Christina McDonald

Bowstrings that had been worked so hard they were only attached at one end floated up and down, while a sold-out audience thrilled to seemingly impossible violin mastery.

Although no-one is suggesting a new two-lane bridge is not needed, appeals related to plans for a new Kawarau Falls bridge have been lodged.

''Whatever boom New Zealand gets, Queenstown usually gets it on steroids'', Finance Minister Bill English told guests at a post-Budget breakfast event hosted by the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce at the resort's Millennium Hotel yesterday.

A slip which occurred in January and closed a section of the walking and cycling trail on the Kawarau River bank behind Remarkables Park Shopping Centre could be fixed with help from Remarkables Park Ltd and Shotover Park Ltd.

The idea of SkyCity Entertainment Group operating a convention centre in Queenstown has upset some submitters on the Queenstown Lakes District Council's draft annual plan.

There is ''no plan at this point'' for the Shotover St building gutted by fire on Friday, the man whose company owns the building said yesterday.

Sprinklers are a must in any new building or those being refurbished, New Zealand Fire Service area commander Keith McIntosh yesterday said in a statement, following the Friday fire that destroyed a Shotover St building which had no sprinklers.

Elements of both the Winter and summer Olympics will feature in the Queenstown Lakes area in August when the third biennial Winter Games are held.

In this week's Join The Club, Christina McDonald talks to members of the Wakatipu Pottery Group.

Queenstown's tourist scene will continue to increase heartbeats as blood pressure and a haunted house-style fear factory is to open in the next three weeks.