James Beech

Dorothy Brown's Cinema has unveiled its menu of Gallic cinematic delicacies as part of this year's national Alliance Francaise French Film Festival.

St John Queenstown and ASB Remarkables Park staff (from left) St John area executive officer Jessica Patch, ASB personal account manager Marie Patterson, personal banker Agnes Van Hulst, St John observer Karl Quayle, ASB business manager Joel Peasey, St John ambulance officer Jamie Harris and St John advanced paramedic Sue Tait gathered yesterday to launch the St John branch's fundraising efforts in the Wakatipu as part of St John's nationwide appeal week.

NZSKI is ''absolutely thrilled'' all four airlines serving Queenstown Airport have added tens of thousands of seats from Australia to the resort for the 2014 winter ski season. James Beech reports.

The new $1.25 million block of classrooms at Arrowtown School will provide capacity for an extra 75 pupils from the beginning of the 2015 school year, the Ministry of Education says.

Queenstown hoteliers are ''fairly confident'' about bookings for winter 2014, after experiencing a record-breaking summer.

More than $7000 was raised for Wakatipu High School resources from the first ''locals' day'' held by Southern Discoveries.

Dark and sometimes frosty mornings signal winter is coming and the Southern District Health Board is reminding the community the influenza vaccine is free for New Zealanders at high risk of complications.

Wellington artist Karl Maughan will attend the preview of his new exhibition, ''Woodlands'', at Milford Galleries Queenstown on Friday.

A Queenstown youth is aiming to raise $4500 to attend a summer camp in the United States.

Investing $500,000 to recruit and retain volunteer ambulance crews was one of the plans discussed when St John area committees from around the South Island met in Queenstown over the weekend.

The asking price of $2.5 million for the Kingston Flyer has dropped for the first time since the historic steam train operation was shut down and put up for sale almost a year ago.

Jetstar says it will stress to its pilots the need to factor in the alpine terrain around Queenstown Airport after one of its 180-seat passenger airliners was ''going too fast'' as it approached the airport. 

A farmers' market-style shop offering home-made artisan food and beverages, from gate to plate, is a dream business come true for Paul and Nicky Viggers after more than 10 years.

A swathe of prime greenfield land the size of almost 18 football pitches at the heart of Frankton Flats was fought over in the Environment Court in Queenstown last week. James Beech sums up who the combatants are and what they say in the war of words over ''Lot 6''.