Tracey Roxburgh

Operators planning to use the Milford Aerodrome more than 10 times a year have until Monday to apply for a landing concession.

A perfect storm it was not, and not enough to prevent hundreds of people heading up Coronet Peak on Saturday to make the most of what should have been a chance to enjoy snow sports.

A Queenstown-based trust which owns seven bars in the resort and Wanaka has vowed to continue its fight, following a High Court decision released yesterday which will mean the end of 24-hour drinking in the resort.

If you were to use a cliche, you might call it the perfect storm - at least that's what Southern Alpine Recreation chief executive James Coddington is hoping the approaching cold front will be for Coronet Peak.

Excitement has been building for weeks, and the buzz in Queenstown is rapidly reaching fever pitch.

Details have been released for the first home and land packages at Millbrook Resort's $500 million Millbrook West development.

It's being tipped as one of the most important developments Queenstown has seen in recent times, positioning one of the resort's skifields among the world's elite and from Saturday it will be open for business.

Alanis Morrissette would call it ironic.

Te Anau: A decision by St John to use ACC funding for a full-time ambulance position in Te Anau rather than supporting the community's volunteers would "destabilise the service", Te Anau doctor Steve Graham says.

Michael Hill has done it again, this time winning one of the three supreme awards during the New Zealand Institute of Architects Resene Supreme Awards for Architecture 2008, for the ground-breaking Hills golf course clubhouse near Arrowtown.

Unlike most her age, Queenstown skier Taylor Rapley does not have time to party with her friends at the weekend and instead of attending school like other year 12 pupils, she studies at night.

Let's get ready to rumble! The Lakes Districts' skifields were yesterday celebrating the first serious snowfall of the year, with weather forecasters already talking about more to come.

The future of the Te Anau area as a tourism destination was confirmed on Saturday at the official opening of the $7.1 million airport at Manapouri.

The Southern Lakes region has scooped the pool in the inaugural 2008 TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Destination Awards, with Milford voted the No 1 destination in the world by travellers, followed by Queenstown in second place.

Lakes district residents are urged to "be prepared and carry chains" today following a heavy snow warning issued last night by MetService.

A four-level development under way in the Queenstown CBD would go a "long way" towards stabilising rents in the resort, Bayleys Queenstown spokesman Marty Barwood says.

Consigning a historic Arrowtown woolshed to the history books started on Saturday as 47 burly rugby players moved in with wrecking tools.