Marjorie Cook

At least 40 sled dogs have returned this week for the three-day Wanaka Sled Dog Festival, run by the Southern Regions Sled Dog Club.

Wanaka's Festival of Colour trustees intend to run a "pretty tight ship" for next year's biennial arts festival as the economic downturn bites into funding sources, chairman John Beattie said yesterday.

A group of Wanaka families are keen to establish a branch of Riding for the Disabled in the Upper Clutha and are seeking the support of volunteers and members.

The level of Lake Wanaka was about 276.4m above sea level at 4pm yesterday, slightly lower than it was at the end of April, when the level was 276.47m.

It was all white on Lake Wanaka and on the mountains this weekend, with dozens of yachties finding their ski legs before setting sail on the lake for line honours in the annual Wanaka Sail Ski Regatta.

Auckland school teacher and former ski instructor Jo Dominick (26) has been reborn to snow sports after a devastating accident six months ago robbed her of the use of her legs.

Ralph Markby doesn't believe in the adage everyone has a book in them.

Elaine Herbert's Scottish ancestors were Steel by name and steely by nature, judging by their experiences in Otago 150 years ago.

Summer Olympic Games fever is over for another four years. But Wanaka snowboarder Juliane Bray has less than two years to prepare for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

A 42-year-old Wanaka man was last night being assessed by Dunedin Hospital's emergency psychiatric services team after making a 111 phone call to emergency services yesterday afternoon, falsely reporting there was a bomb in the town's New World Supermarket.

Treble Cone's stalled $20 million gondola proposal is revised and moving again.

They've got the boats and they've got the people.

The financially-troubled BaseCamp climbing wall and adventure centre, closed since May, has been sold to a company associated with Wanaka developer Allan Dippie.

Wanaka's show-stopping skier Jossi Wells (18) did not figure in the men's half-pipe competition at the New Zealand Free Ski Open yesterday because of injury, leaving younger brothers Byron (16) and Beau-James (12) to do the business at the Snow Park.