James Beech

Investigations continue today regarding a suspicious fire which gutted a mobile kitchen in Queenstown early yesterday.

Bumper numbers of new entrants will start or resume their studying careers this week and next at the Wakatipu's seven schools.

Fast-talking and funny singer-songwriter Lindon Puffin says he cannot wait to play alongside Barry Saunders, one of his heroes, at the Summer Playground concert in Gibbston on Sunday.

Academy Award winning film-maker Jane Campion says she is "excited to be setting a story in this end-of-the-world paradise" before shooting her first New Zealand production in 20 years in Queenstown.

Southern district police and the Queenstown Lakes District Council are urging motorists who drive near schools at peak times to be vigilant and drive safely, as pupils start their new year next week.

The $380,000 upgrade of the main road into Queenstown looks likely to cause detours during the peak tourist month of February and into early March.

Rural firefighting techniques are being shared by visiting American firefighters and their counterparts in the Department of Conservation (Doc) this week.

Queenstown Chamber of Commerce president Alastair Porter has warned members they have little cause to expect an improvement in business this year.

The 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games in 2011 had a total potential worldwide audience of almost 7.45 million, although numbers of visitors from its home province of Otago were "well short of target", its event report says.

It is only natural the Warratahs frontman Barry Saunders should play songs from his solo album, Magnetic South, at his Gibbston gig, for the Southern Lakes was his inspiration when he wrote them.

A record number of Chinese tourists are expected in Queenstown next week, thanks to greatly improved air access and operators' efforts to boost the resort's New Zealand market share, Destination Queenstown says.

The ever-changing beauty of New Zealand's landscapes inspired an Australian resident of Queenstown to create new artworks for an exhibition to be launched tonight.

Tickets for the first of two Tauranga gigs to be played by Creedence Clearwater Revisited have sold out and sales are picking up for all the band's New Zealand concerts, including Queenstown, the promoter says.

Heads down for Queenstown youngsters (from left) Josiah Baty (12), James Morris (12), Fiona Seal (14) and Morgan Seal (11) as they compete in a pavlova eating contest to pop music by Dave Dobbyn as part of the Youth Booth's inaugural New Zealand Day yesterday.

Queenstown man Thijs Hubber was the overall winner of the Jacks Point Triathlon on Saturday, clocking in at 1hr 7min 6sec.