There is no doubt the past 12 months have been hectic for the Otago Daily Times Queenstown journalists, who have kept you up to date with the news you care about. Bureau chief Tracey Roxburgh takes a look back over the past year and the stories which dominated.
New Zealand Golf Open
In March this year, the open was back. And it snowed.
United States journalists and golfers weren't prepared for the "unseasonal" snowfall (which any Queenstown resident will tell you is the norm).
Nevertheless, the open was a huge success, with large crowds converging on the pristine golf course - all keeping a close eye on Danny Lee.
It's fair to say the teenager was a disappointment, playing two rounds and missing out on the cut.
However, that didn't stop the thousands of golf enthusiasts and curious visitors and residents from having a good time, helped on the last day by a concert courtesy of Arrowtown band the Lynch Mob.
Hydroslide
Young thrill seekers have now been without the Lakes Leisure fast hydroslide for six months and there is no planned date for work to begin on the slide's repair.
Opening on May 31, 2008, the hydroslide had 69 reported injuries by December.
On May 17 this year, a woman complained to the Department of Labour about receiving a minor concussion and injuring her shoulder on the slide, causing the slide to be closed again in June.
It hasn't operated since.
Arrowtown
It's been a big year for the small town, with the proposed Arrowtown boundary dominating headlines in the Queenstown Times over several months.
At the end of January, Arrowtown businesses and residents came out against the town's boundary expanding, saying the "full" sign should go up because growth would ruin the integrity and character of the village.
About 540 submissions were received - 500 of those from Arrowtown residents, the majority of which wanted the town's boundary kept tight.
Almost simultaneously, Arrowtown South started making headlines.
Proposed by a group of private landowners in the town, Arrowtown South is seeking a private plan change to allow for development at the town's "natural boundary".
Winter
Frequent and well-timed storms and snowfalls meant it was a bumper season for snowsports in the Wakatipu, with hopes 2010 will be even better.
However, the snowfalls did bring with them tragedy, with Queenstown resident Ryan Campbell killed in an avalanche while snowboarding near Coronet Peak on August 2.
Five Mile
We all knew it would come - the Five Mile mortgagee sale by international tender - we just didn't know how long it would take.
Five Mile Holdings Ltd, owned by developer Dave Henderson, was placed in receivership in July 2008 with total claims of $79.6 million.
Then, last month, the "Sold" sign went up over stage one of "Hendo's Hole" almost immediately following the lifting of a caveat over part of the land.
Within days, Auckland-based company Queenstown Gateway Ltd announced it had purchased stage one, 7.7ha of the 31ha site.
Kawarau Falls
The receiverships just seemed to keep coming in 2009, with two developers associated with Queenstown's billion-dollar Kawarau Falls development placed in receivership in May.
KordaMentha was appointed the receiver over Melview Investments Ltd and Melview Development Ltd, both associated with stage one of the development at Kelvin Heights.
In August, the receiver finally released its report, finding the two companies owed about $144.8 million to Bank of Scotland International, Hanover Finance and others.
However, work has continued at the site in the interim, with the hotel development expected to be completed early next year and Hanover Finance last month predicting stage two may begin "soon" because the stage two company was not in receivership.
JetStar
Scheduled to arrive in Queenstown from Auckland at 10.50am, the first flight eventually dotted down at 12.20pm.
Four new airports and 18 flights on the same day was a "large operational launch", according to Jetstar executive manager, David Koczkar - and the problem was compounded by a hydraulic fault on a container loader at Wellington Airport.
Emily Jordan
The heartbreaking story of a 21-year-old English tourist who drowned while on a commercial river boarding trip in 2008 was played out in the Queenstown District Court in August during a defended hearing for Black Sheep Adventures Ltd.
The company entered guilty pleas to two charges after admitting it did not take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of customers on a whitewater trip down the Kawarau River on April 29, 2008.
The company was fined $66,000 and ordered to pay $80,000 reparation to Miss Jordan's family.
On September 8, Miss Jordan's father, Chris, urged Prime Minister John Key to better regulate the adventure tourism industry in New Zealand.
On September 21, Mr Key announced the review of safety standards in the adventure tourism industry.
Phase one of the review was completed last Friday.
Winter Games New Zealand
On August 22, history was made in Queenstown when 800 athletes from 26 countries began competition in the inaugural Winter Games NZ.
Some events were disrupted in Queenstown due to an untimely storm, but the event was hailed a huge success.
WGNZ chief executive Arthur Klap said in November the economic impact of the games for Otago and the Lakes District ranged from a "cautious" $42 million to a "top end" $103 million.
Queenstown Lakes District Council chief executive
On Friday, we were told Duncan Field, who has been the Queenstown Lakes District Council chief executive for the past 12 years, would be handing over the reigns to Debra Lawson next year.
The Chamber of Commerce grabbed the front page of the Otago Daily Times in November after issuing a press release saying it wanted Mr Field gone.
Mayor Clive Geddes summed up his feelings on the press release in three words: "repugnant and offensive".
Queenstown Airport Corporation's safety area
Work has finally begun on the Queenstown Airport Corporation's $10 million runway end safety area - which must be completed by October 2011.
The safety area is a critical part of the airport's future, required to secure international flights.
It is a prepared area of land to prevent an aircraft undershooting or overrunning the runway.
Health
It was another controversial year as far as health services in the Wakatipu went.
In September, the Wakatipu Health Trust report said a shortage of hospital beds in the resort meant residents weren't receiving fair access to health care.
Its assessment showed three more beds were required immediately, with another 13 by 2031, to ensure Queenstown residents got the same level of access as other parts of the region and New Zealand.
However, Otago and Southland district health board chief executive Brian Rousseau labelled the conclusions of the report misleading, inaccurate and defying logic.
In October, the DHB's hospital capacity review said bed numbers in Otago and Southland rural hospitals were adequate until 2026.
It said Queenstown Lakes was the healthiest and least deprived area in Otago and Southland.
In November, steps began towards merging the Southland and Otago health organisations; the boards began public consultation on the merger proposal and voted to establish one PHO across the region to replace the existing nine.
Kingston Flyer
But when the news broke last month Kingston Acquisitions Ltd, the Flyer's owner, had been placed in receivership and the company's assets - including the train, tracks, carriages, associated buildings and almost 80ha of land - were up for sale, there was renewed hope in the town.
International tenders closed on December 11, but no news has been made available to date regarding the train's future owner.
Kawarau Jet v Thunder Jet
A judicial review in March found Kawarau Jet should have been consulted before the Queenstown Lakes District Council granted Thunder Jet resource consent to operate on Lake Wakatipu and the Kawarau River.
The fledging jet-boat operation was mothballed and reapplied for its two consents two weeks later.
Those consents were approved with conditions in September.
Kawarau Jet and sister company Clearwater Pursuits appealed, insisting a second jet-boat operation was a safety risk.
It also said the consents should be thrown out because Thunder Jet changed its evidence at the hearing on the proposed means of radio communication.
Thunder Jet sought an early commencement of its first consent with the Environment Court, but was challenged by Kawarau Jet at the hearing in December.
Judge Jon Jackson reserved his decision and set down a substantive hearing for May or June 2010.
Remarkables Primary School
Remarkables Primary School has blossomed from talks with the Ministry of Education in March to a cutting edge complex, which is nearing completion and will be envy of New Zealand.
The first pupils enter on February 4 and the grand opening of the entirely completed school is planned for September 2010.
