Tracey Roxburgh

Some say time heals all wounds, but for Joerg Henkenhaf and Annie Robertson, of Arrowtown, it could be said gin has been their saviour.

Construction is expected to begin this month on three more concept homes at the Bendemeer development, near Arrowtown, in response to inquiries for ''turn key'' land and home packages.

The New Zealand Transport Agency's (NZTA) application to change the designation for a new $20 million two-lane bridge on State Highway 6, between Kelvin Heights and Frankton, will be heard over three days next month.

A detour has been put in place on a section of the Kawarau River Trail, part of the $5.4 million Queenstown Trail which opened in October, after a 20m section slumped over the weekend.

The search to find the ''greatest spoofer in the land'' will be on at SkyCity Queenstown Casino tonight, in a game in which gloating is frowned on and women are banned.

The Otago-Southland coroner, David Crerar, has recommended Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) add an ''education programme warning'' about the dangers of smoking cannabis, following the inquest into two Southland men who died after a large wave hit the boat Extreme 1 in January.

Queenstown Police are urging motorists travelling to Queenstown from Kingston via State Highway 6 to be patient, as holiday traffic causes delays.

The son of a Hollywood heavyweight will arrive in Queenstown tomorrow for the New Zealand premiere of his documentary about dyslexia, screening at Arrowtown's boutique cinema, Dorothy Brown's, tomorrow.

The race track has been mowed, the horses primed, the equalisator is ready and the mercury is predicted to hit 29degC today during the 51st annual Glenorchy Races.

Queenstown Police are ''absolutely satisfied'' a girl spotted in Queenstown on New Year's Eve is not missing British girl Madeleine McCann.

Scouts Australia Victoria assistant branch commissioner Bruce Ellis, of Melbourne, said some of the scouts, all aged between 14 and 18 and who come from all over Australia, had been in Queenstown since December 27 and had so far had ''the time of their lives'', despite the inclement weather.

A Queenstown winery had a busy build-up to Christmas, opening a new wine-tasting store in Arrowtown and its own ''General Store'', which harks back to the gold mining era, with rustic and recycled furniture, - at Gibbston.

The book starts when the narrator is involved in a serious car accident, suffering burns over much of his body.

An Omakau couple have swapped the front line for a free-range production line, having become ''accidental chicken farmers''.

The Hills will again be alive with the sound of music next year, as an open-air concert will be held on the penultimate day of the 2013 NZ PGA Championship featuring Arrowtown band the Lynch Mob.

On Saturday, Thunder Jet staff and supporters celebrated the addition of the McKenzie Marine and Mackraft-built Thunder Jet 3 to the company's fleet at the Steamer Wharf.