Sunday
Thin ice: Checked Diamond Lake, West Wanaka, for signs of ice-skaters pirouetting across the natural ice.
But, despite an icy walk to this hidden gem, and a definite layer of ice beyond the bulrushes, there was not a skater to be seen.
A born and bred Wanakan assured us that in her childhood, skating on the ''bottomless'' Diamond Lake was a regular winter activity.
Sushi: Found the Lake Hawea cafe offering customers ''southern sushi'', more commonly known as cheese rolls.
A colleague suggested that to be truly ''southern'', a cheese roll would need to be deep-fried, as she encountered at a Gore cafe on one occasion.
Tuesday
Ambitious: A bit of news of interest to users of the Haast Pass did not make the cut today.
It was that the Westland District Council, with the support of the Queenstown Lakes District Council, is putting in a bid to erase the 80km cellphone ''blackspot'' between Haast and Makarora.
You would have to wonder if the Government's $50 million ''mobile blackspots fund'' would be big enough.
Telly: Wanaka will feature in the first episode of a new TV One show, Kiwi Living.
Matt Gibb, who once presented Dunedin-made children's programme Squirt, will be helicoptering and mountain biking around Wanaka.
Expect to see the results next Friday.
Of course: Courtesy of a Dunedin colleague - ''What's the difference between a weasel and a stoat? Weasels are weasonably easy to recognise, but stoats are stotally different.''
Thanks Dave.
Groupie: Arrowtown resident Ralph Hanan implored councillors, at the Queenstown Lakes District Council meeting, to lobby the New Zealand Transport Agency for a better solution to the congestion problems at the Kawarau Falls bridge, saying, given New Zealand was the rock star economy of the OECD and Queenstown was its rock star destination, it deserved better.
Asking Mr Hanan a question, Calum MacLeod introduced himself as a Wanaka councillor - ''a groupie to the rock star''.
Wednesday
Thumbs up: Finding those Queenstown Lakes District Council road reports really helpful this winter.
The reports begin about 6.30am on the council's Facebook page, and are available via email.
Communications manager Michele Poole says well over 7000 people have signed up.
Thursday
Guess who: The Upper Clutha rugby identity who told the ODT, while looking after his three children under 18 months, that he had turned down a ticket to the game in Wellington on Saturday night to be with his in-laws in Gore, who do not have Sky TV.
A bob each way: A tip from a Highlanders supporter: For guaranteed happiness on Saturday, put a dollar or two on the Hurricanes.
