Marjorie Cook

Ice cream might be a New Zealand dessert staple, but Wanaka manufacturer Richard Bullock has found there is always appetite for more.

A group of open-water swimmers is campaigning to extend the Lake Wanaka safe swim area by about 1km to create a 1200m non-motorised zone along the west shore of Roys Bay to Edgewater Resort.

Wanaka volunteers Liz Hall and Moira Fleming could be excused for thinking they were experiencing case of deja vu when they settled down with paint brushes, terracotta tiles and history books this week.

A Wanaka duo want to take the fast way down after climbing a towering peak in the Himalayas next year. Marjorie Cook meets the men who want to soar like eagles.

A large crowd enjoyed Christmas celebrations in Wanaka on Saturday, with carols in the Dinosaur Playground, a costume parade and a nativity play featuring local identities from the district's schools, churches, community board, council and community associations.

Boating enthusiast Tim McHutchon and Wanaka firefighters believe an electrical fault sparked a destructive boat fire on Saturday that also caused minor damage to the Matukituki River bridge, spread into nearby vegetation and destroyed the spare tyre of the towing vehicle.

New Zealand skeleton racer Katharine Eustace has broken into the top 20 in the International Bobsled Federation (FIBT) women's world rankings following a World Cup race in Lake Placid, United States, on Saturday.

A 21-year-old Singaporean climber died on Mt Aspiring yesterday morning, after a fall of about 800m from the southwest ridge route.