James Beech

Queenstown and Wanaka mountains helped inspire a group of young New Zealand, Australian and American surfers to make New Zealand the adventure sports capital of the world.

Not getting into the New Zealand Secondary Students' Choir the first time made Dunedin student Michelle Willyams determined to become an opera singer.

Hotel general managers in Queenstown are concerned the earthquakes in Christchurch will deter overseas visitors from visiting New Zealand, but they think tourists who do visit the South Island will spend an extra night in Queenstown, instead of Christchurch.

Public knowledge of CPR and quick access to a defibrillator saved the life of a Queenstown man and underscored an initiative by St John Wakatipu to teach 100 people the life-saving technique.

Trustees carrying on the legacy of a pioneering Queenstown rural GP will attend the largest agribusiness exhibition in the southern hemisphere this week.

The future of the only post box in Lake Hayes Estate is secure for the time being, after no further arson attacks, New Zealand Post says.

Queenstown and Wanaka accommodation general managers (from left) Donna Stewart, of Peppers Beacon, Matt Anderson, of Crowne Plaza, Jim Moore, of Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, Paul Clark, of Mercure Queenstown Resort, Penny Clark, of Goldridge Resort, Leigh Stock, of Edgewater resort, Marlene Poynder, of Hilton Queenstown and Kawarau Hotel, and Fiona Williams, of Tanoa Aspen, made a heartfelt plea to the weather gods for snow, to attract more tourists to the Southern Lakes, before their monthly New Zealand Hotel Council meeting yesterday.

Wakatipu residents can have a free taste of live Rugby World Cup action in 3-D, by visiting the demonstration in the Remarkables Park Town Centre today, between 10am and 5pm.

Volunteers carefully tidied up the remains of the historic gold-mining community Cooper's Tce, near Arrowtown, with instructions from the New Zealand Historic Places Trust not to pull vegetation from the ground in case it disturbed the ruins.