The 36th annual American Express Queenstown Winter Festival opened last night in the resort, with perfect conditions setting an incredible scene in the centre of town.
Pacific Blue's inaugural Brisbane-Queenstown service, which landed as scheduled at 3.35pm, bought 150 Queensland snow bunnies, and arrived just in time for the festival's opening.
Last night on the main stage at Earnslaw Park - which is this year floating on Lake Wakatipu - Invercargill-based band Pipeworkz warmed the crowd up with its inspirational and unique music.
Only in New Zealand would you find a band using bagpipes to accompany a Maori song - or for that matter April Sun in Cuba.
Prime Minister John Key was led on to the stage by Storm Troopers and Darth Vader, with the crowd encouraged to participate in the Imperial March.
Mr Key encouraged international visitors to come back to New Zealand in 2011 for the Rugby World Cup "where the All Blacks are going to win" and where "party central" would be in Auckland where there would be no snow and warmer temperatures.
After he declared the 2010 festival open, the Contact Energy Festival Flame was lit before a display of fireworks began over Lake Wakatipu, timed to an "Outer Space" music theme.
Last night's opening concluded with Arrowtown-based band The Lynch Mob performing "The Best of Pink Floyd", under the full moon.
A programme of events has been planned for the 10-day festival, with several new additions in the mix.
They include tomorrow night's charity boxing event, Thriller in the Chiller, the biggest fight night held in the Southern Lakes region.
Local men and women, who have been training for the past four months, will compete in the ring at the Queenstown Events Centre, where boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard will be in attendance.
One of the most popular festival events is Mardi Gras, which will be held at Earnslaw Park on Tuesday night, and is expected to attract a capacity crowd, due to one highly-anticipated act.
Australian-based band Dragon, comprising Todd Hunter, Mark Williams, Bruce Reid and Pete Drummond, which was inducted into the Aria Hall of Fame in 2008, will be the headline act for the not-to-be-missed outdoor party, which begins with a parade at 5pm.
Another new event for 2010 is the dodgeball championship, in which New Zealand professional surfer Maz Quinn will be competing.
The festival runs until July 4.
