Mountain Scene

Publisher

Latest documents

• Congestion-busting bus route en route

  ARROWTOWNERS will soon be able to take a back road bus to get to Queenstown’s CBD — almost halving the current travel time.

• Out to square the ledger

  HAVING suffered a first-round away loss to Maniototo, 22-19, one of only two this season, Wakatipu will be out for revenge when they host the Ranfurly-based team at the Queenstown Recreation Ground this Saturday at 2.30pm.

• Bike bus talk

• QUEENSTOWNER Gemma Thomas is an Oceania karate champ.

• A’town artist’s full-picture life

  Artist, golfer and former farmer Jane Burdon has enjoyed a very varied life. She talks to Philip Chandler about her life before she met her husband-to-be in a Queenstown pub 60-plus years ago, where it’s taken her since, and explains why their honeymoon plans were scuppered

• Waka’s pace-setting fullback

  GIVE the ball to ‘Vegas’.

• ‘Why can’t Momoa live here?’

  THE National-led government’s South Island minister believes lifting the foreign buyer ban for $5million-plus Queenstown residential properties makes sense.

• Local Bitcoiners present to MPs

  MORE than 20 coalition government MPs heard about Bitcoin last week from a Whakatipu-led delegation invited to Parliament by local MP Joseph Mooney.

• Hospo gongs announced

  QUEENSTOWN’S Sherwood has come up trumps in the 2025 Lion Hospitality New Zealand (HNZ) Business Awards for Excellence.

• Banksy’s home in QT

  A QUEENSTOWN couple believe their art gallery at Frankton’s Country Lane is the only one in New Zealand with works by English street artist Banksy on the walls.

Featured documents

• Matt Wong, 44 iFLY Indoor Skydiving Queenstown owner/ managing directorMary Weston Steve Chernishov, 41 educatorEsther Whitehead, 47 Thrivable.design inclusive sustainability educatorClaire Turnham, 41 advocate, educator, campaignerPeter Newport Niki Gladding, 47 councillorTony DornerGavin Bartlett, 50 engineer

  1.Our district is facing a number of challenges, many of which have an engineering aspect to them. I am offering my skills, training and experience to be part of a council team that is able to deal with these complex problems to achieve the best outcomes for our district....

• Olivia Wensley, 37 Startup Queenstown Lakes chief executiveJon Mitchell, 58 Massey University capability and leadership development managerGlyn Lewers, 44 structural engineerNeeta Shetty, 48 business ownerAl Angus, retiredDaniel Shand

  1.Building trust with the community by unblocking the information flow currently operating....

• Family has ice in their DNA

  In recent months Queenstown became the new home for a couple who’ve have pretty much lived and breathed ice hockey, in one way or another, since they were toddlers. Libby-Jean and Jordan Challis talk to TraceyRoxburgh about their move to the Whakatipu — and return to the...

• Mountain man leaving a legacy

  Queenstowner Aaron Halstead’s one of the lucky ones. He’s managed to forge a hugely successful career from his hobbies, resulting in him receiving a King’s Birthday Honour this week. He talks to TRACEY ROXBURGH about his journey so...

• Fuelling a passion for sport

  Had she not moved to Queenstown, Alex Martin’s convinced her life would have taken a very different turn. She tells Philip Chandler how she discovered her sporting mojo here, and why she’s fallen in love with...

• It’s just another whack with a bommy knocker

  THAT escalated quickly....

• King of the natives turns 90

  Neill Simpson has dedicated his life to protecting and enhancing the Whakatipu’s environment, including building trails and tracks that enable generations to enjoy it. Ashe approaches his 90th birthday he chats to Matt Porter, who discovers there’s no chance of him slowing down....

• Leading golf pro holes out

  He’s even given coaching tips to former United States President Bill Clinton, let alone mentored many of New Zealand’s top golfers. Latterly GM of golf at Jack’s Point, John Griffin — universally known as ‘Griff’ — has now retired from his fulltime involvement with the sport. He tells Philip...

• Rising mental health ‘stressors’

  Three Queenstown counsellors have combined to provide a clinical perspective on current discussions on rising mental health concerns in the community. Sarah Deering, Elizabeth Denton and Sonia Voldseth have 31 years’ combined local counselling experience, and believe the region’s collective mental...

• Janie’s life happily on course

  After spending 25 years in the hotel industry, Queenstowner Janie Reese decided to turn her passion into a business, focused on ‘the sisterhood’. She talks to Tracey Roxburgh about her journey to the...