Marjorie Cook

Fears Queenstown Lakes District Council intends to remove angle-parking on upper Ardmore St sparked a rash of public submissions to the draft Wanaka Town Centre Character Guidelines, which closed last week.

A house in the heart of Wanaka's central business district has been sold, but it is not yet known whether the prime commercial site will be developed into offices and shops.

Winter Games NZ organisers say the event will become self-sustaining this year, with long-term economic impacts far exceeding those expected from the Rugby World Cup.

Wanaka's fluctuating economic fortunes were closely examined on Tuesday by more than 100 people at the first of several district-wide forums designed to guide future policy-makers and decision-makers.

The wreck of the helicopter involved in last Wednesday's fatal accident near Bow Peak in the Mt Aspiring National Park has been transported from Wanaka to Christchurch for secure storage.

Four Wanaka people and a dog were lucky to escape a house blaze early yesterday morning with their lives, Invercargill-based fire risk management officer Michael Cahill says.

Tiring Wanaka Chief Fire Officer Steve Trevathan (51) is off on his "oldies OE" to Australia, where he will seek work in the mining industry - and hopes to play golf.

The economic downturn has forced Lake Hawea stalwart Trevor Hewson to seek mining work in Australia.

A McNeill Drilling rig began working above the Clutha River near the Luggate Red Bridge yesterday

The Pisa Alpine Charitable Trust is in good heart as it works towards its goal of raising about $2 million to buy the Snow Farm from the Lee family by September.

A $50,000 water feature for Lakeside Rd should be completed by the end of June, two trusts associated with the development announced this week.

Two Transport Accident Investigation Commission inspectors have visited the site of Wednesday's fatal helicopter crash but it could be a year before their final report can be delivered to the families of the two pilots who died, Graham Stott (31), of Wanaka, and Marcus Hoogvliet (21), of Queenstown.

Wellington artist Rose Petterson's Cathedra Domine won the people's choice award, with 369 votes, at the Sculpture in Central Otago trail at Rippon Vineyard this week.

Tributes flowed yesterday for the two pilots who were killed when their helicopter crashed in the Mt Aspiring National Park while on a cross-country navigation training flight.

The sale at auction of a Wanaka house on Monday for $110,000 less than the price it fetched nearly eight years ago has not surprised real estate agents.

The Crown clawed back $550,000 from convicted Dunedin fraudster Michael Swann this week after the successful auction of his second Wanaka holiday home.