THE NEWEST member at The Hills Golf Club – annual fee, a mere $10,000 – is an interesting cat by the name of Craig Heatley. One of the founders of Sky TV in New Zealand, he’s a top amateur golfer – he’s won pro-ams in the States with Phil Tataurangi and Fred Couples – but is best known for a bout of publicity two months ago. As chairman of the US Masters media committee, he chaired a comeback press conference at the Atlanta National Club for world number one Tiger Woods, who’d taken time away after what Mountain Scene understands to have been some marital difficulties.

NGAI TAHU'S controversial pink Te Ahi building in central Queenstown has been given the thumbs up by the Property Council of New Zealand – sort of. It picked up a merit at the council’s awards last Friday – but not for its colour scheme. Judges said the developers were faced with the challenge of Horne Creek bordering the site but attractive landscaping provided a good backdrop. Back in April, Mountain Scene revealed criticism of the building’s exterior colour by Queenstown Lakes District Council’s urban design panel. A claim the pink clashed with town centre guidelines “extremely disappointed” Ngai Tahu development boss Gordon Craig. 

IF YOU pop into one of Queenstown’s new bars the Ballarat Street Trading Co down the Mall you’ll see among the memorabilia a fine Thomas Brown oil painting. It depicts a local character, who shall remain nameless, in his element.