Tracey Roxburgh

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.

Nominations have opened for the 2013 Central Otago Sports Awards, this year being presented in Queenstown.

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.

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.

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 visitors and residents who believe they have the ''X factor'' will have an opportunity to strut their stuff in the resort today, during the first New Zealand pre-auditions of the talent show.

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.