Queenstown news and more...

Record numbers of Australian skiers and boarders to Queenstown this winter should snowball next year. That’s the bullish view of NZSki boss James Coddington, who thinks word-of-mouth endorsements from this year’s happy Aussies will fill even more planeloads from there next winter. In mid-August he stated NZSki’s three fields were 40 per cent up on the record 2006 season – due to huge Aussie numbers at »»

  New DQ boss Stephen Pahl: ‘We all need to roll up our sleeves, keep the wind in our sails and weather this as best we can’ He plans to do ‘wonderfully well’ – Destination Queenstown’s new boss talks to Philip Chandler. »»

  Discount boat: Kawarau Jet’s Superjet is undercutting new rival Thunder Jet The battle between two Queenstown jetboat companies continues – this time it’s a price-cutting war. »»

  Big week: ThunderJet drivers (from left) Neville Kelly, Andre Cockburn and Mike Johnson Two victories against one rival – and a counter-punch from another. That’s the week that was for junior jetboat hopeful ThunderJet in the Battle of the Kawarau River. »»

Jetboat tragedy’s likely cause. A left turn – rather than a right turn – could have prevented Queens­town’s latest jetboat tragedy. A senior jetboating source this week opens up about the fatal accident involving a Kawarau Jet craft on September 25. Chinese visitor Yan Wang was killed – she was 42. »»

  Rescue remedy: Ged Hay (centre) applies first aid to a dummy while other river boarding guides assist in this simulated rescue on the Kawarau River Grieving UK father remains unmoved. »»

  No lamb roast: Pier 19 chef Peter Roddy opts for a trio of Kiwi lamb served with mashed kumara, peas and baby beetroot Irish chef Peter Roddy is cooking up an Antipodean feast for his third Christmas outside Europe. »»

  Kawarau, here we come: Queenstown Water Taxis partners (from left) Neville Kelly and Andre Cockburn, with driver Mike Johnson Queenstown’s Kawarau Jet is taking legal action to stop another jetboat company operating on the Kawarau River. »»

  Queenstown’s most prolific bungy exponent has celebrated AJ Hackett Bungy’s 20th birthday bash from the sidelines. Local backpacker operator Evan Jenkins (below) has done about 500 bungy jumps at 11 AJ Hackett sites worldwide – about 250 leaps off the Kawarau Bridge alone. »»

  High flyer: Queenstown Paraflights co-owner Chris Bradley takes a rare breather from work Some visitors think there are dolphins in Lake Wakatipu. Sharks even. Others believe the turquoise water stretches all the way to Christchurch. »»