staff might too.

Headlight is a Queenstown based charitable trust that is making it easy for communities and organisations to talk about mental health. Headlight’s Mental Health Awareness Week Kit Challenge is available at www.headlight.org.nz

The Snowball Effect of the Senior

Arts Social at Te Atamira

By Tsehai Tiffin

Noisy chatter fills the room as everyone sips their drinks before the doors open to a live music concert. It’s the Senior Arts Social at Te Atamira every Saturday morning, a free multi arts programme for over 65s and it doesn’t get much more social than this.

Funded by Te Hau Toka Southern Lakes Wellbeing Group, what started in April with just six quiet seniors turning up for morning tea and a concert pianist, has turned into a much anticipated weekly event for a growing number of Queenstown’s older residents.

“It’s energizing the creative side!” says Tish Glasson who’s become a regular participant, after seeking connections into the creative community.

Housebound after surgery, Dianne Flight was encouraged by her friend to give it a go. “Just seeing all these people - I think this is great to get out and socialise,” says Dianne.

The socialisation has snowballed and today there are over twenty enjoying the free programme that’s designed to develop creativity, learn new skills and to have fun. It’s Te Atamira Arts Facilitator Lynne Wright’s job to find the right kind of events, which have included dance classes, weaving, pottery and even origami. Lynne likes working Saturdays to hear the feedback and to talk about next week’s event. She often hears a reluctance to try something new.

“Everything is for beginners, like our art class; I said ‘please come’ and what they got out of it was amazing, some of them were saying ‘I’ve never done this since I was at school’.”

An unexpected result is that Lynne sees Senior Art Social regulars taking part in other events at Te Atamira. “They’re like: this is such an amazing programme – what else is going on here? And they start looking at our website What’s On page.”

The other surprise has been the ‘intergenerational connections’ made through one of the most popular regular Senior Arts Social events, local music school Turn Up the Music. Music School Director Emma Wilson says Senior Arts Social provides budding performers with exactly what they need – an auditorium and an audience.

“It’s a really big deal for us. There aren’t many places where people will happily turn up and listen to children perform but because we’ve got teachers performing as well we can make it a really good quality performance and great experience.”

With parents watching as well, and because this is Queenstown, even more connections are made. At morning tea, Senior Art Social regular Wynne Christie spots someone who was in Rotary with her husband. She wonders aloud if there’s anyone over 80 at this week’s event (she’s 91). “It’s given me an interest coming here,” says Wynne. She chuckles when she remembers a recent Tea Dancing event.

“Wow, I got a hell of shock. I had to get up and dance – but it was fun!”

Senior Arts Social is free and on every Saturday, 10:30am-12:30pm visit www.teatamira.nz or call to book 027 1800 2868

Dancing, one of the recent Senior Arts Social events

Future public transport options

By Paul Taylor

By 2051, Queenstown’s daily population in the peak tourist season is expected to almost double to 204,000 people.

There will be 78,000 residents and around 126,000 tourists according to the estimates.

With that in mind, the agencies responsible for the Whakatipu Basin’s public transport network are developing a 30-year plan to meet demand and give people a solid alternative to cars.

And they’re canvassing the public’s views on possible options, through several community drop-in sessions and an online survey.

One of the main questions is whether Queenstown should be served by high capacity express buses, along similar routes as today, or by services which use Frankton as a main hub.

The role of ferry services is also up for debate, including the frequency and capacity.

Otago Regional Council’s transport manager Lorraine Cheyne says because Queenstown is one of the country’s fastest growing areas, the transport system is constantly facing growth pressures.

“This engagement is really important because it’s looking closely at how best to use buses and ferries and the investment decisions we’ll all need to make over the next 15 plus years,” she says.

“We need to create a safe and resilient network where public transport, walking and cycling can mesh together as people’s first transport choice to get around easily and conveniently.

“Queenstown’s current growth is evident with bus use hitting 85% of prepandemic levels, from the on-going surge of residents and visitor numbers.”

Otago Regional Council, which currently manages to Orbus service is part of the multi-agency collaboration Way to Go, which is developing the 30-year transport plan known as the Queenstown Public Transport Business Case. It also includes Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.

They’ve commissioned a specialist team of transport planners and advisors from WSP New Zealand and Australia, including public transport and decarbonisation experts.

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They will be available to answer any questions about the Business Case and its proposed public transport options at the public drop-in sessions, listed below.

Community feedback will be considered by the partners in Way to Go, and the public will be updated in early 2024.

The Business Case proposes to retain the existing ferry service between Steamer Wharf, Frankton Marina, Bayview, and the Hilton Queenstown, but the frequency and span of services could be improved in the future.

QLDC transport strategy manager and Way to Go programme manager Tony Pickard says public transport is a hot topic around the Whakatipu Basin, and that residents and visitors alike are passionate about greater access to buses and ferries.

“The Queenstown Public Transport Business Case will be an important part of ensuring we make the right investment in the right services for the community,” he says.

“Which is why it’s vital as many people as possible find out more about the public transport proposals we’re putting forward and have their say to make sure we’re considering all our current and potential future users when decisions are made.”

Waka Kotahi Regional Manager Richard Osborne stressed the importance of this work and the desire to provide greater transport options for people in Queenstown and its surrounding townships.

Drop-in sessions

Frankton Bus Hub

Thursday, 21 Sept, 10am-2.30pm

Stanley Street Bus Hub Kiosk

Thursday, 21 Sept, 4-6pm

Arrowtown Community Centre

Saturday, 23 Sept, 10am-2pm

Queenstown Market at Steamer Wharf

Saturday, 30 Sept, 9am-2pm

The on-line survey will be available from 18 September.

View the current bus and ferry service here: orc.govt.nz/public-transport/queenstown-buses-and-ferries

Por Daniela Díaz Soto ddiazsoto@gmail.com

NUESTRA VOZ

Food Truck Festival: La imperdible fiesta gastronómica en Queenstown

“Papá, me compré un food truck”, expresó con orgullo la cordobesa Martina Racca cuando contó a su familia en Argentina que comenzaría un desafiante emprendimiento con un camión de comida, mismo negocio que ellos han desarrollado por años con preparaciones propias de su cultura.

La familia quedó totalmente sorprendida, ya que nunca pensaron que la hija que decidió emigrar sería quien terminaría siguiendo el legado.

Martina llegó a Nueva Zelanda en 2019 con la Working Holiday Visa, mismo año en que conoció a su novio y ahora socio en esta aventura, Navtej Singh, de India.

Tras recibir su residencia el año pasado, tuvieron la idea de iniciar un emprendimiento pero sin certeza a qué mercado apuntar. Las dudas se aclararon luego que Martina participara en un festival gastrómico junto a su familia, durante unas vacaciones en su país natal. Fue ahí cuando pensó en continuar esta tradición, pero acá en Nueva Zelanda.

Su novio, Navtej, se entusiasmó con la idea inmediatamente y se encargó de comprar el camión. Y ella, por su parte, realizó todos los trámites para iniciar el negocio legalmente, gracias a la ayuda de Fer y Enrique, dueños del sweet coffee trailer Latin Cakes, quienes la guiaron durante el proceso.

Fue así que en febrero pasado el food truck “El Cordobés”, especializado en auténticos sandwiches argentinos, empezó a operar en Remarkables Market.

Pese a ser participantes activos de este mercado, se dieron cuenta que necesitaban más espacios donde asistir y en jornadas más largas. “En Queenstown faltaba esa oferta gastronómica y si nosotros estábamos en esta situación, tenía que haber otros en la misma situación”, afirma Martina.

Fue así que, impulsados bajo esa idea, se les ocurrió crear el Food Truck Festival, cuyo primer evento realizado el pasado 27 de agosto resultó ser un total e inesperado éxito. Más de dos mil personas asistieron a este encuentro en el que participaron diez camiones de comida, con diversas propuestas gastronómicas.

“Yo quería algo que la gente pueda ir y pasar bien su tarde, en un ambiente acogedor y entretenido. La idea era elegir un lugar que fuera también un aporte a la comunidad y elegimos Country Lane, perteneciente a una familia kiwi” que respaldó la iniciativa desde un principio, asegura Martina con entusiasmo.

Por esta razón, la buena noticia es que ahora el Food Truck Festival continuará funcionando una vez al mes hasta diciembre y planean durante el verano llevarlo a cabo dos veces al mes, horario de día y noche.

El próximo festival se efectuará el domingo 24 de septiembre de 12.00 a 17.00 horas, en Country Lane (26 Hansen Road, Frankton), y habrá entre 15 y 20 food trucks con variadas propuestas que representen diversas culturas. “Queremos darle la oportunidad a todos los food trucks que están empezando y entregar diversidad de comida”.

La invitación queda abierta para que la comunidad se sume a esta gran y entretenida fiesta gastronómica multicultural. La entrada es liberada.

JOURNEY THE

by Daniela Diaz Soto

Carol Morgan’s story as an immigrant is a journey that traces back to her birth. Born in Argentina to an English father and a mother of Lebanese descent, she carried a natural passion for adventure and diversity in her blood from the very beginning.

From a young age, she proved to be a natural-born entrepreneur. At the age of 17, she was already at the helm of her own fashion company. At 21, she got married and moved to the United States, where her daughter Soledad came into the world. In addition to studying International Relations, Carol found a passion that filled her heart: helping others. In college, she became an essential support for two young people with disabilities, an experience that taught her the true meaning of gratitude. “It was then that I discovered what it truly means to be grateful.”

Over time, she returned to Argentina where she completed her degree in Law and then became an official mediator. But that wasn’t enough and she also ventured into the field of Economics.

In 1998, Carol had an innovative vision. She partnered with a respected international economics professor, and together they founded an e-learning company long before it became a trend. “I implemented this system in universities all over the world, working with high-calibre individuals, including Nobel Prize laureates. All of this was to highlight the importance of this tool that would ultimately change the world, as we all now know.”

After 15 years of tireless work came a significant emotional moment: Carol decided to embark on a new adventure with her daughter - a successful organic food business that operated for three years.

Throughout her life, even while living in different countries, Carol has always dedicated part of her time to helping others. “If one is in a privileged position, one owes a lot to life,” she says with conviction.

Her children had grown up and, after years of working on innovative projects, one day she overheard a conversation about New Zealand. At that moment, she felt it was time for a change and, after a vacation with her daughter, chose Queenstown as her new home. “My soul knew that I needed a change, and that change had to be on another continent.”

The transition was far from easy. Carol arrived in 2017 alone and with the firm belief that her experience and education would be her best calling card. But reality was totally different. Her first job was in the hospitality

industry. “When I arrived here, I faced many challenges in having my worth acknowledged. Despite having many skills and experience in various markets, I found myself serving food and cleaning bathrooms. That’s when I truly understood what it means to be an immigrant,” she tells us with a smile.

Committed to providing support to those in need, she got involved in volunteer work starting with the Citizens Advice Bureau. “When you don’t know what to do, you simply go out and help others. And I assure you that giving opens a multitude of doors,” she says passionately.

Carol also tells us that integration takes time and that overcoming fear is crucial. She says it’s like a series of small victories that culminate in mutual acceptance. That’s why she advocates for an open and honest perspective, far from victimhood and focused on contributing and adding value to the community.

For her, the experience of starting a new life in New Zealand was a great learning journey. “New Zealand taught me humility. I owe a lot to this place because it helped me understand the power of my own vulnerability. Here I realised that we are all equal, regardless of our background or education. We are all in the same boat and we must row together if we want to reach a good harbour.”

Currently, she works at Headlight Trust as a mental health facilitator and also continues to organise events to support the community. From festivals to women’s circles, her commitment to mental well-being is undeniable. And as a final surprise, Carol has an even more ambitious plan. Her passion for the cause of immigrants and their families has become a burning fire inside her. Her goal is to enter politics and take an active role in Parliament. She wants to collaborate in creating inclusive policies that address the needs of those who struggle to be a part of this country. “Channeling cultural differences in a positive way will add value, colour, and joy to our society.”

Carol Morgan

“New Zealand taught me humility”

The QLDC Welcoming Communities initiative brings together local government councils and communities to make the places we love more welcoming for everyone and to provide support for newcomers choosing to make the Queenstown Lakes District their home.

Chrifunctions mas

With snow still on the mountains and school holidays just starting, it feels crazy to be launching the 2023 Christmas Functions Feature

However it’s only 15 weeks until Santa arrives and the summer holidays are upon us.

2023 has been a really different year and while there are plenty of visitors around and business is back to normal it’s also been hard on many teams, being short staffed and lots of sickness around.

This year take the opportunity that the Christmas function provides to celebrate your wonderful team and to say thank you for a job well done. The Christmas Function is a big deal for your team and something everyone looks forward to as we head into the summer season.

Get ahead this year and grab your party booking early.

Bookings will go fast as many venues have limited capacity this year.

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Murder, memoir, and mothers - Queenstown Writers Festival 2023

By QMG

Expect the mysterious, the morbid, and insights into the deeply personal act of memoir writing at the 2023 Queenstown Writers Festival. The team behind the festival have brought together a small group of acclaimed writers from across Aotearoa New Zealand to discuss bold ideas and their latest literary works, on the weekend of 11-12 November at Te Atamira.

And in a new segment, they have invited six talented Queenstown writers to share work in a sampler session built around a theme of arrival - physical arrivals and those that happen inwardly.

Headlining the festival is writer, producer and director Dame Gaylene Preston, who shared her story as a trail-blazing pioneer of New Zealand’s film industry in her recent memoir Gaylene’s Take.

Dame Gaylene will discuss her life and works with local filmmaker Holly Wallace and hold a screenwriting workshop with a small number of participants helping take stories from their imagination to the screen.

Dame Gaylene Preston is headlining the 2023 Queenstown Writers Festival Award-winning filmmaker Michael Bennett (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue) will also appear at the festival. Bennett took the publishing world by storm with his début novel, the crime thriller, Better the Blood. A writer of wide-reaching ability and a fighter against institutionalised racism and injustice, he played a key role in having Teina Pora’s wrongful conviction for the 1992 rape and murder of Susan Burdett overturned.

Megan Nicol Reed is a former journalist and columnist. She has channelled her delight in sending up the middle classes, and writing about the absurdity and mundanity of modern parental concerns, into her debut novel One of Those Mothers. Her conversation with Queenstown author Jane Bloomfield is expected to be funny, insightful and irreverent.

Barbara Else is one of Aotearoa’s literary greats whose beautifully published memoir Laughing at the Dark, tells her tale of finding the courage to break free of societal constraints. She will speak on writing memoirs, at Arrowtown Lifestyle Village, ahead of an on-stage conversation with Megan Nicol Reed. Finally, the festival welcomes Cristina Sanders who reimagined the sinking of one of New Zealand’s most famous shipwrecks - the General Grant - and the lives of 15 survivors on the sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands, in Mrs Jewell and the Wreck of the General Grant. She shares the stage with Wānaka businessman Bill Day, who spent 35 years and millions of dollars on five unsuccessful attempts to recover the General Grant and its golden treasure. Festival chair Tanya Surrey says the trust aimed to provide an eclectic mix in the programme and hoped to see many local readers and writers at events. Dame Gaylene Preston’s screenwriting workshop offered an opportunity to learn from a legend of New Zealand filmmaking, she says.

“We are also pleased to be providing an opportunity for some of our up and coming local writers to take the stage.”

Tickets for the 2023 Queenstown Writers Festival are available on Eventfinda. Earlybird prices apply until October 14.

More information is available on the website at qtwritersfestival.nz

Arts+Culture

Italian film – that’s amore!

by Jess Allen

Cinema Italiano Festival will come to Queenstown and Wānaka this week. Dorothy Browns in Arrowtown and Ruby’s Cinema & Bar in Wānaka will be taken over by a fantastic selection of Italian films until 30 September. The curated programme combines the best in contemporary Italian cinema with masterpieces from Italy’s rich cinematic traditions, which also provide meaningful insights into society.

Paolo Rotondo is one of the festival organisers. Originally from Italy, he’s been in New Zealand since he was 11 and is now an award-winning director, writer and actor who has been working in the film industry for more than 20 years. He started the festival with his wife, which is now in its eighth year and is screening across 21 centres around Aotearoa. While he can’t make it down to Otago this year, he says we’re fortunate to have two beautiful boutique cinemas that are full of character to enjoy this year’s films.

“We take the festival to some pretty beautiful places, like Arrowtown and Wānaka,” Rotondo says. “To be honest, the first time we did it in Arrowtown was because we really wanted to go. Then we fell in love with it and it’s been really popular down there, so we’ve been coming down ever since.

“We have 22 films showing in Arrowtown and Wānaka – the ones that are really popular with audiences are our comedies, of course, but I’ve also got some amazing arthouse dramas, documentaries, and classics as well.”

The opening night film, Belli Ciao, stars two well-known funny comics from Italy. While on surface level the film appears to be quite slapstick and offers a lot of gags, the meaning of the story is deeper than that – a little more clever and interesting with an intellectual element. Rotondo explains that a hybrid in genres is common when it comes to Italian film, and you never know what to expect when watching.

“I think compared to the English-speaking world, Italian cinema doesn’t subscribe to the same genres. You know how American and British films tend to have comedies, dramas, thrillers, etcetera, Italian films often have all of that mixed up together. I find when I’m curating, my wife and I can spend hours discussing whether something’s a drama or a comedy. For us Italians, it makes it very satisfying because it gives a little more meat to the comedies and a little lightness to the dramas. What I really love is that sometimes you go to a film and you will be laughing and crying in the same film.”

Arts+Culture News

Concerts at Blue Door

Blue Door has a number of concerts coming up this month. On 21 September they will host Nigel Hirst, better known as The Jive Prankster for a Tiny Room Concert. He will take the stage with Mark Wilson, Ned Webster, Eby Sebastian and Alex Pyle to transform the bar into a jiving good time. The following week on 28 September, they will host 'Three's Not a Crowd', featuring three friends who have a love of great songwriters, Erica Hastie, Pol Nicholson and Dominic Hazell. The folky trio will perform music from Cat Stevens, Leonard Cohen, James Taylor, Randy Newman and more.

If you’re unsure about heading to a foreign film, Rotondo explains that that’s all part of the fun. It’s not often these days that you’re able to walk into a cinema having not read any reviews and not knowing what you’re going to get – you’ll have the ability to be fully transported to a different reality. The 2023 edition of the Italian Film Festival will run 20 – 30 September at Dorothy Browns in Arrowtown and 21 – 30 September at Ruby’s Cinema & Bar in Wānaka. To download the full programme and find out more information you can head to italianfilmfestivalnz.com

Te Atamira School Holiday Programme

Te Atamira have a fun-filled programme planned for the school holidays, kicking off from Monday, 25 September. Led by accredited art teacher, Michelle, and run in collaboration with Youthtown, it’s going to be a jampacked couple of weeks. They have different age group offerings and activities include a wire portraits session where children will explore portraits as they create themselves in wire, and a workshop where they will explore story-telling as they design and create their own sock-puppets to take the stage. There’s also sessions tailored towards drama, rhythm and movement, and patchwork, as well as lots of hands-on creation workshops.

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COMMUNITY

Central Lakes Trust Annual Meeting

Everyone is invited to join CL for its Annual Public Meeting in Wānaka next week. If you are unable to attend in person, you can also join virtually via Zoom. The formal proceedings will be followed by guest speaker Kate Murray, a Community Networks/ LINK Presentation from Mathew Doyle, and performances by Mount Aspiring College students.

RSVP: info@clt.net.nz | 0800 00 11 37

When: Monday, 25 September, 5.30pm

Where: Wānaka Community Hub

St Joseph’s School ProductionHakitekura

Hakitekura tells the story of a brave and courageous legend of the Whakatipu. Tickets available on the door or at the school office. Snacks available both nights to help fundraise for the school’s Year 3 Camp (cash only).

When: Wednesday, 20 and Thursday, 21 September, 6.308pm

Where: Queenstown Memorial Centre

Social English Group

The Social English group has casual meetups to practice conversational English in a friendly and welcoming environment. There are many people on the same learning journey and this is a great way to meet them and also check out the free library resources that could offer help along the way. To book or for more information, please contact the Queenstown Library (03) 441 0600 or email queenstown.library@qldc.govt.nz

When: Thursday, 21 and 28 September, 5.45-6.45pm

Where: Queenstown Library, Gorge Road

Queenstown Hospo Fair Pay Claim Meeting

If you are a hospitality worker currently employed in a restaurant, hotel, bar, fast food outlet or café then this fair pay claim meeting could be for you. Come together to discuss what the new Fair Pay Agreement means for everyone.

When: Saturday, 23 September, 2-4pm

Where: St Peter’s Anglican Church, Church Street, Queenstown

Free Kids Golf coaching programme

Futures Whakatipu is for young people aged 5-18 to learn and play golf and develop a lifelong love of the game. Golf is not only fun, it teaches valuable life and social skills, and empowers young people to achieve their goals and enrich their lives through sport. Futures Whakatipu is the junior golf hub and on Saturday mornings kids aged 5-12, can attend a free community coaching program. Join in on any Saturday, all abilities are welcome. For more information and to register, visit the website futureswhakatipu.co.nz

When: Every Saturday, 9-10am

Where: Frankton Golf Course

Queenstown Tennis Club Open Days

Tennis anyone? Queenstown Tennis Club is looking for new members and encouraging previous members to reconnect. The last open day for September is on Saturday 23 between 1-4pm. Everyone is welcome, with a request to wear non-marking shoes. The tennis club in the heart of the Queenstown Gardens.

See more at www.queenstowntenisclub.co.nz

Catalyst Trust presents - Perceptions of Asia

What do New Zealanders know about Asia, and what worries them? How do young New Zealanders see the region, and how are they connecting to it? These are among the questions the Asia New Zealand Foundation is researching in New Zealand’s longest-running longitudinal study of NZ – Asia relations. Catalyst Kōrero, Foundation research and engagement director Suzannah Jessep will present their latest headline findings, answer questions and lead discussions about what these findings might mean for NZ’s future. Registration is required on Catalyst’s Eventbrite page. A cash koha will be given to Happiness House.

When: Sunday, 24 September, 6-7.30pm

Where: Rees Hotel’s conference room

Unsung Heroes

Chris Priestley, Cameron Bennett, Nigel Gavin and Sonia Wilson tell stories from New Zealand’s distant past in song. Each song is introduced with historic images, newspaper clippings and poems read by Peter Elliot. This is a show not to be missed. Bookings can be made online at teatamira.nz

When: Saturday, 23 September, 7.30pm

Where: Te Atamira

The Italian Film Festival

The Embassy of Italy, Wellington, and The Italian Film Festival invite locals to the Opening Night. The festival opening night will be screening the Italian box-office hit ‘Belli Ciao’ - 90mins of shameless fun! Prosecco from JK Wines and un gelato is also included in the ticket price.

When: Wednesday, 20 September, 7-8.45pm

Where: Dorothy Brown’s Cinema, 18 Buckingham Street

Arrowtown

SkyCity Stand Up Comedy Night

SkyCity has set its next comedy night for Friday, 22 September, with special guests, Guy Montgomery - New Zealand’s king of storytelling and host of hit show Guy Mont Spelling Bee, and Liv McKenzie from 7 Days and Have You Been Paying Attention, with Paul Douglas as MC. Tickets online at eventfinda.

When: Friday, 22 September, 8-10.30pm

Where: SKYCITY, 16-24 Beach St, Queenstown

Queenstown Salsa Festival 2023

The third annual Queenstown Salsa Festival comprises three social dance events, one day of bootcamps, two days of workshops, and one performance showcase. The festival will feature workshops, with some of New Zealand and Australia’s top instructors, performances, and parties, organised to be a fun-filled event for dancers of all levels. The boot camps and workshops will take place at Te Atamira and the social nights at Lake Hayes Pavilion and Queenstown Memorial Centre. For more information, head across to pasionsalsaqueenstown.com/queenstownsalsa-festival.

When: Thursday, 21 September, to Sunday, 24 September

Where: Te Atamira, Dart House, Remarkables Park Town Centre, 12 Hawthorne Drive

Arrowtown Spring Flower Show

The Arrowtown Spring Flower Show, organised annually by the Arrowtown Horticultural Society, turns 100 this year! There will be plenty of competition entries from local gardens, kitchens and craft rooms. The display of spring flowers will be simply stunningthere are categories for best daffodil, jonquil, hyacinth, tulip, primrose, viola, rhododendron, trillium, camellia, hellebore, iris, fritillaria, anemone, NZ native flower and pot plant. There will also be afternoon tea on offer for $5.

When: Friday, 22 September, 1-5pm

Where: Arrowtown Athenaeum Hall, 33 Buckingham Street

Alexandra Blossom Festival

Celebrate the arrival of spring at Alexandra’s Blossom Festival from Saturday, 23 September, to Monday 25. This festival has marked the arrival of spring for 65 years. It still has the unique feel of a country fair in the modern age. The weekend includes the Friday night Mardi Gras and carnival, Saturday’s Grand Parade down Centennial Ave featuring a flurry of florreys, incredible floats, street performers, marching bands and more! Following the Grand Parade there is a party in Pioneer Park.

When: Saturday, 23 September - Monday 25

Where: Alexandra

Live Pro Wrestling - SPW Queenstown WrestleFest

‘Wrestling on the Edge of the World’ returns. Queenstown WrestleFest makes for a night of jawdropping action. Southern Pro Wrestling delivers hard-hitting, fast-paced independent pro wrestling.

‘It’s a hybrid of live theatre and breath-taking stunts, with entertaining characters and storylines.’ SPW has been a sell-out attraction at the Queenstown Memorial Centre for the past seven years. This year, there will be three Championship matches on the night. PLUS, for the first time ever in Queenstown, the New Zealand Women’s Championship will be on the line, as Megan-Kate defends against Amber Saint! Tickets at eventfinda.

When: Saturday, 30 September, 6.30-9.30pm

Where: Queenstown Memorial Centre, 1 Memorial Drive, Queenstown

FUNDRAISER

Scottish Ceilidh

A small group of locals have grouped together to arrange a ceilidh to raise funds for our local Central Lakes Family Services, who provide a range of social services to support families, children, youth and individuals in our community. Scottish dancing with Hair of the Dog, auction, piper, dance instruction. Cash bar. Tickets $125 per person, including a light supper. Email info@proactivephysio.co.nz to reserve your table.

When: Saturday, 30 September, 7pm-12am

Where: Althenaeum Hall, Arrowtown

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by Sue Fea

My Life Story

KIRSTY SHARPE

Keeping a ‘Sharpe’ eye on things

She arrived in Queenstown in 1975, coincidentally the founding International Women’s Year. By 1986 Kirsty Sharpe had polled second highest - one of just three women among 20 candidates, on the newly amalgamated Queenstown Lakes District Council.

Kirsty had three sons, including twins, 20 months apart, and some years later served, as a marriage celebrant with ‘Yoko Ono’ and ‘James Bond’ among the 300 or so weddings and wedding blessings she officiated at.

Raised in rural central North Island, near Ruapheu, on a Raetihi sheep farm, the family didn’t have electricity until Kirsty was 14. Kerosene lamps and candles lit the way. Cooking and water heating was on a coal range and a copper used for washing.

She attended Wanganui Girls’ College, before studying a Diploma of Home Science at Otago University. After a short stint teaching, she headed for two years’ OE in London, returning recently to the Country Inn in the Norfolk Broads where she worked in 1970. London film industry administration work followed including plenty of European travel before heading back to Wellington where she met late husband of 48 years Bill Sharpe. “He’d never heard of Raetihi and I’d never heard of Glenorchy where he was from,” she says. “Wellington was full of civil servants and very dull back then, so we moved to Queenstown with its population of 3000 in 1975. There were still houses downtown and some shops closed for an hour at lunchtime.”

They leased Pinewood Motels off Jock Boyd before buying one of Queenstown’s most notorious historic houses in Hallenstein Street –once home to infamous arsonist Philip Waldmann who history records as supposedly trying to burn down the cottage and his shop to claim insurance in 1882. The Sharpes paid $22,000 in 1976, selling an extended version in 2000 for $465,000. “It sold again recently for $4.3m after more improvements.”

Joining the local Toastmistress Club Kirsty became well versed in public speaking and Deputy Mayor Nancy Williams urged her to stand for council. “Nancy was the only woman on the Queenstown Borough Council and the Lake County Council had never had a woman member.” Once the two merged into the new district council, Kirsty, Margaret McHugh and Wanaka’s Brenda Taylor changed all that. Kirsty served nine years on the council, Mayor John Davies immediately making her community services chair. Very soon after she took on the battle to save the lakefront bathhouse, then just an open shelter, and historic Forester’s Lodge adjoining the old council chambers.

“One of the men on the Lake County Council said they should be pulled down. He reckoned you could lean on the bathhouse and it would fall over,” she says. “I thought, I can’t let this happen.” Kirsty teamed up with local cousin Barbara Simpson’s husband Neill, then the local DOC manager, in a plan which saved the old bathhouse. It was rescued as an architectural office, then became a restaurant.

She even stood for the mayoralty against then Otago MP Warren Cooper in 1995.

Kirsty also later co-chaired Queenstown’s Casino Opposition Action Group. Local community watchdog Margaret Templeton was Kirsty’s neighbour and kept her well informed. Kirsty later served for 12 years on the Margaret Templeton Educational Trust.

A founding member of Citizen’s Advice Bureau in 1989, Kirsty both worked and volunteered there for 17 years.

As a lay minister for 30 years at St Peter’s Anglican Church, she was once greeting people at the door when confronted by a Sydney male who refused to come in once he realised a woman was preaching. “That same service I had a wonderfully encouraging American Bishop in the congregation who was so excited for me.”

A Justice of the Peace since 1996, Kirsty was urged to become a marriage celebrant, and conducted everything from Japanese and Australasian wedding blessings to weddings for locals and overseas visitors. “I once had a bride called Yoko Ono and another groom called James Bond. He’d been jailed for a night while travelling in Eastern Europe as they wouldn’t believe it was his real name,” she laughs. “It was so much fun, being flown to the top of the Remarkables in a helicopter.”

Kirsty became a strong community advocate for Grey Power, serving as president for about five years, and a member of the Frankton Community Association committee. Her massive vegetable garden has fed many in need and there’s been a bit of time for travel with partner climate scientist Dr Jim Salinger.

This year Kirsty was awarded a QSM on the King’s Birthday Honours list for more than 30 years of contribution to community initiatives.

Kirsty, centre, with fellow district councillor Margaret McHugh, left, and Otago Regional Council chairwoman Louise Rosson, right, at the opening of the regional council offices in Queenstown in the early 1990s

Kirsty with some of the bounty she shares with the community

Tit bits Tit bits

FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Wild comedy ‘Poor Things’ wins top prize at Venice Festival

“Poor Things”, a gothic, sex-charged comedy directed by Greece’s Yorgos Lanthimos, won the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday, 9 September.

Starring Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe and Mark Ruffalo, the Britishmade film wowed festival-goers with its zany story of a woman reanimated after suicide by a mad doctor who replaces her brain with that of her unborn baby.

Childlike but with an adult’s body, Stone’s character Bella Baxter grows increasingly independent and excited by her sexual experimentations as she undertakes a voyage of self-discovery through a surreal version of 19th century Europe.

Reuters

At Case Western, student activists want the administration to move more decisively on climate change

As the autumn semester approaches, student groups at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland continue pushing for divestment from fossil fuels, among other environmentally conscious measures, as part of a larger movement that has extended throughout the nation’s college campuses.

Over 100 colleges and universities in the United States have been led by student organizations in committing to divest from fossil fuels and work toward more environmentally friendly practices.

In September 2021, Harvard University President Lawrence Bacow announced that the university would no longer invest in fossil fuel companies and that all legacy investments were in “runoff mode.”

The decision came after nearly a decade of pressure, including protests and legal complaints, from student organizations like Divest Harvard. The University of California announced in 2020 that it had completely divested its portfolio from fossil fuels after a number of student protests and, in 2022, students from Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT and Vanderbilt filed legal complaints urging their schools to divest from fossil fuels.

Inside Climate News

High-speed AI drone beats world-champion racers for the first time

Last Wednesday, a team of researchers from the University of Zürich and Intel announced that they have developed an autonomous drone system named Swift that can beat human champions in firstperson view drone racing. While AI has previously bested humans in games like chess, Go, and even StarCraft, this may be the first time an AI system has outperformed human pilots in a physical sport.

FPV drone racing is a sport where competitors attempt to pilot highspeed drones through an obstacle course as fast as possible. Pilots control the drones remotely while wearing a headset that provides a video feed from an onboard camera, giving them a first-person view from the drone’s perspective.

Arstechnica

Spring: Week One - Fertiliser

Spring came with a bang, fruit trees are in full blossom, and hopefully we can have a few weeks with a minimum number of hard frosts so we can get some great fruit this year. I’d love to see some apricots, we’ve not had any for a few years now. This could be the year when you want to make sure your irrigation is up and running with a spring forecast for lots of wind, high temperatures and possibly very little rain. This is after a very dry winter. The ground is already dry.

There has never been a better time to start a veggie garden, with the soaring costs of veggies. You don’t have to go big in year one. Repurposing pots, buckets and bins you can easily create veggie beds for very little cost, especially if you have a small garden or balcony. If you’ve got space, start with one or two beds and expand each year as you grow in confidence. Not everything works and that’s not always of your doing. What’s the crop you’re going to try to master this year? For me, I’m going all out on growing great carrots! Not the usual stumpy ones of the past few years, a result ironically of growing good fertile soil. Carrots like it a bit hungry. If you’re unsure how to start or need some compost gardening tips, drop me a message on the Dr Compost Facebook page.

Here are three free garden fertilising tips that won’t cost you a cent (almost). So here goes.

1. Free (almost) fertiliser for your garden all year round. Interested? Bokashi buckets are a fantastic way to turn all your food scraps into fertiliser. You will be amazed at the size and quality of your homegrown produce. A great composting system that takes all your food scraps, bones, citrus, etc.

2. You may put your nose up at this one, but urine is free fertiliser number two. Ye old ‘pee on a lemon tree’ has a lot of merit. Urine is a sterile liquid and is full of nitrogen and phosphorus. Dilute 10:1 before using. At the very minimum you could be putting it into your compost heap. Make sure there’s plenty of carbon rich ingredients in there. Use the compost to feed your large growing veggies.

3. Weed tea is free fertiliser number three [Ed note: Don’t drink it!]. Those weeds keep coming back again and again. Chucking your weeds into a big bucket or bin full of water and letting them rot down gives you a strong fertiliser brew that needs to be diluted 10:1. You also need lots of organic matter / carbon in your soil to use liquid fertilisers. Keep topping up with weeds and water for a continuous supply. Especially good for those heavy feeders / big veggies growing in the garden.

Happy composting and gardening.

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 |

FOUND

Unclaimed items sitting at the Police Station, at 11 Camp Street, this week include:

•SILVER RING with link pattern around outside

•DUSTY GREY coloured purse ‘Charles and Keith’ brand

•GAO TENGLEI – cardholder

•WHITE IPHONE with capital ‘N’ on back of black case

•THOMAS FURBY – cardholder

•SCOTT IRELAND – Air pods and keys

•RED AND BLACK WALLET possible owners H. CURRIE-MOORE or ZOE ROBERTSON

•ALEX BOHM – wallet

•SOUL MAHER – drink bottle and keys

•GOLD AND DIAMOND RING, located by Queenstown Wharf

•ATTICUS REESMA-HICKS - Wallet

Everything Else For Sale

SHOES UNLIMITED HAS SOME AMAZING CLEARANCE ITEMS available now - ladies shoes, boots, scarves and bags - open 7 days in the Queenstown Central Shopping Centre at Frankton

QUEENSTOWN DHARMA CENTRE, 12 LAKE ST. WED (20 Sept), @ 6:30pm, “The Four Limitless Qualities” with Grant Rix; SUN (24 Sept), @ 10am, “Cultivating Awareness Practice” followed by “Social Sunday.” All sessions are free with dana for the centre/ teacher gratefully accepted. For session details, see dharmacentre. org.nz or FB.

AT THE WORLD’S EDGE MUSIC FESTIVAL, 7-20 October, Queenstown Lakes. The classical music festival in the heart of the Southern Alps. Six programmes, free events and international artists. www.worldsedgefestival.com

CRÊPE & SNOW CAME ALL THE WAY from Haast, West Coast to Queenstown for the winter until 27 September. You can find us in Isle Street. We are here to take you to France with our French crêpes and to Hawaï with the famous Shaved Ice (the only place in Queenstown where you can eat a yummy yellow snow).

FREE SHREDDED HORSE POO. PICK UP ARROW Junction. We can help loading with the tractor. Text Letti 02102412505

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD. FILL A SHOEBOX OR donate individual gifts, for children in the Pacific. Leaflets/boxes at Salvation Army, Fresh Choice, Orphan’s Aid shop near BP or ph Sharon 0276427575. Return by October 20. operationchristmaschild.org.

DOES ANYONE HAVE AN OLD BULLWORKER THEY want to get rid of? I’d be happy to give you a few bucks in return. ThanksPeter. ALPHECCA@GMAIL.COM

BUSINESS FOR SALE - A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY has emerged to acquire an online store for bulk goods & pantry refills to support consumers on their journey to a more sustainable lifestyle. Genuine interest only. contact: Halie info@honestwholefoodco.co.nz

Trades & Services

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

THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE

DIVINE REALIGNMENT ENERGY HEALING | REIKI HEALING | BI OPTRON LIGHT COLOUR HEALING, to rebalance and re energise PHONE PAULA FOR AN APPOINTMENT - 0211171389

www.naturalhealingpaulapetersen.com

fbnaturalhealingpaulapetersen

WCG AGM

Thursday, 28 September

5.30pm upstairs in the QLDC Council Chambers, 10 Gorge Rd, Queenstown

All welcome!

www.whakatipuwilding.co.nz

Meeting link at www.facebook.com/whakatipuWCG

ANY EXPERIENCED NETWORK MARKETERS OUT THERE? Get in touch please. Let’s connect, come together and run with this amazing opportunity that has arrived into NZ. Contact nzliquidgold@gmail.com. Lets talk!

TRAINBRAIN YOUR

1. In which UK county is the racing circuit of Castle Combe?

2. What is the name of the heroine in Gone With the Wind?

3. Which French word translates as a friendly understanding between states?

4. In what type of building are hops traditionally dried?

5. Matt Smith was the eleventh actor to take on the starring role in which TV series?

6. What is a person summoned for compulsory state military service called?

7. In which war was the comedy series M*A*S*H set?

8. Little Lies was a hit for which group in 1987?

9. Which Russian goldsmith was famous for his jewelled Easter eggs?

10. Which exercise system is known by the surname of the German physical fitness specialist who devised it?

11. Where is the famous Greek oracle site?

12. Which Chinese dish has a name that means “mixed pieces”?

13. The 2016 film Inferno is based on which author’s book of the same name?

14. Which term is used for the peaceful region at the centre of a hurricane?

15. Which Arabian Nights character says “Open, Sesame!”?

16. Of which English county is Ipswich the county town?

17. What was the former name of Beijing?

18. Which car manufacturer's logo is two overlapping Rs?

19. “Shanks’s pony” is a term for which mode of transport?

20. What type of creature is an oryx?

21. Mr Tambourine Man was written by which singer/songwriter?

22. What is the milky liquid obtained from the rubber tree called?

23. In which city is the Louvre art gallery?

24. What is the largest island in the Greek Dodecanese group?

FRONT OF HOUSE TEAM LEADER / EVENTS

This is an opportunity for an outstanding Front of House person to step up and specialise in Events delivery.

We offer:

• Stable team, great culture, positive work environment

• Staff meals and sales bonuses

• Training and Development – including company sponsored WSET training

• Winery, daytime hours, with occasional nights up to 11pm latest. We are looking for an experienced (3 years) Front of House person, with a proven talent for delivering memorable events and group bookings. The role is for a Shift Leader, who has the particular focus and responsibility for pulling together all the details, communicating client requirements to all the teams, event set-up etc. The role reports to the Bistro Manager and works closely supporting the Sales and Events Manager.

Kinross is a fun place to work, we have a great team culture, staff benefits and sales bonuses. Pay range is $27 – $28.20, depending on experience. Minimum weekly hours 30, usually 40.

Please apply with CV and cover letter to nicole@kinross.nz, giving details of your qualifications and experience. Applicants must currently reside in NZ as a NZ citizen, resident or have a valid work visa. Please give details of visa type and expiry. Own transport and accommodation is required.

Are you:

• Ahospitalitysuperstar?

• Reliable,flexibleandable to work

• underpressure?

• Able to workweekendsandevenings?

VACANCIES

Admin Role – Part Time

This is a permanent part-time role to deliver excellent service and a welcoming culture to our residents and visitors. The role includes a range of reception and administration duties as well as providing support for open days and show home tours at Arrowtown Lifestyle Village. The successful candidate will be expected to work up to 20 hours per week, including Saturday 10-4pm.

Mandatory requirements:

• Excellent communication skills

• A pleasant manner and respect for retirees

• Ability to work autonomously as well as part of a team

• Excellent Microsoft Office, Excel skills

• Experience with Xero or a similar accounting package

• Ability to learn new software programmes

• Sound writing ability

• New Zealand residency

• Drivers licence

• Sales/relationship management experience an advantage

Applications with a cover letter and curriculum vitae to robyn@arrowtownretirement.co.nz by Monday 25 September.

RESERVATIONS ROLE

Over The Top – the helicopter company is a tourism company operating in Queenstown in the luxury travel sector providing helicopter excursions throughout Fiordland and New Zealand.

We are looking for a Reservation Specialist, confirming reservations and enquiries as well as supporting the operations team in administrative duties and campaigns.

Established relationships and proven experience within the New Zealand tourism sector are preferred for this position. Role specific training will be provided.

Typical Job Duties & Responsibilities:

• Respond to customer and agent requests, calls & enquiries

• Prepare quotes, reservations, invoices & itineraries

• Follow up on leads through to a successful resolution.

• Maintain booking engines, participation memberships and listings

• Proactively identify opportunities for sales

• Actively participate as a member of the operations, accounts and administration team.

Communication and task updates are expected daily.

Core is compliance with OTT policies, SMS and company culture. We operate seven days a week, and can be flexible about work schedules however this role must cover Wednesday through Saturday. You must already live and have the right to work in New Zealand, be well spoken with excellent communication skills.

Please share details of your experience, interest and CV in application if you feel ready to meet the challenges of this dynamic position by applying to “Reservations” by email to projects@flynz.co.nz before 28th September.

Send your cover letter and CV to: dorothy@dorothybrowns.com

AND philippa.arch@gmail.com

by Monday 25 September

Delight our guests with your ve-star service!

Are you an experienced hospitality professional who values a supportive and caring culture and wants to work with an exceptional team of friendly people? We’re recruiting for the following positions, and we’d love to hear from you:

• Chefs

• Kitchenhand (part-time)

• Hotel Duty Manager

• Maintenance Handyperson

• Guest Activities Co-ordinator

• Night Porter

Visit our careers website: careers.therees.co.nz for full details about these exciting opportunities. Applications from New Zealand citizens / residents are highly encouraged.

CHEF

Farelli’s by Giovi restaurant located in the heart of Queenstown. This is an exciting opportunity to become part of a small professional team with a focus on homemade pasta & pizza.

Great work environment

Full time position – nights only – bonuses!!

Excellent $$

Min 2yrs experience in a busy kitchen

ASSISTANT RESTAURANT MANAGER

Paper Plus Queenstown Airport is looking for a fun, reliable and responsible person to join our team. Retail experience is a plus, but not necessary. It is important you are able to work in a busy team environment. The role is five consecutive days a week including weekends.

If you think this sounds like you, please send your CV to queenstownairport@paperplus.co.nz

Is currently seeking all positions from KITCHEN MANAGER to KITCHEN HAND

Wages $25-$30+ based on skill and start date

If you're interested in joining one of Queenstown's iconic restaurants and bars email your CV to chris@smithscraftbeer.co.nz or apply in person.

Must be legally allowed to work/ hold a valid work permit. We are an accredited employer.

A minimum of 1 year’s restaurant experience, with a passion and understanding of Italian food and wine.

Daily duties require:

* Providing excellent customer service.

* Managing bookings reservations, greeting guests, and taking orders.

* Planning and organising special functions.

* Monitoring and complying with the sale and supply of alcohol act.

This position requires -

Excellent presentation and personality, with a team player attitude.

Current LQC and manager’s certificate advantageous.

Applicants for this position should have NZ residency or a valid NZ work visa. Please email C.V. to info@giovifinefood.co.nz

Chef de Partie

Sherwood is looking for a CDP to join our Two Hat restaurant. Founded around sustainability & seasonality with a large kitchen garden, exceptional food & natural wines this is an awesome opportunity for a driven, professional chef to join our team.

Email chris@sherwoodqueenstown.nz if interested.

Senior Waitstaff

Sherwood is looking for senior waitstaff to join our Two Hat restaurant. Must be a driven hospitality professional with a love of seasonal, locally sourced food and natural wines and know what it is to other consistently exceptional service to our guests. Great team, great renumeration.

Email restaurantmanager@ sherwoodqueenstown.nz if interested.

BallsandBanglesarelookingforpeopletojoinourteam. Ifyouhavealoveofdeliciousfoodandexperienceworkinginafast pacedhospoenvironmentthenwewantyou!

Fulltimeandparttimepositionsavailable,preferablyherelongterm.

FrontofHouse Baristas

Bakers/Chefs

Immediatestartpreferred. Toapply,emailthroughyourCVtoballsandbanglesjobs@gmail.com ordropintoourShotoverStstoreandchattoourfriendlystaff:)

RETAIL ASSISTANT POSITION

We have permanent full-time and part-time hours available to join our small (but mighty) team in our Queenstown Central store at Frankton. Being able to provide exceptional customer service is essential, attention to detail is important, as is self-motivation and computer literacy.

A love of fashion (especially shoes) would be a definite advantage for these roles.

Drop your CV & covering letter including 2 current referees into our store, or email Paula at admin@shoesunlimited.co.nz

VACANCIES

Queenstown Hospitality is hiring multiple roles for FOGO, SOHO, PJ’s Bar and Grill and Arthurs:

Chef De Partie: $28-$30 per hour min 2 years expierience

Cooks Assitant: $28 per hour previous expierience preffered

Duty Manager: $28-$30 per hour min 1 years expierience and an active Managers Certificate

Barista: $28-$30 per hour min 2 years expierience in a fast paced enviroment

Security Officer: $28-$30 per hour Active COA required minimum of 3 years expierience in high end venues

If you have previous expierience in any of these roles and the right skills and licences then send your C.V. and a covering letter to john@qthospitality.co.nz

Priority will be given to NZ Citizens/Residents

Building Labourer Wanted

For full time residential building work. Previous experience in the construction industry is required. Competitive hourly rate. Must have full drivers licence and own reliable transport.

Good spoken English essential.

We are on the lookout for:

Kitchen Roles

Front of house

Senior Bartender/ Duty manager

We’re on the lookout for customer facing superstars to join the Lone Star family! You need a can-do attitude and passion for giving the best service in town! Experience in a busy restaurant is desired but not necessary.

If you’re interested or have any questions, please contact Dave.

daveg@lonestar.co.nz | 0274223565

Rātā Restaurant Chef de Partie/Senior Waitstaff

We are looking for a creative Chef de Partie and Senior Front of House staff. Come and join one of Queenstown's most innovative restaurants and make your mark on the New Zealand food scene!?

This is an opportunity not to be missed - we are a great team with amazing development plans for our staff who are looking to gain more experience in our busy, well established restaurant. Innovation, passion and drive is what we are looking for. You will need some good experience, a can do attitude and and for Front of House amazing sales skills. We have plenty of flexible hours available; work life balance is key right!

Send us your current C.V. and a cover letter hr@gotocollection.co.nz

Contact Mike on 027 566 3489 or email mikekelly@tahunabuilding.co.nz

We're looking for a Reception SuperStar!

One of Queenstown's best hostels is looking for a new team member to join our tight-knit family. We thrive on creating a memorable experience for both our guests and our team, and we're looking for people that share our passion for our region.

A successful candidate will enjoy:

• An energetic & dynamic work environment

• Full time role with 32hrs+ per week

• Competitive starting wage / 6-monthly review

• Monthly bonus structure

• Rostering set in advance to enable free-time planning

• The opportunity to work, learn new skills & socialise within a great team

• Opportunities to experience Queenstown's best tours for free!

• Friends & family discounts on accommodation

An ideal candidate for each role will have excellent communication skills, an outgoing personality, a keen eye for detail, and decent computer competency. You'll also need a valid work visa, residency or citizenship.

Please email chris@absoloot.co.nz with your CV or to find out more about your preferred role!

WALTER PEAK HORSE TREKKING GUIDES

Both full & part-time positions available. Awesome job opportunity for someone that loves both horses & the outdoors.

• Must have experience with horses, be hard-working, energetic with exceptional customer service.

• Current First Aid Certificate required OR the ability to obtain one.

• Prepared to work weekends.

• Start 1st week of July

• Fluent English required

Please send a CV to Lloyd.brown@xtra.co.nz

Full Time Bartender Wanted

Were looking for a new bartender to join our team at Harry’s Pool Bar

• Experience preferred but not essential as full training is given.

• Competitive rates of pay

• Company discounts across NZ & Aus

• Must have NZ work rights

If this sounds like you or then please pop in with your CV and speak to Andy or one of the team.

EXPERIENCEDROOFERS

Wearelookingfordedicated ExperiencedRooferstojoinour highlymotivatedandbusyteams.

Benefitsforyou

•Positiveworkenvironmentand socialclub

•Competitivepayrates

•Trainingopportunities

•Footwear&Toolallowances

Whatwearelookingfor

•Haveatleast2years'experience

•Attentiontodetailsandmaintain highqualityofstandards

•Communicatewithstaffand clientseffectively

•Beorganised, trustworthyand reliable

•Agoodlevelofphysicalfitness andhardworking

VACANCIES

Sh��� Y��� Fu���� Wi�� U�

We have incredible opportunities in a variety of roles with shifts and hours that will suit whatever you are looking for across our 3 Queenstown properties.

DUTY MANAGER – MILLENNIUM HOTEL

NIGHT AUDIT/NIGHT PORTER

RECEPTIONIST

ROOM ATTENDANTS

F&B ATTENDANTS

PORTER

TEAM MEMBER WANTED

Love Chicken is hiring!

We're looking for an all-rounder to join our family of fried chicken lovers.

You will be part of a small, fun-loving team delivering stand-out customer service and hand-crafting New Zealand's best fried chicken burgers - be proud of what you serve.

We want to grow our brand in 2024 and we need superheroes like you to help us save the world, through organic fried chicken.

We offer:

+ great rates of pay

+ free staff meals

+ free parking

+ a three or four day working week (if preferred)

All we need is for you to be an all-around great person and have a visa - sorry, sponsorship is not offered.

Stand for something good, love what you eat and email the New Colonel's (Kareem & Darren) at lovechicken@lovechicken.co.nz

R Joe’s Garage Five Mile is looking for someone just like you! Be a part of our bustling restaurant and bar that prides itself on simple, fast and reliable offerings that have us famous all over NZ. Part time & full time positions available.

Joe’s Garage Five Mile operates 7 days 7am till late so you must be available to work rostered hours over these days and times. We offer a competitive remuneration, staff discounts and benefits, plus working at the coolest spots in town. Applicants must have NZ residency or a valid NZ work visa.

To apply visit: gasolinealley.joes.co.nz/careers/ or email your cv to birthes@joes.co.nz

Breakfast Sous Chef

Full time

Conference CDP

Full time

Please apply to: zeus_deboo@evt.com

Operations/ Reservations Manager

A full-time role has become available for Queenstown’s premier wine tour provider. This dynamic role involves the managing of daily reservations and operations. It requires strong communication, team work, customer service, computer proficiency and time management skills. Based in Frankton office working predominantly Mon – Fri. Call for more info or enquire for a job description.

Sarah Russell, General Manager (03) 442 6920 sarah@appellationwinetours.nz

READY FOR TAKE-OFF

JOIN OUR TEAM

Swissport is a global leader of ground handling services and cargo handling in the aviation industry

TEACHERS & RELIEVERS

Do you want to be part of a family that prioritises wellbeing and the collective strength of the team?

We are looking for teachers and relievers who are passionate about providing education and who share in our ideals.

If you have experience with children and would like to be part of a team that believe that a connection to ourselves, each other and our learning

environments both indoors and out, is essential for learning, this is for you!

We work as a cohesive team, but we also recognise that individual talents and interests are golden!

• Flexible hours

• Competitive remuneration

• No working on weekends!

• A great environment, full of amazing humans who want to make an impact.

NZ’s #1 Original Zipline company is looking for adventurous people to join our team.

Are you....

• Highly organised with excellent attention to detail?

• Passionate about the environment and selling a sustainable product?

• A team player

• Enthusiastic and motivated with great interpersonal skills

AVIATION JOBS QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND

§ Ramp Handling Agents

§ Baggage Handling Agents

§ Customer Services Agents

SCAN THE CODE TO APPLY NOW

• Excited to share our eco journey. We are looking for:

Guest Services Agents

Someone who’ll brighten anyone's day with a smile and is excited and enthusiastic to connect with others and works well within a dynamic team.

Tour Guides

Our Tour Guides are responsible for delivering an unforgettable experience for all our guests.

we’re hiring! venue manager

The Frankton Arm is the Local’s Local. A busy venue with great beer, great food, gaming, sports & a community feel. We’re looking for a Venue Manager to take the reins & really become the heart of the place. You’ll be the kind of person that always puts customers first, loves great beer, enjoys good yarn & makes friends with all the familiar faces with a passion for hospitality.

It’s a job with a lot to it, you’ll be in charge of hitting targets, managing the team, following & implementing procedures, organising functions, preparing KPIs, rostering & managing stock.

Sound like you? To apply please email hr@republicqt.co.nz with a CV & cover letter. We look forward to hearing from you!

CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER jet boat driver

Whether you’re already a skilled Jet boat driver or have what it takes to become one; we have an exciting opportunity for a Jet boat driver to join the world’s first commercial Jet boating company.

This is not just a job; it's a lifestyle. You'll be part of a close-knit team, sharing your love for adventure with people from all walks of life. We want passionate individuals who thrive in high-energy environments.

If you're ready to live life in the fast lane, possess some mechanical knowledge, and have a burning desire for adventure, then come and join our team of adrenaline junkies!

For entry level Jet boat drivers, we have a comprehensive training program and so a two-year fixed term contract will apply.

KJet thrill customers year-round, so this full-time position will include weekend and public holiday work.

For more information and to apply please email your CV to brett@kjet.co.nz

CELLAR DOOR HOST

We are looking for the right people (both full and part-time) to join our Cellar Door team at the Chard Farm winery in Gibbston. The Cellar Door Host position involves all aspects of hosting tastings, sales, cellar door club, wine dispatch and website/internet orders. Become part of a fun team at one of Central Otago’s leading, family owned, pioneering wineries.

Position requirements:

• A passion for wine and customer service and ability to deliver an interesting and unique tasting experience.

• Able to convert positive experience into wine sales

• Basic computer skills are essential

• Good wine knowledge and a keen interest in wine desirable

• A duty manager qualification would be an advantage

• Able to work some weekend days

If you are interested and have the suitable skills, we'd love to meet you! Please send your CV to admin@chardfarm.co.nz. Any questions call Fi on 03 4426110

Note: Applicant must be a NZ resident or have the ability to work permanently in NZ and should possess the attributes and skills outlined above.

VACANCIES

SEASONAL QUEENSTOWN POSITIONS FROM EARLY OCTOBER 2023 TO MID APRIL 2024

Ultimate Hikes are the exclusive operators of multi day guided walks on the famous Milford & Routeburn Tracks. We are guardians of the environment we operate in. We are leaders in the safety and education of visitors to the region and we are responsible for the health, safety and wellbeing of the people who live and work there on our behalf. We take this commitment very seriously and pledge that everything we do will be in keeping with our own Tiaki Promise - caring for people and place.

We are looking for great people to work with us guiding on track and in the Ultimate Hikes Centre Queenstown – applications are open for:

GUIDES

GUEST SERVICES ATTENDANTS

Visit our website for more information and to apply online ultimatehikes.co.nz/plan-your-walk/employment/ Applicants must have the right to work in New Zealand until mid April 2024. Applications close 30 September but we will shortlist applicants for interview as applications are received so

Apply Now!

Planners

Senior & Intermediate Roles

HOTEL FRONT OFFICE CO-ORDINATOR

• 14 Room Boutique Vineyard Hotel

• Have the time to build relationships and experiences for guests

• Rostered on the same days every week, 8.30 – 5.00. No night shifts and no rotating shifts!

We are looking for a Front Office superstar to join our team, to welcome and care for our in-house guests. We are proud of our 500+, 5-star Trip Advisor reviews, where our staff feature prominently in creating memorable experiences for guests.

We are a small hotel, so this role is a combination of front and back office responsibilities. As well as being the first impression of our brand, you will manage our reservation system, all guest communications, agent relationships, dynamic rates, OTA’s etc.

This is a full time, permanent role. You will be rostered on the same days every week and will work every weekend. No night shifts and no rotating shifts! Minimum of 30 hours and usually 40 hours per week. $27 – 29 per hour, depending on experience. You will have:

• Exceptional communication and problem solving skills

• A minimum of 3 years’ experience in a similar role in a large or 5 star hotel

• A personality that is engaging and guest focused

• Ability to maintain focus and attention to detail in a busy environment

• A high level of written and spoken English and impeccable personal grooming

• Skills with Microsoft office suite of products, in a Mac environment Kinross is a fun place to work, we have a stable team and have been fully staffed since last summer. We have a great team culture, staff meals and benefits, including a Wine Training programme, paid for by the company, up to WSET Level 2.

Please apply with CV and cover letter to katie.b@kinross.nz, giving details of your qualifications and experience. Applicants must currently reside in NZ as a NZ citizen, resident or have a valid working visa. Please give details of your right to work in NZ including visa type and expiry. Own transport and accommodation is required.

Develop professionally and as a leader, using your exceptional interpersonal skills to build strong relationships with clients and colleagues.

Roles & Duties: Lead resource consent applications and other planning projects • Manage diverse local projects for successful outcomes • Collaborate in teams for high-quality client work.

Key Responsibilities: Supervise resource consent applications and other planning projects • Foster client and stakeholder relations • Ensure transparent team communication • Offer expert planning advice

• Proactively update and support clients.

Full job details: www.ppgroup.co.nz/planners

Apply with CV to:

Queenstown: steve.winter@ppgroup.co.nz, (03) 441 4715

Wanaka/Cromwell: duncan.white@ppgroup.co.nz, (03) 443 0110

PATERSONPITTS

CHEFS WANTED

Opening at Country Lane this December, SUNDAYS is a wood-fired eatery (and drinkery) in a stunning restored church with lots of natural light!

We are looking for an exceptional team of good people to help us build this little beauty from the ground up.

If you're keen to play a pivotal role in this exciting new venture, praise be!

Please email your CV with a cover letter to hello@wearesundays.co.nz

@wearesundaysqt www.wearesundays.co.nz

VACANCIES

Love food? Love events? Love In2Food!

Looking for variety and to work as part of a team?

We are a popular Queenstown based catering company in search of some fresh faces for another big season of events at exclusive venues and our prep kitchen in Frankton.

Our catering business is looking for the following to join our team for another busy season:

• Dishwasher / Kitchen hand

This role can be full time, part time or casual. Flexible roster. Great on shift meals.

Rewarded with a great hourly rate.

You must be in New Zealand with the right to work legally in New Zealand with a current visa.

Own transportation is a plus.

If this sounds like a position that you want to get your hands on then send your application including CV to thilo@in2food.co.nz

The Dishery in Arrowtown are seeking a Commie Chef, Kitchen Porter or similar ambitious trainee to join our team. This role will also suit someone looking to return to the work force in a part-time or full-time capacity. You would be working in a small team under skilled and creative chefs. You will learn food preparation, help with deliveries, stock rotation, washing dishes, kitchen cleaning and maintenance, training and learning all aspects of kitchen operations. This is a great opportunity to learn from the best and further your culinary career. Part-time or full-time available.

If this opportunity appeals, please send your expression of interest to scott@thedishery.co.nz

FRONT OF HOUSE ROLES

• Business is fully staffed and now gearing up for summer

• Daytime, winery hours

• Stable team, great culture, positive work environment

• Staff meals and sales bonuses

• Training and Development – including company sponsored WSET training

We are looking for a fun, enthusiastic food and beverage professionals for our Winery Bistro. You need to have a can-do attitude, love people and have a minimum of 1 years front of house experience, preferably with barista skills and wine knowledge.

Kinross is a fun place to work, we have a great team culture, staff benefits and sales bonuses. We have full time, part-time, fixed term and permanent roles available.

Please apply with CV and cover letter to david.m@kinross.nz, giving details of your qualifications and experience. Applicants must currently reside in NZ as a NZ citizen, resident or have a working holiday visa. Own transport and accommodation is required.