Christina McDonald

Fears the proposed Fiordland monorail would take tourists away from Te Anau is a serious concern held by some resort residents.

Conservation Minister Nick Smith will visit the site of the proposed Fiordland Link Experience monorail's terminus at Te Anau Downs this morning.

Arborists Nicky Ward-Allen, of Eltham, and James Kilpatrick, of Tauranga, will join Asia Pacific champion Scott Forrest in representing New Zealand at the International Tree Climbing Championship next year after winning the women's and men's categories in Queenstown at the weekend.

Occupancy at Queenstown hotels has increased and so also has the average price.

Queenstown tenants are either behaving themselves or it is uneconomic for landlords to try to recover missed rent from tenants returning overseas.

"Safety'' is the reason for a Queenstown jet-boat company's submission against an application from another jet-boat company wanting to operate on Lake Wakatipu and the Kawarau and Shotover Rivers.

Negotiations are continuing with a preferred party over leasing the Queenstown Lakes district's four main camping grounds but arrangements have not been finalised and there is no announcement yet, , the council's chief executive Adam Feeley says.