There’s been huge interest – and a fair amount of angst – among the community and media recently about Council’s Shotover Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP).
I totally acknowledge and understand why any change in how we dispose of wastewater has generated so much attention. It has also generated a fair amount of disinformation which has caused extra, unnecessary angst. It’s been a challenging and highly technical situation that none of us want to be in and I do agree that, early on, information wasn’t as timely as it could have been. To be clear, Council takes our environmental responsibility very seriously – it’s the bedrock of our wellbeing.
The fact is that receiving everything that goes down our toilets, treating it effectively and releasing what’s left into the environment is something all local authorities have to manage.
When it doesn’t meet the required standard the appropriate regulator steps in. In our case that’s Otago Regional Council (ORC) which has issued an enforcement order for QLDC to meet its resource consent conditions. This is what we have taken steps – and made real progress – to achieve.
Shotover is a modern, efficient, well-operating treatment plant as our testing results show. The first samples taken on 31 March, straight after the switch to direct discharge to the river, showed E.coli levels below 10cfu (colonyforming units) per 100ml. This compares to QLDC’s consent limit of less than 260cfu/100ml, which also happens to be the nationally accepted safe level for contact recreation.
We’ve started publishing test results on our website and this will continue. There’s heaps more about how we test along with some comprehensive FAQs also online.
As these explain, recent issues have been with the adjacent disposal field which has never been part of the treatment process. We first flagged these issues with the community in August 2021. Since then, we’ve been trialling and implementing a number of measures to improve its performance, none of which have worked satisfactorily.
One of the key issues has been increased ponding water (due to the disposal field draining to groundwater slower than it was being topped up) attracting an increasing number of waterfowl. In turn, this posed an elevated risk to aircraft operations.
Hence Council’s use of emergency works provisions under the Resource Management Act and our application for a retrospective resource consent from ORC. This has not been an easy decision, but it is a responsible course of action for Council to take on behalf of all residents, ratepayers and stakeholders including the airport.
I encourage everyone to get a true picture about the past, present and future of Shotover WWTP by visiting our website at www.qldc.govt.nz/shotoverFAQs Queenstown Lakes Mayor Glyn Lewers
It was acceptable in the 80s... Stephanie Lacey’s 80s-themed 40th birthday party proved to be one of the best bashes of the weekend in Queenstown, held in the beautiful hills above Lake Johnson
Glover vows ‘hard reset’ for QLDC
by Paul Taylor
It’s shaping up to be an explosive race to be the next mayor of Queenstown Lakes.
Well-known local John Glover has announced he will square off against embattled incumbent Glyn Lewers in the October elections, for one of the most difficult jobs in local politics.
And he began his campaign with a blistering rebuke of QLDC under Lewers, saying its relationship with the community is broken.
“There needs to be a hard reset to change that, restore community confidence and return the balance of power back to communities via their elected representatives,” Glover says.
“I will campaign to restore openness and trust, and hope to partner with candidates who also seek to restore a functioning democracy in this district.” Glover owns Kinloch Wilderness Retreat and has long been involved with the Shaping Our Future community group.
Three times he’s tried to get elected as a councillor, standing unsuccessfully in 2013 and 2019, and again in the Arrowtown-Kawarau by-election in 2023, after the resignation of Neeta Shetty. He lost out to Cr Melissa White. But now, he’s going for the top job, and has detailed his policies he hopes will strike a cord with many.
Fresh from the angry public protest against treated wastewater being dumped into the Shotover River, he vows to bring in a Crown observer to investigate QLDC’s handling of the crisis - plus other controversial projects like Lakeview, the $128m arterial road, and the stalled Project Manawa. He’s also pledged to make sure any new council HQ is built in Frankton,
not the Project Manawa site downtown, making it more accessible for the majority of locals.
Glover is planning to rewrite the rulebook on council meetings, promising people will be allowed to speak in public forums without having to attend in person, shaking up the casting vote system, and other changes.
And he wants more input from Wānaka residents, a review of council consultation, and the setting up of a quasi-independent Information Office, to enable speedier and fuller responses to information requests from councillors and the public.
“Trust is something that is earned, and we don’t need another expensive consultants’ report to place a spin on uncomfortable realities: that’s so symptomatic of the problem,” he says.
“We just need to make the necessary changes. Success will be when the community has our back, rather than being on our back.
“Of course there are many, many other pressing issues that need addressing, but first and foremost Council needs to regain the support and trust of the ratepayers and residents.”
Council seat snatched
Booming Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago have been awarded an extra seat on Otago Region Council, at the expense of Dunedin.
The Dunstan ward, which covers the two growth areas, will now have four councillors around the table, while Dunedin’s representation is slashed from 6 to 5 councillors.
ORC is responsible for managing freshwater, public transport, air quality, natural hazards, harbours, and regional land use planning across Otago.
The Local Government Commission dropped its ruling last week. The changes will be in place for the October elections.
Gloves off ... John Glover is the first candidate to announce he will take on Glyn Lewers in October
LUMA’s next chapter
by Paul Taylor
LUMA is spreading its wings into Kiwi Park with an immersive night walk through winter each year, after bringing in new investment.
Screentime New Zealand, the company behind Queenstown’s new wet-weather film studios, Remarkable Studios, has come onboard as partners to take the arts and culture festival into its next chapter.
Organisers of the hugely popular festival announced in December they were pulling pin on the 2025 event due to rising costs and logistical difficulties. It welcomed more than 30,000 people to Queenstown Gardens across King’s Birthday last year.
Now the plan is for Screentime New Zealand, part of content powerhouse Banijay Entertainment, to run the family-friendly night-time experience annually across June, July and August, in the five-acre wildlife conservation sanctuary (formerly Kiwi Birdlife Park), in Brecon Street.
Tickets for LUMA Enchanted will go live on 25 April. It will combine light and sound artist installations with expert story-telling for Luma’s trademark sensory experience, centred around New Zealand’s unique wildlife.
And Screentime New Zealand CEO Philly de Lacey isn’t ruling out the possibility of the festival one day returning to the Gardens.
“We’re helping to evolve LUMA because it had reached the point where is was not particularly sustainable,” she says.
“But we love it... that’s why we wanted to get involved. So watch this space and if we can make it work, we’ll certainly be looking to see what we can do in the future, and bring LUMA, or a version of it, back to the Gardens at some stage.”
de Lacey says the work Queenstown’s SILO team has done in creating LUMA is “absolutely phenomenal”.
“It’s something really precious for Queenstown and we really want to retain that ethos and continue to work with them into the future to see what LUMA could become,” she says.
“It’s going to be one step at a time but it will be our creative brains partnering with their team and their creative brains.”
As an annual activation, each year it will receive a creative overhaul to ensure continued originality in concept.
Visitors can expect the experience to take roughly 45 minutes to one hour, with the residency transforming the park’s visitor experience and also bringing added exposure and support to one of Queenstown’s most important conservation hubs, home to 20 species of native birds and reptiles.
Kiwi Park GM Richard Wilson says: “Kiwi Park is passionate about protecting and showcasing New Zealand’s native wildlife, and LUMA Enchanted is a fantastic way to highlight this in a completely new light.
“Partnering with LUMA and Screentime New Zealand allows us to combine conservation with creativity, offering a unique experience that brings the park to life in an immersive way. This event will not only provide visitors with a magical journey through our landscape but also support our ongoing conservation efforts. We’re excited to see the park transformed and to share this special experience with the community and visitors alike.”
LUMA Enchanted will engage local artists and support local businesses, education, and creative networks, de Lacey adds.
Screentime New Zealand, which mainly focuses on scripted television programmes, first got involved with LUMA capturing footage for ‘A Remarkable Place to Die’ at LUMA24.
The move will be supported by the team at Banijay Live, Banijay Entertainment’s dedicated live event and experiences business, with the view to long-term international roll-out.
Tourism beyond Queenstown
Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston is punting another $2.45 million towards events that encourage tourists to travel beyond Queenstown. Upston launched the second round of the Regional Events Promotion Fund last week, while attending the University of Otago Tourism Policy School in Queenstown.
The aim is to spread the love, and economic benefit, to other areas of NZ during off-peak seasons, outside of the tourism centres of Queenstown, Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Hamilton.
While Queenstown won’t benefit directly, three Wānaka events were among the 132 funded with $2.37m in the first round, in July 2024. Wheels at Wānaka
received $29,500, Challenge Wānaka Festival of Triathlon $28,000, and At The World’s Edge Festival $21,500.
“Tourism is a crucial part of this Government’s focus on economic growth, with domestic and international tourism expenditure at almost $38 billion and supporting nearly 200,000 jobs,” she says.
“We also know we need to see visitors in regions outside our main cities, and outside peak periods. Hosting exciting local events is one of the best ways we can do this.”
It’s funded from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy. Applications are open.
Screentime New Zealand CEO Philly de Lacey
A test run in Kiwi Park
Community planting day
CRIMELINE
by Sue Fea
LAKES WEEKLY POLL
LWB regularly polls locals on issues affecting our region. This week’s responses are below.
Havoc on Hawthorne
A 44-year-old Queenstown driver was treated by paramedics and taken to Lakes District Hospital with head injuries after allegedly smashing into a lamppost in his vehicle, knocking it out of the ground, carrying on to hit a roadside pedestrian barrier and coming to rest up on the grass berm, just before 9am last Saturday.
The accident, at the Purple Ash Avenue intersection with Hawthorne Drive, caused extensive damage and Police enquiries are continuing while they await the results of a blood alcohol test taken at the time, Haggart says.
To add to the trouble in Hawthorne Drive this past week, Police are also awaiting a blood alcohol result after a 39-year-old Queenstown man crashed his vehicle into a store window near Ramada Hotel at Remarkables Park at 9pm on Friday, 28 March. He’s been charged with driving in a dangerous manner and appeared in the Queenstown District Court on Monday, remanded on bail to reappear on 9 May.
An intoxicated 28-year-old Auckland man, who was sleeping on the roadside in Frankton’s Hawthorne Drive, just after 2pm on Tuesday, 1 April, was spoken to and arrested for historic fraud. Sergeant Tracy Haggart says he will appear in the Queenstown District Court on 7 April.
Motorcyclist injured – driver charged
A 61-year-old Queenstown man has been charged with careless driving causing injury after alleged turning his vehicle in front of a 36-year-old Queenstown male motorcyclist causing him to fall off his bike and suffer a broken ankle and foot injury. The accident happened as the 61-yearold driver was turning his vehicle off Hensman Road into Highview Terrace shortly before 3pm on Saturday, 29 March. He appeared in the Queenstown District Court on Monday and has been remanded on bail to reappear on 9 May.
Drug utensils found
A 49-year-old Nelson man was located on Frankton Beach, just before 2pm on Sunday, 30 March, where he was found with drug utensils in his vehicle, including a pipe, and arrested on a warrant for a number of petrol thefts in the Nelson and Christchurch areas. Haggart says the man appeared in the Queenstown District Court on Monday and has been remanded in custody to reappear in the Nelson District Court on 15 April.
A couple of cowboys
Police are looking for two men, possibly in their early 20s, who were unlawfully in a building, observed on CCTV footage to have entered the Queenstown Event Centre at 11.30pm on Saturday, 29 March. Haggart says one of the males was wearing a cowboy hat and black top, both of them in dark coloured clothing. They appeared to have entered through an insecure door and were likely disturbed by cleaners and departed, she says.
Checkpoints net
drink drivers
Police checkpoints netted four drink drivers in Queenstown and Arrowtown on Friday, 28 March – the highest, a 26-year-old Queenstown man allegedly clocked at 760mcg on Jack Hanley Drive just after 10pm. He will appear in the Queenstown District Court on 7 April.
Road Policing Sergeant Dylan Hannah-Jones is urging people who are going out for after work drinks to plan their trip home and leave their car behind. “It is never worth the risk, so if you’re ever in doubt about driving after a few drinks, just don’t,” Hannah-Jones says. “Police will be out there breath testing, any time and anywhere.”
An alleged drink driver was also picked up in Beach Street, clocking 538mcg just before 2am on Saturday, 29 March.
Do you support QLDC's discharge of treated wastewater into the Shotover River?
Yes - 10%
No - 68%
It's complicated - 20%
I don't have an opinion on this - 3%
Would you luge to work if possible?
Yes, absolutely - 31%
No chance - 39%
Not applicable - 30%
Will you be trying some of this year’s fresh hopped beers?
Yes, I look forward to it every year - 31%
No, I don’t like beer - 43%
I’m not sure what fresh hopped beer is - 27%
Should people be able to sue companies over climate change damage?
Yes, let the courts decide if they are at fault - 46%
No, there are too many causes of climate change - 39%
Climate change doesn’t exist - 7%
I don't have an opinion on this - 8%
Were Red Bull right to demote Kiwi driver Liam Lawson?
Yes, he blew his chance - 9%
No, it's only been two races. Harsh - 48%
Who? What? - 18%
I don't have an opinion on this - 25%
There were 151 respondents this week. If you would like to take part: you can sign up on the LWB Facebook page.
We like to think you know about our service, but we realised this is sometimes not the case so, to enlighten you to who we are and what we do, I wanted to take this opportunity to give a belated introduction.
Our team is made up primarily of local volunteers, who represent the diverse makeup of our community. Together, the team speak 11 languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, and Cantonese. We are proud to o er a service to everyone, not just citizens. In fact, over 70% of our clients are migrants, and more than 60% of our clients are under 39 years old. This highlights how di icult it can be to navigate today’s world, no matter what your age, and reinforces the importance of the support of real people.
Shotover wastewater plant updates
A comprehensive list of frequently asked questions about Shotover Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is available on our website. There’s also a recording of the media standup we hosted on 26 March to explain more about the past, present and future of the WWTP, and a link to wastewater test results: www.qldc.govt.nz/shotoverFAQs
Don’t bin batteries or vapes!
We o er a range of specialist, free weekly services and Clinics:
• Legal Advice Clinics, including specialist Family Law
• Immigration Advice Clinics, volunteers also help with filling out visa applications for free
• Justice of the Peace Clinic
• Budget Advice
We are not a government-funded organisation - we receive very little financial support from the government. We rely on the generosity of donations, charitable grants, and our council, who provide us with an o ice and a small contribution. Despite these challenges, we continue to grow with over 5,500 client contacts annually, with demand steadily increasing, making us one of the busiest Citizens Advice Bureaus in the country. Our services are confidential and free.
We engage with our community by attending local meetings and discussing important issues like immigration and tenancy. By filling service gaps that other organisations may not cover, we help meet the community’s needs and support those organisations with our expertise.
We operate quietly behind the scenes. The work we do can change people’s lives, and we are incredibly proud of this. This year, particularly we’ve achieved some remarkable outcomes. We’ve helped clients secure ministerial interventions from Immigration NZ and the Department of Education, supported women in family violence situations with visa assistance, and successfully obtained family violence visas. We’ve even secured refunds for multiple migrant clients who were victims of illegal car finance practices. Additionally, our team has provided critical support to clients with employment disputes, o ering everything from initial advice to formal resolutions through the Employment Relations Authority. What we’re saying is, we’re here for you – anytime you need us! And if we don’t have the answer, we’ll connect you with someone who does!
Free, confidential,
www.cab.org.nz
Batteries and vapes, especially those containing lithium, are highly flammable if damaged or mishandled. Please keep them out of rubbish and recycling bins. Household batteries and vapes can be recycled free of charge at Frankton and Wānaka transfer stations.
Apply now for community funding
Are you a community group, charity or not-for-profit organisation seeking funding that supports the wellbeing of our people and our district? Applications are open until 30 April for a year of operational or project funding from QLDC’s Community Fund 2025-2026. Full details at www.qldc.govt.nz/community-fund
Have your say on fees and charges
We want your feedback on proposed new fees and charges for things like sports facilities, parking, Wānaka Airport fees, planning and dog rego. These help ensure Council services remain fair and sustainable. Find out more and have your say before 30 April at https://letstalk.qldc.govt.nz
Overnight closures to Glenda Drive
To enable new pavement between Hardware Lane and Frankton Transfer Station, Glenda Drive is temporarily closed to traffic overnight from 7.00pm-7.00am until Sunday 20 April. It’s open to one lane of southbound traffic during the day and outside of these nightwork hours. More at www.qldc.govt.nz/glenda-drive-rehab
Eligible for a street frontage bond refund?
Did you lodge a street frontage bond as part of your building consent prior to 2017? If you were issued a Code Compliance Certificate (CCC) and haven’t claimed your bond back, you may be eligible for a refund. Complete the application form and submit it using QLDC’s online Community Portal before 30 May: www.qldc.govt.nz/building-services-forms
Workshop to welcome migrant workers
Migrant workers contribute to our economy and become part of our community. Destination Queenstown (DQ) and QLDC’s Welcoming Communities team invite you to an engaging workshop about supporting migrant workers in business with a view to boosting productivity, staff retention and job satisfaction. 9.30-10.30am, 1 May at DQ’s offices in the Mountaineer Building. More info at www.queenstownnz.co.nz/member-hub/member-events
Te Pou Whakawhirinaki o Aotearoa
COMMUNITY NOTES
When times get tough, community steps up
In times of hardship, a little kindness can go a long way. That’s exactly what Queenstown’s volunteer-driven organisation, Baskets of Blessing, strives to provide. Through the generosity of local donors and volunteers, the group delivers unexpected gift baskets, frozen meals, and essential food packs to those facing unforeseen challenges. The recipients, nominated anonymously through the organisation’s website, come from all walks of life, and no vetting or judgment is applied - only compassion.
Hardship knows no boundaries, and those who receive support come from diverse backgrounds and circumstances. Whether due to an accident, illness, bereavement, financial strain, or sheer exhaustion - many in the community find themselves in need at some point. Since the pandemic, these pressures have only intensified. The ongoing strain on mental, physical, and financial well-being has created a cycle where one hardship often triggers another. This has been especially evident among migrant families, some of whom arrive with job offers only to face long visa delays, leaving them without income, accommodation, or support.
At its heart, Baskets of Blessing is about strengthening the community through kindness. Their work not only provides immediate relief but helps people regain stability and dignity. Many recipients describe the support as arriving “at the top of the cliff” - preventing further hardship - rather than being “an ambulance at the bottom.” In turn, those who have received help often go on to give back, volunteering or donating to keep the cycle of generosity going.
A key partnership with KiwiHarvest plays a vital role in the group’s efforts, with volunteers transforming rescued food - once destined for landfill - into nutritious, home-cooked meals. Adaptability is another cornerstone of their success, with volunteers bringing their skills and ideas to refine and expand their reach.
While awareness of Baskets of Blessing has grown, the scale of its impact is often underestimated. In 2024, the organisation distributed 9892 meals through its weekly Thursday service, cooked 9948 meals, provided 1475 food boxes, and delivered 291 gift baskets - all supported by an astonishing 22,425 volunteer hours.
The work is both humbling and inspiring. Time and again, it proves that when a community comes together with generosity and purpose, real change happens. As long as there is need, Baskets of Blessing will continue to rise to the challenge - one meal, one gift, and one act of kindness at a time.
Baskets of Blessing team
Lakes Weekly gives community organisations in Queenstown Lakes the chance to address our readers directly though our Community Notes page. If you’d like to take part, email Jess at info@qmg.co.nz
XS STORAGE
Secure self storage units – various sizes available
Phone: 0800 297 786 | www.xsstorage.co.nz
EASTER ART SALE ARROWTOWN
Saturday 19 April. Local artists work. 99 Cotter Avenue, Arrowtown. 10am to 4pm.
GOINGS ON ABOUT
EVENTS - MUSIC - ART
THEATRE - AT THE GALLERIES
SPORT
Queenstown Parkrun
Parkrun is a free, weekly, non-competitive 5km event that you can walk, jog, run, or volunteer at. Everyone is welcome at parkrun no matter what your fitness level. The event starts in Queenstown Gardens next to the band rotunda at 9am. Register for free at www. parkrun.co.nz/queenstown and print your free barcode. Your barcode will allow you to keep track of your results and grants you access to participate in parkrun events around the world.
When: Every Saturday, 9am – 10am
Where: Queenstown Gardens, 21 Park Street, Queenstown
Easter + King of Cromwell
This wicked event promises high-octane racing action, with the Easter Champs for other grades adding to the excitement. Easter Sunday is set to be an epic showdown as the winged warriors go head to head to find the next King of Cromwell sprintcar driver! Be there to witness the high-speed battles and discover who will emerge victorious. Don’t miss this thrilling spectacle at Central Motor Speedway!
When: Friday, 18 April, and Sunday, 20 April. Gates open at 1pm and action kicks off at 3pm
Where: Central Motor Speedway, off Queenstown-Cromwell Highway SH6, Cromwell
MUSIC
The Red Queen – Arriving in Wonderland
A tale of dreamers, heroes and Madhatters. After sellout performances in 2023 and 2024, Charlotte Graf with her five-piece band Ginger & Tonic, winds back the clock to her arrival to Wonderland almost 30 years ago – to a land where there were no traffic lights, road cones or theatres! A wonderful land where she first discovered the delights of song and futterwacking.
When: Thursday, 17 April, 6.30pm – 7.30pm
Where: The Blue Door, 18 Buckingham Street, Arrowtown
Whakatipu Music Festival
Easter Weekend 2025 promises to be a festive weekend rich in musical celebrations in remarkable Queenstown. Weaving together Aotearoa’s outstanding emerging artists and international luminaries with local performers, grassroots music initiatives and dedicated local educators, the Whakatipu Music Festival delivers an exhilarating event for visitors and locals. Six major performances at the Queenstown Memorial Centre showcase everything from Bach to Broadway, and classical to jazz over four days from 18-21 April. Community workshops and performances also feature. Tickets on sale at Eventfinda.co.nz start at $15 for students and $49/$59 for adults. To get involved in community workshops and for more information visit: michaelhillviolincompetition.co.nz/ whakatipu-music-festival/
When: Friday, 18 April – Monday, 21 April
Where: Te Atamira, 12 Hawthorn Drive, Queenstown, and Queenstown Memorial Centre, 1 Memorial Street, Queenstown
Community Planting Day
Whakatipu Reforestation Trust members are inviting the entire community to join them at the Slope Hill Reserve this Saturday, as they continue to revegetate the former grazing land with plants that were once common there. They aim to add 1,000 more plants to this establishing site, which they first adopted in 2019 when they started plating the riparian strips along the stream. The event is drop-in style, so join any time you can. Wear sturdy shoes and comfortable outdoor clothing, and bring a pair of gardening gloves and a water bottle. Access is off Speargrass Flats Road only – planting site is on the right hand side of the bike trail, about 1 km along Slope Hill Road.
When: Saturday, 12 April, 9am – 12pm
Where: Slope Hill Road, Queenstown
Queenstown Lakes Libraries’ School Holiday Programme
Something for Others is Queenstown Lakes Libraries’ April School Holiday Programme. They want to celebrate the joy of giving and are asking you to join them as they create heartfelt crafts designed to bring smiles to others. Whether it’s a card, a creation or quality time, let’s use these school holidays to share the love.
When: From 14 – 24 April
Where: Arrowtown, Queenstown and Frankton Libraries
Arrowtown ANZAC Service
Those wishing to join the Parade please assemble at 10am at the Athenaeum Hall, Buckingham Street to march to the Cenotaph for the service at 10.30am. If weather in inclement the service will be held in the AthenaeumHall.
When: Friday, 25 April, 10.30am
Where: The Cenotaph, Durham Street, Arrowtown
Sustainable Periods Workshop
Join Sofia and Charlotte for an interactive community workshop to learn how to manage your periods and menstrual cycle sustainably for greater wellbeing of yourself and the planet. They’ll be diving into ecofriendly menstrual practices and exploring how to approach your menstrual cycle with a holistic mindset. Because managing periods more sustainably is not only good for the earth, it’s also better for our bodies!
When: Wednesday, 9 April, 5.30pm – 7.30pm
Where: Yonder, 14 Church Street, Queenstown
Fresh Hop Showcase ‘25
EVENT
It’s the time of the year again where brewers from North to South get crafty with their brews and deliver some punchy little fresh hop numbers. Breweries from all over the country take over Canyon Brewing’s taps, so join them for an afternoon of beer tasting and live music as they showcase the crème de la crème of New Zealand fresh hop brews.
When: Saturday, 12 April, from 1pm
Where: Canyon Brewing, 1 Arthurs Point Road, Arthurs Point
King’s Day
Get ready to go full Dutch as we celebrate King’s Day – the biggest, boldest, and most orange party of the year at Searchlight Brewery! Join in for a day packed with authentic Dutch food, lively music, and plenty of beer to keep the festivities going. Don your best orange outfit, embrace the fun, and experience King’s Day in Queenstown like never before.
When: Saturday, 26 April, 3pm
Where: Searchlight Brewing, 12 Industrial Place
HOSPOGUIDE
Wednesday Quiz Night Bookings are required. To book contact info@lokalqt.co.nz or ring 03 442 5444
QTMBC End of
is coming... Keep your eyes peeled! Now Pouring @ Atlas Brewery: Double Vision Beer: Hop Circles Hazy NZIPA 6.4% Packed full of fresh Riwaka hops, this new Hazy NZIPA from DvB packs a smooth and juicy punch!
Takeaways available, burgers, ribs, pizzas and more! Order online www.lokalqt.co.nz
Summer Lunch Special $28 BBQ meat platter, dine in or takeaway, Fri, Sat and Sun only 12pm to 5pm
Wednesday Super Pool Comp 9pm Start, Free Entry, $200 Prize
Monday-Saturday NOW OPEN from 1pm daily
Live Music 7 Nights a week
TACO HALF PRICE TACOS UNTIL 9pm
Tuesday SKORA from 9pm $25 SpecialBirra Tacos
Thursday
Drum and Bass Night
Monday & Tuesday Mad Dogs food truck open for lunch
Wednesday Darts & Beers, Social Games Night 6pm - free entry
Tuesday Live Music with Blake 9pm
WING IT
OFF WINGS UNTIL 9pm SMOTHERED OR DRY RUBBED | 21 FLAVOURS
Wednesday Silent Disco 3 DJs | 3 Channels | Free Entry $25 SpecialChicken Parmi
Monday 2 for 1 pizza night
Wednesday Live Music with Je Marco 7.30pm DJ Mitch from 10pm
Friday/Saturday DJ AYEEDEEG, HipHop & RnB tunes 10pm - late Everyday Free Pool
Friday OPEN MIC 6.30-9.30pm, Every Friday, Elle & Alex Music
Thursday Live Music with Blake & Gabby 10pm
Wed-Sat TACOS JAGUAR, Authentic Mexican food, open from 1pm Everyday Locals Loyalty Rewards Everyday Dog Friendly Brewery
Saturday Live Music with The Mandates 10pm
BIG DAWG DAY HALF OFF BIG DAWGS UNTIL 9pm Friday BURGER DEAL $2 OFF ANY BURGER 12pm - 5pm Saturday BREWDAY $5 OFF SELECTED JUGS 12pm - 5pm
Thursday Free Palestine movie night Starts @ 7pm $25 SpecialBBQ Ribs
Wednesday $35 Steak Night
Friday Lennivibe from 9pm
Friday $1 Chicken Wings
Saturday Fromage a Trios From 10pm
Sunday CAESAR SUNDAYS $2 OFF CAESARS & BLOODY MARYS ALL DAY LONG
Sunday Danny Atkinson From 6pm in the beer garden
Everyday $15 Pimms Afternoon Tea
CROWNE PLAZA, GROUND FLOOR, 93 BEACH STREET,
Tuesday to Saturday Happy Hour 4-6pm
QT
Wednesday Sustainable Periods starts @ 5.30pm Silent Disco 3 DJs | 3 Channels Free Entry
Monday TRIVIA NIGHT Every Monday at 6.30pm $200 Total Bar Tabs for 1st & 2nd Place!
Monday DJ Mad from 9pm $25 Burger Special
Everyday Free parking for dining guests
Monday Live Music with TJ 9pm $12 Espresso Martinis, All Day, Everyday Everyday Coffee Happy Hour 50% off when you byo keep cup
Friday Techno from 8pm DJs all night- Free entry
Saturday Powder chutes Album release tour From 9pm
Arts+Culture
An Easter celebration of music
Music lovers, rejoice! Easter Weekend 2025 promises to be a festive weekend rich in musical celebrations for our local community and visitors.
Weaving together Aotearoa’s outstanding emerging artists and internationally-renowned musicians with local performers, the Whakatipu Music Festival is a 'must-do' for the holiday weekend.
Six stunning concerts take place at the Queenstown Memorial Centre over four days from April 18 – 21, showcasing a range of genres in intimate spaces. The inspirational performances are bound to take your breath away.
"Performance experience has been in short supply recently so it's especially important and wonderful that the festival provides such a wide-ranging platform for our finest talent,” pianist Stephen De Pledge says. "We're looking forward to sharing the music with you all, our musicians, audience, supporters and community as you experience exciting performers on the cusp of their careers."
This year the festival has joined with Choirs Aotearoa in bringing several of their artists down to join a massed choir with members of the community. This Rejoice! event brings the festival to a rousing conclusion on Easter Monday as the local community choir performs with festival artists and a live orchestra.
Sing your heart out for Rejoice!
Everyone's invited to take part! Conductors Dr. Karen Grylls and Elise Bradley provide coaching and development in community rehearsals ahead of the performance of The Hallelujah Chorus, O Fortuna, and Ode to Joy supported by members of the National Youth Choir and a live orchestra. Registrations are open and aspiring musicians need not be shy, (you don't have to be Taylor Swift, Dame Kiri Te Kawana or able to read music) just come and enjoy singing with your community.
“We’d really love as many people as possible to join us in celebrating this Easter season with music that touches the heart and thrills the soul,” festival director Anne Rodda says.
A separate workshop on Singing in an Ensemble focuses on blending and other vocal techniques for a choir room. Workshops in piano and strings are aimed at music students and their teachers. Stephen de Pledge and Bernadette Harvey host a piano workshop on the evening of Tuesday, 15 April and Ioana Cristina Goicea and Julian Smiles hold a string workshop on Thursday, 17 April.
Celebrating young artists
Emerging artist and Arrowtown-born Austin Haynes is a countertenor and a poet who will read his translations of Shakespeare into Te Reo Māori at Frankton Library (Thursday evening, 17 April).
"I’m really excited to return to the Whakatipu for wonderful music making with talented colleagues," Austin says. "I’m happy to reunite with old friends,
meet some new ones, and debut new repertoire in the Next Gen 2 concert."
Austin is one of 12 emerging young artists (aged 18-28) who were selected through rigorous auditions to undergo coaching and development from festival artists. Next Gen events also feature young local students from Kinga Krupa Music and Turn Up The Music – giving them an invaluable opportunity to perform on stage.
Young artist and violist Tal Amoore has a deep passion for chamber music.
“There’s something magical about stepping into a rehearsal with musicians who each bring their own ideas and energy and then shaping a piece in real time,” he says.
Tal has performed with NZ Opera and the Royal NZ Ballet and will perform Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's Piano Quintet at Musical Smorgasbord.
"Coleridge-Taylor was only 18 when he wrote this piece, and you can feel the youthful energy bursting through the music.”
Born in New Zealand, Esther Oh picked up violin at age five after deciding piano was “too difficult”. Currently in their second year of conducting and violin at Auckland University, Esther recently performed with the Thailand Philharmonic and held a masterclass for children in impoverished neighbourhoods. Esther is looking forward to Opening Night and playing Eugène Ysaÿe’s Sonato No.1.
"Ysaÿe’s Sonata brims with finesse in an electrifying fusion of Bach’s genius, and the violin’s virtuosic capacity,”Esther says. “Its intensity makes the first movement a heart-racing challenge to play on stage."
Anne Rodda says potential audiences, whether classical music lovers or not, can’t fail to be transported into another world with the skill and passion of these individuals.
"Queenstown is lucky to have this rare calibre of artists on our stage."
Community Draw
by Jessica Allen
On the second Tuesday of each month, Te Atamira hosts its free Community Draw event. It encourages participants to embrace the joy of different approaches to drawing, featuring a range of techniques. The next event is on Tuesday, 8 April, and will be hosted by textile designer Lucy Jerram. Jerram will lead the night, focusing on surface pattern drawing. The events have been running for around a year and a half now, and the atmosphere has continued to remain the same throughout – just a bit of fun with no expectations.
“I see the Community Draw nights as a really great way for people to come and literally just put pencil to paper, not knowing anything,” Jerram says. “So they’re a chance for people to try something out in a really friendly environment – no judgement, no particular result expected.”
She will share her personal love of pattern and lead a fun hands-on exercise where you will create the structure of your own seamless repeating pattern. Her interest in repeating patterns comes from seeing them around us – all the time – on printed fabrics, wallpapers, and packaging.
“I think that pattern is something that humans are kind of intrinsically interested in, so I’ve spent several years learning about different kinds of patterns and how to create those from my own drawings. I just find it so satisfying – I’d really love to share that with other people.”
Formerly the curator at Te Atamira, Jerram’s career has also spanned commercial interior design, exhibition development and surface pattern design for fabrics, carpet and stationery. She’s worked at Te Papa, Auckland Art Gallery, and is involved with Wānaka Arts Society and working at Wānaka library. She originally
trained at Wellington Polytechnic and has recently started dabbling in Adobe Illustrator, which has helped to develop her art and patterns.
“It enables me to digitise my art, and play with colour and shape a lot more efficiently. That’s not what the class is about specifically, but it’s kind of given me a renewed enthusiasm for this whole area. But I think the basis of all design is good drawing, or drawing generally.”
During the class, Jerram will show some examples of patterns and participants will get the chance to draw with the simplest of motifs and put those into a pattern, which could become an endless, seamless pattern.
“What we’ll be doing on the night is pretty low tech. It will be paper and pencil, and we’ll be using tracing paper. People will walk away with a sheet of paper that’s got their own pattern on it, that they’ve created from what they’re interested in.”
Jerram explains that the exercise she’ll be presenting is similar to one she did when she was first in design school.
“It was almost like a revelation, not quite like a magic trick, but they’ll get to experience a, sort of, trick of the trade. It enables them to create something really special from their own really simple drawings.”
The class is drop in, so you don’t have to of attended previously. If you’re heading to one of the nights, please bring a sketchbook, pencil and any other materials you’d like to use. Te Atamira will have a limited array of supplies, too. No experience is necessary, and you don’t need to come with any inspiration, so pop by and get drawing.
“What we’ll get people to do is just draw from their own imagination. But the lovely thing about patterns, if you look even at really simple wallpapers or fabrics, often the marks of those patterns are just purely that – they’re purely marks. You could make an interesting pattern with just dots and dashes and circles.”
Jerram will also have some design cards available for purchase at the Te Atamira shop, if you’d like to have a look at her work up close. Community Draw is held at Te Atamira on the second Tuesday of every month from 6.30pm – 8pm. The next two dates are 8 April and 13 May. For more information on programmes you can head to teatamira.nz/events/community-draw
A sample of Lucy's designer cards, available at the Te Atamira shop
Photo credit: Lucy Jerram - photography by Dave Oakley, artwork by John Reynolds, courtesy of Te Atamira
by Sue Fea
My Life story
RAY DRAYTON
From rag trade to restaurants
Now author of multiple fiction novels – one that almost made it to the big screen, Ray Drayton was once best known as Queenstown’s very own restaurant front-of-house, Fawlty Towers funnyman.
Part-owner with American chef Domenic Mondillo in the popular Roaring Meg’s Restaurant in Shotover Street during the 80s, Ray’s quick wit and humorous antics soon had him renowned as Queenstown’s very own, while more polished, Basil Fawlty.
A skilled tailor by trade, his light-hearted banter also landed him front of house in that role, fitting the rich and famous for suits in the most prestigious of gentlemanly establishments in London and Sydney.
Raised by his grandparents in Cambridge, he was directed into the industry by his grandfather. “I’d always wanted to be a journalist at high school, but that never happened,” he says. “I worked for an old tailor in Cambridge after school unrolling bolts of cloth and circling moth holes with chalk.
“Several months into my fifth form year Dad (my grandfather) said the boss had offered me an apprenticeship and I was doing it,” Ray says.
From there he advanced to Hallensteins in Hamilton, tailoring senior-ranking Police and law enforcement uniforms, also doing some side gigs for the Army fitting tailor-made dress uniforms and special mess jackets for high-ranking officers.
Knightsbridge, Ray taking a fun five-and-a-halfweek cruise to Italy on his OE at 24.
As shopfront fitter he was “looking pretty and shoving hands up inside trouser legs”, quite acceptable back then. It was the mid-70s and Ray’s long-haired hippy curls and jeans were quickly replaced with a suit and short back and sides.
“Bereft of money” on the way home via Perth, Ray and a mate walked across Nullabor Desert, hitching to Sydney where he scored “the best job in the rag trade”, staying six years before returning home to try something new. “I’d left a good job, and I just wanted to go skiing, so I chucked the suit in, bought an old van and headed to Queenstown.”
He opened a ski lodge on Frankton Road – Iti Kahurangi, nicknamed by local travel agent Geoff Houston and Government tourism manager Mark Viall as ‘Ray’s Lodge’. “I tried to cash a cheque for diesel in my 11-seater courtesy van, but they’d seen a few cowboys here,” Ray says. “It was six months before anyone trusted me enough to take a cheque.”
“I’d left a good job, and I just wanted to go skiing, so I chucked the suit in, bought an old van and headed to Queenstown.”
It was excellent grounding for his job as a tailorfitter at Austin Reeds in London’s upper-class
One rainy June day Domenic – a highly qualified American chef, came knocking for work.
By 1982 the pair had bought Roaring Meg’s Restaurant – a roaring success, which they owned for more than six years.
The quaint miner’s cottage had been brought down from Skippers Canyon by bullock wagon in 1912, “named after a lady of the night who ran a boarding house and was renowned for yelling breakfast orders”.
“Fae and Bob Robertson had lived in the cottage prior and as dinner guests would point out their
bedroom so I’d say, ‘You can have that table but leave your pyjamas on,’” Ray quips.
The handful of restaurateurs helped each other, sharing food if they ran out, replacing it the next week. “We were doing seven big nights a week, skiing for an hour before work, tearing down the hill to put on an apron and pick up a knife.”
An American tourist celebrating his anniversary with his wife insisted restaurant pianist - drywitted cartoonist Garrick Tremain, play a tune they wanted that he didn’t know. “The guy kept insisting his wife knew it until Garrick said, ‘Well, your wife can play, and I’ll dance with you’, to which the guy replied: “I don’t believe in that sort of thing and stormed out the door,” Ray laughs. American movie director George Lucas, of Star Wars and Indiana Jones fame, was a repeat customer during filming for ‘Willow’ locally – a fan of the fireside table. “He asked if he could take his shoes off and I said, ‘Fine – just not your pants’. He laughed, saying, ‘Nobody ever treats me like that’.”
In 1999 Ray started writing historical fiction books for fun, spending countless hours in the library researching until Google arrived. “I spent a year researching each of my 26 books. They’ve got to be squeaky clean.”
He secured an English publisher, which went under, and even had a film company approach him to turn ‘A Place Called Paradise’ into a multi-million-dollar movie. “The contract was all signed, but you share the risks, and they went under in the 2007 crash.” Amazon arrived and so Ray published e-books, quite successfully in what is a highly competitive industry. “It’s really a wonderful hobby. I find it stimulating.”
Ray and wife Sandra were made an irresistible offer by an American for their Moke Lake property in 2004 so moved to Wānaka. “But I still love the Wakatipu Basin,” he says.
Ray and wife Sandra
Among the best in the business - Domenic (left) and Ray during Roaring Meg’s heyday
Ray, third from right, on their last night owning Roaring Meg’s when staff turned up unnannounced wearing Rocky Horrow Show attire
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Smash at Kelvin Heights turnoff
by Sue Fea
A car crash at the sketchy Kelvin Heights junction last week has heightened calls for a roundabout or traffic lights to be put in place.
Traffic was backed up past the BP Roundabout after the State Highway 6 smash just before 4pm on Wednesday, 2 April.
One person was taken to Lakes District Hospital suffering from moderate injuries with four others treated at the scene for minor injuries, a St John Ambulance spokesperson says.
This crash follows community calls for an upgrade at the increasingly busy intersection recently, with the NZ Transport Agency indicating that traffic lights may be the “best permanent solution”, according to the Kelvin Heights Peninsula Community Association.
Similar concerns have been aired on community social media platforms by Hanley’s Farm residents further south on the State Highway over what some residents claimed to have been near misses.
Both Frankton and Queenstown Volunteer Fire crews attended, applying initial first aid and helping with traffic control, a Fire and Emergency NZ spokesperson says,
Police say inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the crash are “ongoing”. Some of those involved were being supported on the side of the road, a woman wrapped in a blanket.
It’s unclear how the accident occurred at this stage, but the whole right and centre of the front bonnet and engine of a silver 2018 Toyota Rav 4 was completely smashed in. The airbags had fully inflated, and the vehicle was left facing a metre or so from the large rocky overhang adjacent to the intersection. The front right of the 1999 Volkswagen Golf was completely smashed in, dislodging the wheel.
The road had to be closed several times, initially to allow emergency services to clear the highway and then again from just before 5pm, during peak traffic, to allow tow trucks to remove both badly damaged vehicles. The road reopened at about 5.15pm allowing commuter traffic to flow again.
Not only the volume of traffic, but speed and poor sight distances suggest action should be taken at the Kelvin Heights State Highway turnoff, the Kelvin Peninsula Community Association says in its last newsletter.
It’s aired major concerns to the Transport Agency calling for an upgrade, tighter speed restrictions, speed cameras and a roundabout after a “marked increase in the busyness of the intersection” has led members to “challenge the reluctance of NZ Transport Authority Waka Kotahi to upgrade the intersection on the short to medium term”.
NZTA has told the association that it’s aware of the increasing traffic demand and related safety issues and has “a watching brief on the Southern Corridor due to rapid growth in residential development”.
Digger hit gas mains
by Sue Fea
Frankton and Queenstown Volunteer Fire Brigades both turned out to a gas leak near a residential area at Jack’s Point after the gas mains were hit by a digger trenching for cables in Cunningham Drive last Tuesday morning.
Fire and Emergency Otago Lakes Group assistant commander Nic McQuillan says the Frankton appliance remained on the scene from 9.15am until 10.30am covering the leak with water from two hoses until the gas company arrived and isolated the leak.
Frankton Brigade officer in charge Paul Halsted says those involved did the right thing, calling 111 straight away as there are real risks of fire and explosion with uncontrolled gas leaking. Those in close proximity are also at risk of asphyxiation and losing consciousness.
“People carrying out any works should always check with the Queenstown Lakes District Council and other relevant authorities as they have services maps and can pinpoint the location of any underground services,” he says.
A badly damaged Toyota Rav 4, involved in a bad smash at the Kelvin Heights turnoff, is removed from the scene
Discharged wastewater tests published
Queenstown Lakes District Council has published the first test results of treated wastewater being discharged into the Shotover River.
Direct discharge from its Shotover Wastewater Treatment Plant began last Monday, 31 March. The results, which can be found on the QLDC website, are well within consented limits set by regulator Otago Regional Council (ORC), council bosses say.
E.coli levels were below 10cfu (colony-forming units) per 100ml. QLDC’s consent limit requires 90% of results to be less than 260cfu/100ml, which is also the nationally accepted safe levels for contact recreation.
Total suspended solids were 14mg/l, compared to QLDC’s consent which requires 95% of results to be less than 50mg/l. QLDC Infrastructure Operations Manager Simon Mason said the results reflected a well-operating treatment plant.
“For compliance purposes we test samples taken immediately downstream of the last treatment process within the plant, in this case the UV disinfection step,” Mason says.
“Any sampling completed further along the water’s journey to the river are not reliable indicators of the actual treatment performance given they can be affected by external factors unrelated to the functioning of the plant.
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“For example, animal faeces such as from birds and dogs are known to cause spikes in E.coli readings.”
That appears to reference the results of samples collected by local news website Crux, in the middle of the new discharge channel around 100 metres from the plant. Lab results show 570cfu per 100ml of e coli in the Crux samples.
Mason says the council will now be undertaking monitoring upstream and downstream of the discharge point to ensure it has a full understanding of any effects of the discharge.
“These results will be shared with ORC as regulator and made publicly available on our website. Typically, these tests are processed in around two weeks by the external lab.”
Mason confirmed that onsite testing of the treated wastewater is historically conducted daily, and that this would continue under the new discharge regime.
“These onsite tests are indicative of operational performance in that they would quickly show if there were any issues with the quality of wastewater at the end of the treatment process. However, we also send samples to an external laboratory for analysis on a weekly basis.
“Compliance results are shared with ORC (as regulator) on a monthly basis in accordance with the conditions of our existing resource consent.”
Meanwhile, councillors voted 8-2 to remove Cr Niki Gladding from two committees, after speaking out early over the Shotover wastewater issue. Gladding remains a councillor but will no longer be deputy chair of the Infrastructure Committee nor a member of the Audit, Finance & Risk Committee.
Read more on lwb.co.nz and the Queenstown App
Business backs trails appeal
Aotea Gifts is matching every dollar donated during the Queenstown Trails Annual Trail Lovers Appeal up to $25,000
Queenstown Trails, the charitable trust which has driven the development of the 200km+ trail network, is targeting $100k by the end of April for this year’s appeal.
That includes the new Shotover Gorge Trail, which is opening to the public soon, and a new trail through Kelvin Heights out towards Hanley’s Farm, so cyclists don’t have to navigate the dangerous SH6 road.
Queenstown Trails CEO Mark ‘Willy’ Williams is delighted to have Aotea Gifts, which has been a corporate supporter of the trust’s work since 2015, onboard.
Kylee De Suza Account Manager 021 044 2968 | kylee@qmg.co.nz
Patricia W. Becker Graphic Designer
Kanika Sethi Finance
Paul Taylor Editor/Journalist
Sue Fea Journalist
Jessica Allen Journalist/ Content coordinator
“It’s gratifying to have the volunteered generosity of a local business, as it helps ensure that we can look after and improve the network for current and future generations.
“We have been so lucky to have this incredibly loyal base of Trail Lovers donating every year, but with over 400,000 runners, walkers and bikers using the trails every year, it’s great to cast the net wider and get support from businesses operating in Queenstown.”
Established in 1979 by Peter Hanson, Aotea Gifts remains 100% family owned and is operated by Richard and Donald Hanson. It has operated in Queenstown since 1988.
Donate to the Queenstown Trails Annual Trail Lovers Appeal here: www.queenstowntrails.org.nz/getinvolved/become-a-trail-lover
SELLING OUR BELOVED CAR AFTER TRAVELLING FOR 2 MONTHS THROUGH WHOLE NEW ZEALAND WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS.
Donald Hanson, of Aotea Gifts, with Mark ‘Willy’ Williams, Queenstown Trails
Smeary water flowing out of the plant along the channel and directly into the Shotover River, on Sunday evening
Battery warning after waste fires
Fires at Frankton’s Whakatipu Recycling Centre and Victoria Flats Landfill have prompted more warnings to never put batteries in the bin.
The recycling and materials recovery facility, on Glenda Drive, was evacuated two weeks ago, with the building at risk, but the blaze was brought under control after a swift response from facility staff and emergency services.
Initial investigations suggest the fire may have been caused by a battery being run over by a loader pushing up material. There was a similar fire at the landfill just a couple of weeks beforehand.
Laura Gledhill, Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) Operations & Contracts Manager, says the fire serves as a stark reminder of the serious dangers associated with improper battery disposal.
“Batteries, in particular those containing lithium can easily ignite, especially when damaged,” she says. “We urge everyone to make sure they recycle or safely dispose of their batteries at designated drop-off points to prevent incidents like this from happening again.
“Never throw a battery in any bin. While the source of this particular fire was unable to be confirmed, it’s highly likely that it was a battery, and that’s a risk we can’t afford to ignore.”
Recent data also underscores the critical importance of proper battery handling and recycling.
In 2024 alone, 12 of 13 waste-related fires were likely linked to batteries, impacting the landfill, transfer stations, recycling facilities, and the waste collection vehicles in the district.
The 2023/2024 Solid Waste Analysis for Queenstown Lakes shows hazardous waste in kerbside collections has more than doubled since 2019. Lithium-ion batteries and vapes (e-cigarettes) are of particular concern, as they are highly flammable if damaged or improperly disposed of.
In December last year, the QLDC Solid Waste team launched the “Keep it Cool” campaign with a clear message: Never bin a battery. QLDC is again reminding residents to take a proactive approach to safe battery disposal.
Recycle household batteries for free at drop-off points like the Frankton and Wānaka Transfer Stations, or at hardware stores like Mitre 10. Keep used batteries and battery-powered devices separate from regular waste and take them to these recycling stations. For e-waste, dispose of it responsibly at your local transfer station for a small fee. Always check if an item or device contains a battery before disposing of it.
For more information on safe battery and e-waste disposal, visit A-Z Rubbish & Recycling Directory qldc.govt.nz/services/rubbish-recycling/
St Margaret’s Presbyterian Church, Ross Street, Frankton 15-17 April, 2025, 9am to 12:30pm
Cost: $5 per day
For children aged 7-11 years old
Limited spaces available
FOR SALE
2010 BMW X1 2.0L. WOF 11.09.25 / REGO 23.08.25. 78,000km, serviced regularly, every 10,000km. Great and reliable car. $10k ono. Phone/ text: 027 531 0585
EASTER ART SALE ARROWTOWN. SATURDAY 19 April. Local artists work. 99 Cotter Avenue, Arrowtown. 10am to 4pm.
ACCOMMODATION
DOUBLE ROOM AVAIL. FOR COUPLE in L.H.E. Clean, quiet and friendly flatmates required. Close to walking tracks, Five Mile, restaurants, medical centre and bus stop. Fully furnished with heating for winter. 410 pw. no extra costs. Ph. 0220973308.
WHAKATIPU BEEKEEPERS SUPPORTING LOCAL BEEKEEPERS with sharing knowledge, mentoring and maintaining best practice. Most importantly a group of likeminded individuals who love bees. Meeting regularly, for more info or to join us whakatipubeekeepers@gmail.com
NEW TO THE AREA OR got more time on your hands & looking to give back to your community? Altrusa International Qtwn is looking for volunteers just like you to join our women’s charitable & service organisation supporting our local community. Want to know more? Email: president.queenstown@altrusa.org.nz or message us on Facebook.com/AltrusaQueenstown
SPCA OP SHOP – 51 GORGE RD. Open 7 days a week 9am- 5pm. Pre-loved goods and clothing at great prices. Help support the ongoing work done by the SPCA. Accepting donations now. Call into store now to enquire about Volunteering. Your old goods, or your time, could help save a life.
WSCA – ROOMS FOR HIRE - Spacious, sunny rooms are available for hire to Queenstown Community Groups. The rooms hold up to 90 people, with seated dining for 40. Located on the 1st floor of Malaghan House, 10 Memorial Street, Queenstown with lift access. There are kitchen facilities, toilets, Wi-Fi, media equipment for projection onto large screen plus large screen TV. Contact us on 03 4429214 or info@wsca.org.nz for more details.
EVERYTHING ELSE
NEVER BIN A BATTERY. THEY cause fires if damaged so keep them out of all rubbish and recycling bins. Safely recycle your batteries and electronic devices at Wānaka & Frankton Transfer Stations.
TICKETS ARE SELLING FAST FOR Queenstown Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour 30 April & 1 May. Check out Eventbrite or Queenstown Banff Film Fest on Facebook for more details!
FOR SALE: A VERY EFFECTIVE method of ADVERTISING –
Line Ads in the Lakes Weekly Bulletin are a very effective method of advertising. Take the first step to your successful business advertising by going to www.lwb.co.nz and place your ad online. Pricing starts from $9.50
WANTED PAVING STONES. CHARCOAL GREY 230 x 190 x60 mm. Has anybody got any of these pavers lying around that they don’t need?Have just widened our driveway that was laid about 30 years ago and need more to fill the gap. Phone 027 342 0090
LWB QUIZ
1. What colour is Thunderbird 2 piloted by Virgil Tracy in Thunderbirds?
2. Which southern Italian city is usually credited as the birthplace of the pizza?
3. What was legendary comedy actor Oliver Hardy's real first name at birth?
4. Which American singer-songwriter sang of falling into a Ring Of Fire?
5. Which chamber of the heart pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs?
6. Which Frankie Goes to Hollywood song was banned by the BBC?
7. Which process converts sugar to acids, alcohol or gases?
8. Which two musicians collaborated on Another Way to Die, the theme song to 2008 James Bond film Quantum of Solace?
9. Who authored The Hunger Games book series?
10. Which horror film won the 2024 Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture?
11. In which year was the Nintendo 64 released in Europe?
12. What part of a plant conducts photosynthesis?
13. What is the currency of Vietnam?
14. Which girl group performed during the opening minutes of Channel 5's launch in 1997 in the UK?
15. Which operating system does a Google Pixel phone use?
SUDOKU
QUIZ ANSWERS:
Green |
Naples |
Norvell |
Johnny Cash | 5. Right ventricle | 6. Relax | 7. Fermentation | 8. Alicia Keys and Jack White | 9. Suzanne Collins | 10. Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey | 11. 1997 | 12. Leaf | 13. Vietnamese dong | 14. The
Ph: 03 409 2800
enquiries@qmg.co.nz
jobfix.co.nz
RETAIL SALES ASSISTANT PART-TIME SOLE CHARGE
We are looking for the right person to join our small team. You will possess genuine life skills that portray maturity, initiative, promptness, understands what real customer service is, respectively recognises the expectations of being part of our crew and has an understanding that weekend work is part of a 7 day 11am-9pm operation.
• Part-Time 3 to 4 days with 15-25 hours/week
• $26/hr moving to Living Wage after 3 months
For the right driven person, an opportunity exists for this to evolve into a permanent full-time management role.
Feel free to drop your CV o with personality at the shop downtown 73 Beach St or email Karl brewworx@xtra.co.nz
Theplacewithnokiddie’sstu ,youknowwhatImean,JAH!
We are looking for a RETAIL STORE MANAGER to oversee our Bettys Liquorstore in Arrowtown.
We are a locally owned and operated chain of liquor stores in the Southern Lakes area.
The role:
Responsible for the day to day operations of the store and staff to ensure it can open and operate to its full potential.
This includes:
• recruiting, training and rostering staff to operate the store within the company operating guidelines and to the level required by the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act
• managing all aspects of product ordering, ensuring the stockweight of the store is sufficient daily ordering levels are maintained within acceptable limits
• making sure the store looks great for our customers
• ensuring all stock ordering, paperwork, rosters, cashups, bankings and stocktakes are completed correctly
• working as part of the overall company management team along with the owners and other store managers
What about you?
You will:
• be confident, a team leader, a good decision maker, organized, customer focused, good under pressure and be prepared to work hard with your team for the success of your store and the company.
• Ideally you will have your LCQ and General Managers Certificate
• Ideally you will have retail or hospitality management experience
What will we offer?
• A good salary
• Staff purchasing benefits
• Training and career development opportunities
• A great team environment
If you think this is you and you are interested in applying for this role please email ferg@bettys.co.nz telling me about yourself and attaching an up to date CV.
HEAD CHEF
We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Head Chef to join our team and lead our kitchen in delivering outstanding Pacific-Asian cuisine
The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of managing large, diverse teams in a high-volume, fastpaced setting while maintaining the highest standards of culinary excellence send your cv to HR@wolfgroup nz
managinglarge,diverseteamsinahigh-volume,fast-
QUEENSTOWN’S “ADULT FUN” SHOP 11am - 9pm 7 days
R18
R18
Ph: 03 409 2800
enquiries@qmg.co.nz
Responsible customer service SUPERSTAR wanted for the weekend team at Dorothy Browns
jobfix.co.nz
AVIS & Budget Queenstown
Are you cheerful, reliable, motivated and able to work under pressure?
Are you available for Sat & Sun shifts from 1-7pm?
Do you have flexibility to work other shifts if needed?
Do you have experience in hospitality or retail and cash handling? (Preferred, not essential)
Do you have an interest in films, books and gin?
Are you available for an immediate start for a long-term stint?
Please email your cover letter and CV to dorothy@dorothybrowns.com
Queenstown Stopping Services are looking to hire EXPERIENCED PLASTERERS and TRAINEE PLASTERERS to join our team. If you would like to learn a trade with a progressive career or have valid experience and meet the following criteria we would like to hear from you:
• Be willing to commit to at least 2 years
• Have a valid work visa or permanent residency
• Have your own vehicle and full New Zealand drivers license.
• Have a good work ethic and work well in a team.
• Have a good level of physical fitness to work in a fast paced environment
We are a well established local company with a sociable team and can offer competitive hourly pay within the industry.
Please email your CV to queenstownstoppingservices@gmail.com
DAMAGE AND SERVICE ADMINISTRATOR
This administration-based role requires someone who applies a proactive and methodical approach to their workload and considers themselves meticulous in their data entry and enjoys working with people.
The role includes loading claims on our internal system, contacting customers via email and dealing with potential disputes, liaising with local businesses to organise repairs or order parts and ensure fleet is turned around in a timely manner. Good computer knowledge is required, including but not limited to Outlook and Excel. Good command of the English language (written and verbal) is also a requirement.
The vacancy is initially a fixed term contract but could potentially be extended. Shifts are generally Monday to Friday but you may be required to work the odd weekend day when needed. The role could potentially suit someone who needs to work around school hours. Sponsorship not available so you must have working rights for New Zealand.
Please send a CV & cover letter to: luke.dennington@abg.com
Applications close: 13th April 2025
We are looking for a full time cafe chef/cook for our central Queenstown cafe. You will need solid experience in a similar role, have excellent English and a valid visa. Good rate of pay and meals provided Call Ed on 021 280 2425 or email marmoladacafe@yahoo.com
Traffic Controllers
Looking for casual, temporary or long term work??
Queenstown Personnel and Labour Hire are looking for labourers for a variety of jobs around Queenstown with an immediate start.
Contact Sharleen - 027 778 7377 or email sharleen@qtplabour.co.nz
Full time hours , daytime shifts, staff meals and you get to be a part of the best team in Queenstown! Ideally available for an immediate start with a commitment of 6 months or more. Current work visa essential. We are hiring!!! To apply, drop into our Shotover St store or email your CV
Balls and Bangles are looking for people to join their team!
We are on the hunt for FOH/Baristas/Duty Managers
This person will need to be an all rounder and enjoy working in a fast paced environment. Must be reliable, a good team player and have a fun can-do attitude.
Ph: 03 409 2800
Are you looking for a career where no day is the same, where the smiles are infectious, and you’re always learning something new?
Curious Minds Queenstown is seeking individuals who are energetic, kind, and nurturing, who work well as part of a team to join our growing under twos teaching team. Perhaps you are a qualified teacher seeking a new opportunity, or someone who has interest in working with young children and are just looking for the supportive team to guide you. Applicants must have ability to work legally within New Zealand (this position is not sponsored).
Send your cover letter and CV to qt-manager@curiousminds.co.nz to apply.
