Queenstown news and more...

A recent story intro from the Yahoo!Xtra home page: “Gleeful Aussies gathered for an annual celebratory mass killing of hated poisonous cane toads in Queenstown at the weekend.” Think they meant Queensland! Helpful advice from a brochure for new apartment hotel The Rees: “The Rees Centre team can also organise the services of a corporate jet aircraft for your nationwide and trans-Tasman journeys.” Wonder if you »»

English movie star Rachel McAdams – of Mean Girls, The Notebook and Red Eye fame – was spotted ordering a takeaway in Queenstown on Monday night before flying out of town the next day. The bad luck story of the Gibbston Harvest Festival belonged to one of the hardest-working organisers, Waitiri Creek Wines manager Jason Moss. He broke a leg putting up a marquee, was gutted to miss the event and had surgery this week. »»

Long-time local accountant/developer Phil Hensman has been spotted in leathers riding his new Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Visiting Branches Station with his charitable foundation last Thursday was Mr Warehouse, Stephen Tindall. There’s an interesting note attached to a shop in Glenda Drive’s Shotover Ridge: “Sorry the butcher shop is closed. To our loyal customers, thank you and sorry we have closed. To our »»

Fights, frolicking and the famous Hi again gossip fans. I’ve been taking to the life of luxury this week, floating around a few hotels and spas, dipping my toes in a few niceties. But, alas, no matter where I go, gossip hunts me down. Sip and dip… It seems a little bit of controversy graces one of Queenstown’s best hotels. A charming lass decided she really deserved a little more compensation than she was getting »»

Veteran rock ‘n’ roller Tom Sharplin, who performed during the Auto Extravaganza last weekend, recalls when he was legless in Queenstown. While skiing with muso friend Kipa Royal, he says he took “a pretty rough tumble” on The Remarkables in the late 80s and his right wooden leg came off. “I had to slide down the mountain on my bum for quite a way to get it because it just took off.” Sharplin, who »»

And the prize for the oddest sight of the summer goes to ... the bloke asleep on his motorcycle on Camp Street yesterday morning – parked right outside the police station. Nice and handy, you could say... The airport Avis desk was closed so local tourism heavyweight Barry Thomas popped the key for his rental, which he’d driven from Dunedin, into the drop-off box. Embarrassingly, he then realised »»

Promiscuous Polly joins the Queenstown cast list It’s said the only thing worse than people talking behind your back, is having no-one talk about you at all. So, if you have anything juicy to tell, dahlings, pull up a chair and come sit next to me… High jinx minx A new addition to my growing list of playable characters is one we shall call Miss Promiscuous Polly. This naughty little minx was spied entering a Queenstown motel »»

Wry chuckles at the BP service station recently when local mega-jeweller Michael Hill pulled up in his Aston Martin and couldn’t open the filler cap to put his petrol in. He had to call someone on his cellphone to get some helpful advice. A checkout attendant at New World this week was telling an English visitor, who was carrying his four-and-a half-month-old daughter, how much she missed her twin grandchildren in the UK. »»

Scene here... Arrowtowner Shirleen Withington enjoys dressing up for her hen’s party at Lake Hayes’s Walnut Cottage last Saturday. She’s marrying Arrowtown volunteer fireman Greg Potter tomorrow, with the reception at the station. »»

Ever wondered if docs mind being called quacks? It’s obviously not a problem for local medico Hans Raetz – he’s set up a new company and called it Quack Ltd. How’s this for Sail Queenstown’s tag-line: “Luff Your Socks Off”. Another wisecrack spotted on a Wicked campervan: “If you learn from your mistakes, why aren’t I a genius?” Tourism’s our bread and butter »»