Queenstown Winter Festival

Conditions were ideal for the American Express Celebrity Ski Race at Coronet Peak yesterday.

A-League football team the Wellington Phoenix will make its South Island debut as part of this year's Queenstown Winter Festival.

During the annual Queenstown Winter Festival, an event is held on Coronet Peak which seems like a bit of madness - Bikes on Snow.

Queenstown hoteliers say they are wholeheartedly behind Queenstown's American Express Winter Festival but want to see more bed nights booked for future festivals.

Saturday's big snowfall, which sets up Southern Lakes skifields for a bumper school holiday, proved the perfect end to the 2008 Queenstown Winter Festival, which finished at Coronet Peak last night with a huge party.

From the outside, it looked like any other chilly winter's night at the Queenstown Events Centre, but inside on Saturday night it was the hottest spot in town, as a crowd of more than 1000 rocked to the sounds of the Taft Full On Big Night Out.

There was a mermaid, a pirate, a penguin and a whole lot of fun to be had at Queenstown's Alpine Aqualand yesterday afternoon during the Wild About Water Pool Party.

Take a group of hardy Southern men, put them in fishnet stockings, miniskirts, wigs and slap on enough make-up to put singer Marilyn Manson to shame and you get the 2008 Queenstown winter festival drag queens race.

With some of Queenstown's biggest nights on the way during the 2008 American Express Queenstown Winter Festival, the arrival of a marquee in the Ballarat St car park could not have come at a better time.

Tiny tots and their teddys took centre stage at the Kawarau Falls Station Pavilion in central Queenstown yesterday for a teddy bears' picnic to rival all others.

Madness, mayhem, insanity, hilarity and entertainment galore was on offer this weekend during events for the 2008 American Express Queenstown Winterfestival.

There was a little something for everyone during the opening action at the 2008 American Express Queenstown Winter Festival, with events in town and up the mountain keeping all ages entertained.

It has begun.  After weeks of waiting, the 2008 American Express Queenstown Winter Festival was launched last night and as the sun went down behind the mountains, the mood was palpable.

Children from around the district flocked to Queenstown yesterday to enjoy the first Sticky TV Live show, held in the Kawarau Falls Station Pavilion.

Those gathered on Earnslaw Park yesterday afternoon not familiar with the tradition that is the Queenstown Winter Festival's Day on the Bay, could be forgiven for scratching their heads and asking "Why?"

The party in Queenstown may have officially started at 5.30 last night, but for 151 passengers on board Air New Zealand flight NZ1832, the celebration began at 9am yesterday, in Sydney's International Airport.