James Beech

Asset sales will start as soon as possible, returning Clutha-Southland MP Bill English says.

The Hills Cure Kids Open raised more than $90,000 by the close of play on Saturday and competitors are already keen for a third tournament next year.

Hundreds of excited children and their parents lined up to visit Father Christmas in his grotto at the Christmas Family Fun Day at the Remarkables Park Town Centre on Saturday.

About 200 National Party members, supporters and guests from around the South were invited to an election and Christmas function in the Jack's Point Club House, near Queenstown, on Saturday night.

Queenstown School of Dance's end of year show, "Dance Stylz 2011", will star 232 Wakatipu dance students, aged from 4 to 42, who will perform the dazzling moves they learned over the past year.

Plans for a Kingston and Districts Historical Society got a groundswell of support in the first public discussion of its founding.

More than $1 million is estimated to have been pumped into the Wakatipu economy while the main film unit of The Hobbit shot on location in Paradise, near Glenorchy, and more money is expected to be spent when the second unit begins filming in the next few days.

The old giant beech tree which prompted Sir Peter Jackson and 450 cast and crew members to film a scene for The Hobbit near Paradise, beyond Glenorchy and Queenstown, survived for a century until a storm blew it down six weeks ago.

A wealth of Wakatipu talent including (from left) Tiffany Menzies, Jason Fullerton, Huffer Campos, Katy Anderson and Liz Drysdale, pictured performing the Kink's Lola, take the stage by storm in London Calling,, which ends its Southern tour in the Arrowtown Athenaeum Hall tonight.

Pop rock princess Jazzy J brings her infectiously upbeat original hits-in-waiting to Queenstown on Saturday.

It is not official or scientific, but it is tasty. A Queenstown pie merchant is letting residents vote with their taste buds on who will govern New Zealand, by selling party pies.

The tea-tape saga has followed John Key south with the Prime Minister fielding more questions about the hot election issue in Queenstown today.

Remarkables Primary School could educate an extra 150 pupils if the Ministry of Education and the Queenstown Lakes District Council approve.

The lack of a "strong heritage champion" around the table of the Queenstown Lakes District Council is a concern to the Queenstown and District Historical Society and agencies in the heritage field, the society says.

Queenstown Primary School will maintain its strong relationships with the community, be transparent in its processes and work with the Ministry of Education to handle enrolment growth, its new principal says.

Methods and muses of an esteemed glass sculptor and a self-taught birdlife painter will be revealed when they attend the public preview of their latest works at Milford Galleries Queenstown on Friday.