Auckland

By GUY WILLIAMS Queenstown adventure racer Chris Forne (pictured) admits to being ‘‘a bit apprehensive on the physical front’’ as he counted down to today's start of the eight-day GODZone race in Rotorua. Forne, a six-time world champion with his team...

By PHILIP CHANDLER A Queenstown music promoter says it’s costing him thousands of dollars extra to relocate a big-name DJ. Bryce Wrigley had been due to put on Andy C (pictured) — rated the world’s best drum and bass DJ over...

By GUY WILLIAMS The boss of one of Queenstown’s biggest hospo companies is bullish about the resort’s prospects, predicting a trans-Tasman bubble could be only three months away. Good Group chief executive and part-owner Russell Gray says the company, which owns...

By GUY WILLIAMS Three long-time downtown Queenstown business owners say the next six months will determine the fate of many like them. One’s closing his restaurant for good, another says he’s staring at a ‘‘bloody long autumn’’, while the third predicts...

By GUY WILLIAMS The Queenstown Jazz Orchestra’s concert in the resort this Saturday will showcase the skills of both New Zealand’s biggest jazz star and one of its rising talents. The 16-piece big band, which already features the region's best jazz...

By TRACEY ROXBURGH The only thing he needed was for the Alert Level to come to the party. King Beats organiser Brendan Mulcahy says he’s ‘‘having a nightmare’’ with the Kingston festival, planned for this Saturday, in light of the uncertainty around...

Adventurer, author, tour operator, pilot, karate instructor, sake maker, marriage celebrant, father/co-manager of a tennis pro. Queenstowner Craig McLachlan, 58, talks to PHILIP CHANDLER about his varied life and how it’s been enhanced by his links with Japan Growing up...

By TRACEY ROXBURGH A QUEENSTOWN travel agency’s done a Covid-induced pirouette, hoping to do its bit to help. While xtravel co-owner Victoria Keating says shifting to focus solely on repatriation flights may have started as a way to help the business...

By PHILIP CHANDLER It's Queenstown’s sauciest annual show. The Valentine’s Burlesque Ball’s on again this Saturday night at Queenstown Memorial Centre. Organiser and burlesque dancer, Queenstowner Oblivion Westwood (left), says this year ‘‘it’s more variety show than just burlesque’’.             ‘‘We’ve also got comedy, drag,...

By TRACEY ROXBURGH Just over a year after switching from banking to business, Queenstowner Donna Harpur-Swain’s become ABC Business Sale’s new Central Otago business partner. Harpur-Swain made the move from ASB, where she’d been for 25 years — most recently as...

By PHILIP CHANDLER A Queenstown planner/developer’s building an entry-level apartment complex just 10 minutes’ walk from the CBD. Northlight Apartments consists of 10 boutique apartments over two levels in Fryer Street. It’s being developed by planner Tim Williams and his wife Paula,...

By PHILIP CHANDLER Long-time bosses at two high-end Arrowtown golf courses both pulled pin last month. The Hills general manager Brendan Allen has resigned along with Millbrook Resort’s finance director Brian Spicer. Allen, who couldn’t be contacted, joined The Hills as course...