Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) councillors have approved modest waste fee increases for the 2024/2025 financial year.From July 1, fees to dispose of waste per tonne will increase from $375 to $440 and cleanfill per tonne will rise to $110 from $100.Most disposal fees (for things like green waste, car seats and batteries) are unchanged. The new prices will apply to users of the Wānaka or Queenstown transfer stations, whose waste is later sent either to the Victoria Flats landfill or a recycling facility.A handful of additional price increases for tyre disposal may also come into effect in September.Fees for tyres per tonne could increase to $593.50 from $564 and fees per tyre by 50 cents (for a car tyre) and two dollars (for a truck tyre). QLDC contracts manager Laura Gledhill said the possible change in pricing for tyres was the result of a national tyre product stewardship scheme.From September the scheme will include collection sites like refuse transfer stations and QLDC may incur costs to comply with the requirements of the scheme.Laura said the tyre product stewardship scheme was one of five “key drivers” for the need to review the fees and charge.Another was an increase in the waste disposal levy applied by the Ministry for the Environment (from $50 to $60) per tonne.“This levy is required to be collected and returned to the Ministry for the Environment for use in the promotion and achievement of waste minimisation,” she said. Laura said pricing decisions had taken into account unintended consequences of more significant increases, such as “an increase in illegal dumping”.PHOTO: Supplied

A Wānaka teenager who was gifted a set of golf clubs worth $5,000 is already using them “nearly every day”.Monty Brown (16) missed out on a major prize by millimetres during this year’s New Zealand Open but his sportsmanship was rewarded a month later.His attempt in the ‘Closest to the Pin’ fundraiser initiative at the New Zealand Open was just 830mm from the pin until he was beaten to the prize in the last ten minutes of the day.His grace in missing out on the $5,000 prize was noticed by Craigs Investment Partners, who teamed up with golf club supplier Ping and the Wānaka Golf Club Pro Shop and last week they presented Monty with a brand new set of Ping clubs.Monty told the Wānaka App the new clubs are “definitely” a big improvement on his old clubs.The keen golfer picked up the sport around two years ago.He now plays at Wānaka Golf Club two or three times a week and he is currently aiming to get his handicap of 15.1 down to “single digits” by the end of summer.Monty told the Wānaka App he was attending the New Zealand Open for the first time when he came across ‘Closest to the Pin’ and thought to himself “let’s give this a crack”.Even though he didn’t win, Monty said he was stoked with his result, and he was “blown away” when he was given the new clubs a couple of months later.Monty said it would be “pretty cool” to go pro one day, but for now golf is “just for fun”.Craigs Investment Partners adviser Paul Gardner said through the company’s support for the Closest to the Pin and a second New Zealand Open Initiative, Birdies for Charity, $25,000 was raised for Cure Kids and the Wakatipu Community Foundation.“Craigs also wants to recognise up-and-coming young Kiwi golfers in their journey to the top, and supporting Monty is one way we can do this given his achievement and attitude on the day.”PHOTO: Supplied

A Wānaka resident who drives over the Crown Range several times per day is encouraging Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) to increase signage on the alpine road - but QLDC says more signage isn’t always better.Wānaka Transfers owner Kirsty Barclay said installing a large sign which clearly warns drivers of the conditions on the Crown Range and advises them the alternative route via Cromwell is an easier drive could alleviate some of the problems on the road.She pointed to an incident about six weeks ago when a car stopped in the middle of the road on the Crown Range en route to Wānaka and Kirsty stopped to assist the driver.“The driver got out of the vehicle and told me ‘I can’t drive this road - it’s too hard’,” Kirsty said.“I helped her turn around and get back down the hill. I felt really sorry for her because she didn’t know it was a scary road.”Read more: The Crown Range in numbers: six deaths; 460 accidents, 100kphShe said existing signage isn’t large or clear enough, and improving it would mean fewer drivers on the Crown Range who struggle with the road, less frustration for other drivers, and a safer experience for many.Kirsty said she had been in touch with QLDC about increasing signage several times, including sharing her idea with mayor Glyn Lewers at a recent event in Wānaka.Deputy mayor Quentin Smith told the Wānaka App QLDC had invested “an enormous amount of money and time in Cardrona/Crown Range safety improvements” and said the council continues to work with police regarding safety and enforcement. He said QLDC will consider if additional improvements or signage are required but noted that “no amount of signage will prevent the issue that’s being described if people with inadequate experience [are] taking on the road”.  “Signage only gets us so far,” he said.QLDC media and channels advisor Sam White said the council had recently installed a large new ‘keep left’ sign at the main chain bay near the top of the road on the Cardrona side, but he also pointed out the limitations of signage.“...while important and effective when used appropriately, signage is not always the best option,” Sam said. “There comes a point when the number of signs outweighs the benefit, i.e. people tend to ‘see’ and read them less.”“This is especially the case for drivers for whom English is not their first language.”He said QLDC had undertaken a range of work to improve road safety in the past three years, including several kilometres of new safety guard rails, road surface improvements; it also funds the webcam and weather service at the top of the Crown Range and provides daily road reports in winter.QLDC also has additional projects in the works including an application to NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) for funding to strengthen the route’s resilience from potential landslides and look into the feasibility of safety improvements to manage slow vehicles, Sam said. PHOTO: QLDC

Wānaka Police have responded to road policing incidents including burnouts, a crash, plus speeding and licence status issues over the past week.Wānaka Police Senior Sergeant Fiona (Fi) Roberts said an investigation is ongoing after complaints of burnouts in Hāwea on Saturday (June 1).The incident also resulted in the police impounding a vehicle for the driver driving while suspended.Traffic infringement offence notices were issued for speed and licence status outside Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College (MAC). “At peak times there are students spilling out of the school,” Fi said. “Slow down.”There have been a number of other speed-related complaints around town, particularly on Macpherson Street, where residents have “had a guts full”, Fi said.“What we are seeing a lot of is heavy roadworks are pushing people into residential areas and some people are speeding down those alternative routes.”It’s not just affecting Macpherson Street, she said: that pattern “is replicating itself all over Wānaka.”Police will have a presence in the hotspots, she said.There was a vehicle collision on the Crown Range where a single vehicle heading south appeared to have taken a corner too quickly and lost control. This incident serves as a reminder to drivers to drive at an appropriate speed for the location and conditions.Winter weather, which can bring with it black ice, wet roads, rain and fog, requires drivers to be particularly careful on the roads, and carrying chains is advised.Fi said there were no drivers apprehended for drink driving over King’s Birthday Weekend.“People are heeding some of the advice we are giving and using their common sense,” she said.The Police Impairment Prevention Team will be back in Wānaka this week, Fi said.The long weekend led to a busy period for the Wānaka Police in more than just road policing.“We attract a lot of visitors and it isn’t a surprise to see an increase in incidents like family harm,” she said.There were several family harm incidents of note among people who were visiting Wānaka for the long weekend, Fi said.One of them was a serious assault with “serious family harm charges resulting in the offender being arrested”.The offender has been remanded in custody with bail opposed.In a second incident the police were called to an address in Albert Town, which resulted in a Police Safety Order (which are issued to protect victims and give them time to make decisions about their ongoing safety and access support) being issued.There were two breach of bail incidents over the past week.“Police had been looking for two offenders wanted for breaching their bail conditions,” Fi said.“One handed themselves into Wānaka Police, the other returned to Dunedin and was dealt with by Dunedin Police.”Fi congratulated two Wānaka residents who received CNZM in the King’s Birthday Honours list, Ralph Fegan (for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the community) and Mary Lee who (for services to snow sports and tourism).“On behalf of Wānaka Police Ralph and Mary, congratulations,” she said. Call 111 when you need an emergency response from police, fire or ambulance.Call 105 to report things that don’t need urgent police assistance.Call *555 to report road incidents that are urgent but not life-threatening.To make an anonymous crime report contact Crime Stoppers.PHOTO: Wānaka App 

The first data from last year’s nationwide Census is now in, and it paints a picture of how the Queenstown Lakes district population is changing.It’s no surprise the district’s population has grown, but it’s notable we have not been growing as fast as in some previous years.The Queenstown Lakes population in 2023 was 47,808, a 22.1 percent increase from the previous Census year of 2018 (which had a population of 39,153) - and a 69 percent increase since 2013. However, the rate of growth was lower than the increase between 2013 and 2018 when the population grew by 38.7 percent (from 28,224 to 39,153).The growth rate still makes Queenstown Lakes the second fastest growing territorial authority in the country (behind Selwyn at 29 percent).There are 25,734 dwellings in the district - an increase of 26.1 percent on 2018.The makeup of the population is also changing: we are getting more diverse.Those who identify as European still make up the majority of the population (82.8 percent) but that has dropped from 87.5 percent in 2013.The next largest demographic is those who identify as Asian (10.5 percent); then Maori (6.4 percent); Middle Eastern, Latin American, and African (5.3 percent); and Pacific peoples (1.5 percent). The combined figure does not add up to 100% as some people identify with more than one ethnicity.The median age of people living in Queenstown Lakes has increased from 34.4 years old in 2018 to 35.5 years old in 2023. Those aged 30-39 years make up 22.3 percent of the population, up from 18.6 percent in 2013; and those aged over 60 make up 16.8 percent. Data from the Wānaka Ward will not become available until August 2025.PHOTO: Wānaka App

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) mayor Glyn Lewers has welcomed last week’s Budget announcement of a new regional infrastructure fund and national infrastructure agency.“The establishment of a national infrastructure agency is a positive step to address the nationwide deficits in infrastructure strategy, planning, funding, design and procurement,” Glyn said.“I look forward to seeing it up and running." Glyn has previously said the district has been dealing with underinvestment in infrastructure for the past 30 years - which is now a nationwide issue for local government. He says Queenstown Lakes’ unique position as the country’s leading, year-round tourism destination with only a small ratepayer base to fund it puts immense pressure on the council and ratepayers.Glyn told a Wānaka Business Chamber meeting in May that the district has been the fastest-growing region in the country since 1996, with nine percent growth in Queenstown and five percent in Wānaka last year.The district has enough zoned land for development for 30 years, but there is not enough infrastructure in the ground to service it, he said.There are “some pretty serious things the government needs to invest in around here”, QLDC mayor Glyn Lewers says. PHOTO: SuppliedThe change in government last year prompted a December directive to bring the proposed Three Waters reform back inside councils in their 10-year forecast.Glyn said this put a “big strain on our property and infrastructure team”, and the focus this year would be on a ‘keep the lights on’ budget committed to essential works.Late last year an outbreak of illness emphasised the need to urgently source protozoa barriers for the district’s water supplies to protect against cryptosporidium. This work had been planned since 2019 but postponed amid the need to invest in wastewater upgrades first.  As the Queenstown Lakes population continues to grow, there are “some pretty serious things the government needs to invest in around here”, Glyn said.Like former mayor Jim Boult, Glyn has actively pursued alternative funding for infrastructure, including a visitor levy - or bed tax.“QLDC is actively engaging with government on the regional infrastructure fund,” Glyn said last week, adding that it was too early in that process to determine any local outcomes.

Wastebusters’ Low Waste Living series is returning for a second year with informative sessions taking place in Wānaka from tomorrow (Thursday June 6).Last year’s sold-out events focused on reducing household waste while saving money and this year’s themes will include minimising waste, saving time and money and ‘feeling good about your impact’.The series is divided into a ‘family edition’ and a ‘kitchen edition’, Wastebusters event coordinator Abigail Hurford-Abel said.“Whether you’re a parent in a busy household or someone living in a shared house, we received invaluable feedback from last year’s events and tailored this series to suit everyone’s needs,” Abigail said.In its second edition can expect more in-depth demonstrations, displays, DIYs, and discussions, she said.“We’re here to meet you wherever you are on your low waste journey.”The family edition is designed to help parents with busy lives, and fussy eaters, she said. It has a focus on packaging-free lunch boxes, tasty low waste recipes, and a build-your-own reusable kit station, helping to save time and money with bulk buying and local shopping tips.The kitchen edition is for anyone looking to simplify their weekly preparation and reduce their food waste and it features a zero-waste herbal tea making demonstration, low waste recipe demonstrations and DIY cleaning alternatives to save money.Low Waste Living ‘family edition’ will take place tomorrow (Thursday June 6) from 6pm-8pm at the Lake Wānaka Centre; the ‘kitchen edition’ will be at the same place and time on June 24.A survey conducted by Wastebusters in 2021 showed that people in Wānaka and Queenstown wanted information on how to shop more sustainably and reduce their household waste.“Our goal is to empower our community to live a life of less waste and feel good about their impact, all while saving time and money,” Abigail said.Tickets are available at the Wastebusters’ website.PHOTO: Wastebusters

Thrill-seekers will enjoy hearing from Italian mountaineer Simone Moro at the upcoming NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival, director Mark Sedon says.The festival is aimed at ‘adventure lovers of all ages and stages, and Simone will have “chilling and harrowing” stories to tell.Simone featured alongside Corey Richards and Denis Urubko in the 2011 film ‘Cold’ as they made the first winter ascent of one of Pakistan's 8,000 metre peaks. Since then, he has gone on to make three more winter ascents on eight-thousand metre peaks – a feat that no other climber has been able to match. “He’s a mountaineering legend,” Mark said. “It’s hard enough climbing at 8,000 metres, but you have to be a bit crazy to even imagine climbing something like that in winter.” His achievements within high-altitude mountaineering are matched only by his feats of bravery, Mark said.   In 2001, Simone abandoned his own attempt of the Everest-Lhotse Traverse to save English climber Tom Moores, who was stuck on the west face of Lhotse. He is also the first European helicopter pilot qualified to fly in Nepal, and has completed numerous rescue operations from the air, including taking part in the highest long-line rescue at 7,800m on Everest in 2013. Simone, one of 17 speakers at this year’s festival, will speak in Wānaka on Saturday June 22.He will be joined by Frederique Olivier, an accomplished field guide, naturalist, photographer, and documentary filmmaker who has dedicated much of her career to exploring the polar regions; white water kayaker Shannon Mast; well-known local climber Guy Cotter; and award-winning authors Colin Monteath, Victoria Bruce and Craig Potton, amongst others.  New Zealand’s talented filmmakers will also be on hand at the festival to introduce their films, with 64 of the films on the programme Kiwi-made, and several making their world premieres.Mark said ticket sales for the festival have been slower than in previous years and he said the cost-of-living crisis may be partly responsible for this. He encouraged families to make the most of the free family shows being held at Edgewater Hotel in Wānaka on Saturday June 22 and Sunday June 23 and at the Hāwea Hotel on Saturday June 22. The NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival will run in Wānaka June 21 to 25 and in Queenstown 27 to 28 June. The event will also be broadcast online in New Zealand and Australia from 1 - 31 July.

Health NZ/Te Whatu Ora’s latest comment on the health challenges facing the Upper Clutha has failed to impress either the local health advocacy group Health Action Wānaka (HAW) or the Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board (WUCCB) chair, who described the health agency’s response as “word salad”.The Wānaka App asked Te Whatu Ora to respond to a call from Southern mayors Glyn Lewers (Queenstown Lakes District Council) and Tim Cadogan (Central Otago District Council) for urgent improvements to health care.The mayors wrote an open letter in response to Te Whatu Ora’s draft Te Waipounamu Health and Wellbeing Plan, saying the plan needs to “urgently address” inland Otago’s inadequate access to public health care.The mayors said there had been a long-standing lack of investment in local provision of publicly funded health services, infrastructure, and workforce to meet the districts’ health needs.Read more: Mayors call for urgent improvements to public health careIt took Te Whatu Ora a week to respond to the Wānaka App’s request (which asked specifically about plans to address the gap in after-hours care in the Upper Clutha).Te Whatu Ora Te Waipounamu regional wayfinder and regional integration team co-chair Chiquita Hansen said a number of developments were underway to improve health services in this area, including a new general practice in Wānaka, a new maternity unit (which was purchased two years ago but alterations only began last October), “local point of care lab testing and the Ka Ora telehealth consultation service” (which triages after hours calls).“The Pae Ora Healthy Futures Act 2021 provides the foundation for a longer-term integrated approach to planning and health services provision to ensure community voices and local priorities inform developments,” Chiquita said.“In recognition of feedback on the Regional Health and Wellbeing Plan for Te Waipounamu (2024-27), the integrated planning process for Southern has been included in the revised version of the plan which will include engagement with community groups, stakeholders and the mayors and councils in Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes.”WUCCB chair Simon Telfer said this community is looking for tangible implementation of new health services in Wānaka. “It's getting tiring having to interpret word salad media releases from government agencies,” he added.HAW steering committee chair Monique Mayze said while it was encouraging that Te Whatu Ora was publicly acknowledging its need to better understand our community's healthcare needs, the agency’s statement “sounds like an attempt to 'buy time' while our community continues to wait”. “We are looking for fit-for-purpose solutions that reflect our community's unique needs which are different to those of the Queenstown and Central Otago communities which both have access to a hospital, after-hours care, and free blood tests,” Monique said. Glyn Lewers said it is disappointing that Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago are still waiting for access to adequate public local healthcare.“Concerningly, 70 percent of the people in Aotearoa New Zealand who live two hours or more from a base hospital live in inland Otago. And that’s only counting residents,” he said.“With facilities several hours drive away it’s not something we can afford to wait any longer for — we’re simply growing too fast.”Chiquita also repeated a Te Whatu Ora talking point: “Catering for the needs of the growing population of the Central Otago region is an ongoing consideration for Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ) in terms of what might be needed right now and, in the future, and how best to deliver those services.”IMAGES: Supplied

Traffic lights will be installed permanently at the Luggate Red Bridge, following five weeks of wider maintenance beginning this week.Traffic signals are being installed to manage the bridge’s single lane flows and the impact made by heavy vehicles, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi said.Starting today (Tuesday June 4), stop/go traffic management will be used to keep traffic flowing around the work site while essential maintenance is undertaken on the 110-year-old historic bridge.Aspiring Highways abseilers will work above the Clutha River/Mata-Au tightening bolts and checking deck running boards.The work day and stop/go delays will run between 9am and 5pm weekdays.Following the work period, two weeks of daytime closure (Monday July 8 to Friday July 19 - also from 9am to 5pm) will be needed to install traffic signals. The bridge is a key link between Tarras, Cromwell, and Wānaka, but detour routes are available for traffic during the closure times, NZTA Lower South Island system manager Robert Choveaux said.“The detours are slightly different for HPMV Higher Mass vehicles than earlier years, while other vehicles will have the same detours as earlier years,” Robert said. The Luggate Bridge detour route, which is not suitable for all vehicles.“People who usually use the bridge during daytime hours will need to either take the detour route or travel outside of these times while the two-week traffic signal installation is underway.”Arrangements have been made to accommodate the school buses, and emergency vehicles will also be accommodated at short notice.For the full daytime closure period, July 8-19, weekdays only: Light vehicles (cars, vans) can travel via Kane and Camphill Roads through Hāwea Flat. It will add 25-30 minutes to the journey. (Camphill Road Bridge on the detour route isn’t approved for HPMV or 50Max.) HPMV, 50MAX vehicles and HPMV Higher Mass permit holders can travel via Kane, Cemetery, Domain Roads and Capell Ave - SH6 via Albert Town to SH84. Overweight permit holders need to refer to their permit and confirm an alternate route according to their permit type or travel outside of the closure times.IMAGES: Supplied

Wānaka snow sports stalwart Mary Lee has been appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to snow sports and tourism in this year’s King’s Honours List.Mary and her husband John Lee developed Cardrona Ski Field, Snow Park, the beginnings of the Southern Hemisphere Proving Ground, and the Snow Farm - New Zealand’s only dedicatedNordic/cross-country ski area.Mary told the Wānaka App she was proud to be involved in the foundation of the ski areas and Nordic sports in New Zealand and was honoured to be recognised.“It has been and still is a very rewarding journey,” she said.The honour had “rekindled a truck load of wonderful memories” from the partners who helped Mary and John realise their dreams to “all the wonderful people we have met”. There had been plenty of challenges along the way too, but Mary said those were “a distant memory”.Mary Lee in action during the Snow Farm’s annual Merino Muster. PHOTO: Garrick CameronWhile Mary credits the support of family, friends, and the Nordic skiing community in the success of the Snow Farm, she (who embodies ‘perpetual motion’) may have been the perfect person to help develop and introduce the sport of Nordic skiing to New Zealand. A keen alpine skier from a young age, she was inspired to become a physiotherapist as a teenager by her volunteer work with disabled children. She told the Wānaka App she had never tried Nordic skiing until John began developing the Pisa area.“It’s a special sport,” Mary said, recalling an afternoon in those early days on what is now The Snow Farm. She stopped skiing and looked at the view, and thought: “This is such a mind-blowing, relaxing mental health day.”It was a learning experience developing the Snow Farm, Mary said, and while the international Nordic instructors were expert skiers, their approach of taking beginner skiers to the top of the Pisa on the first day often meant it was also their last day of Nordic skiing.“This is where my physio training kicked in and with John, we tackled the challenge of getting return visits,” Mary said.Nordic skiing took “a lot longer” to be accepted as a sport than the couple had anticipated. A youth trip Mary organised to Australia’s World Loppet ski race helped grow awareness and was the foundation for the Waiorau Nordic Sports club and subsequently the Nordic Youth Development group. The Lees also founded Biathlon NZ and the Wānaka Biathlon club. Building the lodge at the Snow Farm was a huge achievement, Mary said, and it attracted international athletes (who still come to the Snow Farm to train each winter). Mary also worked hard to have the Snow Farm’s Merino Muster race (established in 1995) accepted by the traditional Nordic countries, and it is now one of 20 Worldloppet races in the world.From 1987 to 2008, Mary managed and developed Snow Farm, and she continues to take on voluntary roles. Her efforts have provided employment opportunities and attracted national and international ski tourists, with trails providing off season business. Mary said she always saw her role as “behind the scenes”, but she developed something of John’s visionary perspective over the years working beside him.The Lees sold Snow Farm in 2008 and formed the Pisa Alpine Charitable Trust to ensure it remained a recreational area in perpetuity. Mary remains New Zealand representative for the Worldloppet Ski Federation, and director and secretary of the Merino Muster. She founded Snow Girls, a cross country skiing and social network for women of all ages. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020 the Snow Farm was left without international ski instructors and Mary was asked to mentor members of the Snow Girls as instructors, which enabled her to implement her own ideas to promote skiing with the local women. In 2022 Mary was the first person to receive the NZQA Snowsports Instructor Award – Cross Country Skiing Level 4. Mary continues to be motivated by the young skiers in the Snow Farm youth programme. She said a big challenge is promoting the sport (which has a low injury rate compared to other winter activities) for the younger generation. “Nordic sports are not just for retired alpine skiers,” she said. Mary also volunteers with SeniorNet and the Cardrona Heritage Trust, and recently completed a marathon (throughout May) with her two-year-old grandson Archie, to raise funds for the Heart Foundation.John Lee was appointed a Companion to the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to business and Tourism, in 2016. In 2021 Mary received the John Fitzharris Award for Service to Sports. Mary said the honours complete the circle for their family legacy, giving the couple’s grandchildren “a greater understanding of the partnership John and I had to establish the ski areas and other projects”.

Well-known Wānaka resident Ralph Feagan has been appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the community in the King’s Birthday Honours List.Ralph Feagan, ONZM, JP, has volunteered in the Wānaka and West Coast communities since 1973 in a range of capacities, including 40 years with the fire service.He told the Wānaka App he thought hard about accepting the honour before agreeing. “I carry it for all the people I’ve been involved with all these years,” he said.Ralph’s motivation for community service is “the old story”, he said. “It’s the people, the people, the people.”Ralph said while he was a rebel who didn’t listen much to his parents, his father’s message (and role modelling) that “you’ll get more pleasure from giving than taking” stuck with him.Ralph modelling the fire brigade’s mini tractor.Ralph volunteered with Franz Josef Volunteer Fire Brigade for 22 years, becoming chief fire officer from 1977 to 1996, and initiating the formation of a Rural Fire Party. He “saw the need” in the small but growing town, where the nearest fire station was “663 bends in the road” away in Fox Glacier. He and wife Lyn also ran the local supermarket where their staff would expand from about eight in the off-season to almost 50 during peak season.While Ralph always planned to retire to Wānaka (he grew up in Milton and spent his summers here since he was six-years-old), Lyn wasn’t so keen. Ralph moved here first while Lyn kept running the supermarket, and - not one to sit around - Ralph took over ferrying people between Wānaka and Queenstown in a Toyota Hiace van. The service took off (becoming Wānaka Connections) and Ralph was kept busy for the next few years before the Franz Josef store sold and Lyn joined him in Wānaka.His contribution to the tourism industry dates back to the 1970s: he was on the Westland Promotion Board for three years, and four years each with West Coast Tourism Development and West Coast Tourism Council. He was also director of the South Island Promotion Association from 1987 to 1994. He has also been chair of Lake Wānaka Tourism, and has served for 17 years with the Wānaka Fire Brigade. After 22 years with the Franz brigade he took a “nine year break” doing victim support before joining the Wānaka brigade.He’s been brigade secretary since 2013, and has been involved with the United Fire Brigade Association as president of the Central Otago Fire Brigade’s sub-association from 2021 to 2023 and became senior vice president of the Otago/Southland Gold Star Association in 2023. Ralph has volunteered with a range of other organisations including the New Zealand Fighter Pilots’ Foundation Trust, Wānaka Airport, Upper Clutha RSA, the Wānaka A&P Show, and Food for Love.  He was a Westland District Councillor from 1989 to 1995 and a civil defence controller for Franz Josef from 1979 to 1995. When the Wānaka App met Ralph this weekend he was weeding the garden at the fire station, saying “If I don’t do it no other bugger will”.“I’ll do it as long as I can. I’ll get booted out eventually,” he said.Ralph spoke about the “absolutely bloody amazing” job done by local emergency services, who all work well together - with families as a very important part of the team.“We have a wonderful mix with female and male members in the brigade in which all are very highly skilled in protecting our community,” he said.The highlight of his time in Wānaka, he said, has been helping bring NASA to the airport.“I bent a lot of number 8 wire doing it,” he said. Ralph’s role at Wānaka Airport began when he was employed to do 10-15 hours of maintenance a week, and ended up becoming the airport operations manager for 12 years. Around 10 years ago NASA contacted then-Queenstown Lakes District councillor Jude Battson. Jude phoned Ralph, saying: “I’ve had a weird phone call from space.” She gave NASA Ralph's contact details, which sparked a long process to bring the space agency to Wānaka as part of its balloon programme (which provides high-altitude scientific balloon platforms for scientific and technological investigations, including fundamental scientific discoveries that contribute to our understanding of the universe).Wānaka is now one of just seven NASA balloon launch sites in the world.Ralph recalled an early clandestine visit from three NASA engineers who he showed around then remained in touch with. He and Lyn were also hosted by NASA on a memorable USA trip in 2019 where they were treated as VIPs. Ralph also acknowledged the late Sir Tim Wallis was a “great mentor” whom he always enjoyed spending time with.“It’s been a great ride,” he said.Ralph acknowledged the “pivotal” support from his family, saying they “always understood” his community service, despite him missing school events, meals, and more.“Without that family support you can’t do it.”Ralph received the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal and was awarded Westland District Council Person of the Year in 1996.This is the first time appointments have been made to the “King’s Service Order” (formerly the Queen’s Service Order), acknowledging the new sovereign.PHOTOS: Wānaka App

James (Jim) Boult (CNZM) has been appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to local government, tourism and the community in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours list.The former Queenstown Lakes District mayor has led and advocated across a range of roles and organisations over a 40-year period.He was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2015.Jim was elected as mayor in 2016 and re-elected in 2019. In April 2022 he confirmed he would not stand for re-election later that year. During his five-and-a-half years in the role of mayor he led a series of projects to bolster the district.They included an initiative to provide affordable homes; a $2 bus transport scheme; a government working party for freedom camping; a bed tax proposal as a solution for funding the infrastructure needs of 3M+ visitors per year; and other infrastructure and transport changes. During the Covid-19 pandemic he led the implementation of funding and support for migrants without homes or work; establishment of the Queenstown Greater Needs fund for the medical needs of migrants; and the the Economic Recovery and District Diversification taskforces.Jim also worked with central government on initiating shovel-ready projects and establishing the Major Events fund, and chaired the Otago Lifelines Programme for natural disaster readiness and the Metro Mayors section of local government. Jim is a patron of the Child Cancer Foundation, Whakatipu Wildlife Trust and Whakatipu Rowing Club, and the chair of the Canterbury Museum Working Party.This is the first time appointments have been made to the “King’s Service Order” (formerly the Queen’s Service Order), acknowledging the new sovereign.PHOTO: QLDC

Wānaka’s Whare Kea Lodge & Chalet has re-established its Kenneth Myer Artist/Writer in Residence Retreat, which provides the opportunity for a writer, poet, visual artist, photographer or composer to create art in the Wānaka environment.The 2024 recipient of the retreat is Sarah Tomasetti, an artist specialising in mediaeval techniques and materials, including fresco (a painting done rapidly in watercolour on wet plaster so the colours penetrate the plaster and become fixed as it dries).Sarah was based at the Whare Kea Chalet for two weeks recently, documenting the landscape and movement of weather of the Tititea/Mt Aspiring range.“I’ve been working with mountains in my practice for the last 20 years but I’ve never before been able to spend an extended time in one place looking at a range,” she said.“Usually I’m passing through on a trek or staying nearby and trying to capture changing light with a camera in a short space of time.”Once back in the studio Sarah will take her catalogue of sketches and scale the works up for her next body of work. She plans to develop a panoramic installation that depicts the mountain line and includes aspects of the geological and human histories of the area.The Kenneth Myer residency was established in 2012 by Martyn and Louise Myers (proprietors of Whare Kea) to mark the 20th anniversary of the death of Martyn’s father, Kenneth Myer, who had a long involvement in the arts and an affinity with the mountains. Past recipients of the retreat include local artists Martin Hill and Phillipa Jones, whose project ‘Watershed’ looked at the relationship between human systems and the water cycle.The retreat is donated by Whare Kea Lodge and includes accommodation at the lodge, guidance from Wānaka mountain guides, and helicopter flights with Aspiring Helicopters.

From taking up road cycling on a whim to competing in the Olympics in just three years: Kim Cadzow is one to watch. The 22-year-old, who lives in Luggate when she’s not working for her trade team in Genoa, Spain, says being selected for the Paris Olympics Games 2024 was “a bit of a surprise”.It happened “a lot faster than I thought,” she said.In August Kim will travel to Paris to compete in the 158km road ride event, which starts and finishes at the Trocadéro, overlooking the Eiffel Tower. It’s a long way from her first rides in Luggate.“I hadn’t really touched a bike until I moved down to Wānaka,” Kim told the Wānaka App.“I started after I finished school, during Covid-19; I got injured doing some triathlons so I decided to try some road racing.”She says her former coach, Wānaka-based Patrick Harvey, “showed me the way” into the professional world of road cycling.Kim has already won the NZ national time trial in 2024, placed sixth in the Liege-Bastogne-Liege monument and achieved a top-10 GC in the Vuelta Espana.Kim is now a full-time professional cyclist employed with EF Education-Cannondale and she spends most of the year training and competing around Europe.Earlier this year Kim dominated the New Zealand national championship time trial in 2024 and also placed an outstanding sixth in the famed Liege-Bastogne-Liege monument and top-10 on GC in the Vuelta Espana.She has two more significant races before she competes at the Olympics; alongside “a lot” of training, Kim will race in the Tour of Switzerland and the Giro d'Italia.The job “takes a lot of work: a lot of training and hours on the bike and everything that goes with it”, she said.When she’s not competing or training, Kim spends time at home in Luggate with her husband and her wider family.“It’s important to have a good support structure around you and I have some really good people supporting me,” she said.“Trying to remember to enjoy it is important too - it’s easy to get caught in chasing results but sometimes when you are pushing it too hard every race feels like a chore.”Kim is one of 16 Kiwi cyclists who make up the New Zealand team for the Paris Olympic Games 2024, and one of two with roots in Wānaka; former Wānaka resident Ellesse Andrews is competing in the keirin. Cycling New Zealand high performance director Ryan Hollows said the athletes make up one of the strongest track and road teams the country has sent to the Olympic Games.Kim will compete in the women’s road cycling event on August 4.PHOTOS: Supplied

Peter Thiel’s bid to build an 1800sqm+ luxury lodge overlooking Lake Wānaka has been rejected again, this time by the Environment Court.The Environment Court has denied the US billionaire’s appeal to overturn a 2022 decision by a Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) consenting panel which had turned down the proposal.Judge Prudence Steven noted that the proposal (by Thiel’s company Second Star Ltd) was “substantially the same” as the one commissioners had considered: a lavish, multi-building retreat in an Outstanding Natural Landscape zoned (ONL) site near Damper Bay.The judge said the lodge would stretch across the lakefront site for some 190 metres, noting that was “nearly the length of two football fields”.The US billionaire has been trying to get the lodge (which would be built on his $13.5M lakeside site) approved for at least two years. PHOTO: SuppliedArchitects Kengo Kuma and Associates (best known for designing for the Tokyo Olympic stadium) designed the lodge, which the judge said was “attractive and responsive to its setting”.However, mitigation via planting and design elements would “not serve to significantly mitigate the horizontal effect of 190m and 35m of glazed windows,” she said.“We… find that the values of the ONL will not be protected.”Thiel was not the only one to be delivered a blow in the judgement.The judge said it found QLDC’s position as respondent “troubling”.“While the council claimed to be a neutral party in the proceedings, the council brought planning and landscape evidence that openly supported the applicant’s case,” the judge said. QLDC had changed its position on the proposal since the 2022 decision from opposition to support.If a council is intending to call evidence in support of an opposite position, its duty is to act with fairness and full transparency, but QLDC hadn’t done that, she said.“The council took an active and supportive approach of the appellant’s position in court and was hardly neutral.”Thiel purchased his 193ha property (located off Wānaka-Mt Aspiring Road) in 2015 for $13.5M after controversially gaining New Zealand citizenship.QLDC was approached for comment.

What happens when a scenic winter adventure turns into a fight for survival?In this gripping episode, we sit down with Ken Wylie, who recounts the day he was caught in a devastating avalanche 20 years ago.Ken takes us through the critical moments before the disaster, from the overlooked morning meeting to the ominous "wumpf" sound that signalled impending doom.His vivid storytelling brings to life the harrowing experience of being swept away by the avalanche, his struggle to stay afloat on the snow, and the moments of awareness before he passed out. This life-altering event has since driven Ken to dedicate his career to teaching avalanche safety and risk management.Listen to The Outlet Wānaka.

The Otago Rescue Helicopter Trust and Dunstan Hospital will be the beneficiaries of funds raised by the Upper Clutha Winter Crop Competition which was organised by the Rotary Club of Wānaka.The competition judges the quality of local winter feed crops based on entries received from local farms. The awards presentation night and fundraising auction on Friday (May 24) raised more than $30,000 for the beneficiaries.The Rotary Club of Wānaka president Marie Fitchett said the cropping competition is generously supported by the rural community, which will directly benefit from the funds raised.“We want to make sure that our community is all the better for the effort that goes into this event,” she said.“A portion of the proceeds will go towards the training and development of paramedics within the Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter Trust and we hope to make a significant donation to Dunstan Hospital to update heart monitoring equipment including telemetry for remote cardiac monitoring.”Award winners L-R Hayden Dickey (Fodder Beet), Mark Rapsey (Kale and Supreme Winner), Rotary Club of Wānaka president Marie Fitchett, James McCaughan (Turnip), and Matt Walker (Swede).Competition organiser Geoff McLeay said more than 130 people attended the awards night at the Lake Hāwea Community Centre and prizes were awarded across four categories as well as a supreme winner.“It has been a tough season for crop growing, but we had some excellent crops entered,” he said. “The awards night auction was a real success and I can’t thank the businesses who supported us enough.”This year's supreme award went to Mark Rapsey of Long Gully Farm for his Kale crop, which judges said was exceptional given the season's challenges.The Rotary Club of Wānaka is the official organiser of the Upper Clutha Winter Crop Competition which is supported by Aspiring Rotary and endorsed by the Upper Clutha A&P Society.Crop WinnersTurnip: Geordie Hill Station - James McCaughanSwede: Lindis Crossing Station - Matt WalkerKale: Long Gully - Mark RapseyFodder Beet: Grandview - Hayden DickeySupreme winner: Long Gully - Mark RapseyPHOTOS: Rotary Club of Wānaka

The Wānaka Squash Open, which will be held over King’s Birthday Weekend, will feature one of the country’s top players.Wānaka Squash Club (WSC) president Tony Johnston said spectators are welcome to come along to the club and watch some “top-level” squash.The Men’s Open will feature New Zealand’s number two ranked male player Lwamba Chileshe, who has recently arrived back in the country after a successful season in England.His likely opponent in the final will be Christchurch’s Oliver Johnston, a former national junior champion and NZ team member.“There are, though, a strong contingent of players from around the South Island meaning real depth in the men’s open draw,” Tony said.In the Women’s Open, the top seed is WSC vice-president and tournament controller Emma Brown and her likely opponent in the final is Queenstown’s Tracey Flux.Tony said the club is fortunate to have a player of Lwamba’s calibre playing in the local open thanks to generous sponsors.“Without them, we would not have been able to have players of such a high calibre entering our tournament and it’s great for a small town… like Wānaka to be able to showcase our sport at such a high level.”Tony said club numbers are currently increasing fast - particularly in juniors and young women - and as a result it has made plans to double the size of the club.The club has sold some land at the back of the club site and that, combined with funds earned over the years, is enough for a “reasonable deposit” on costs, but he said the club would still be relying on funding organisations and other fundraising options to “bring our plans to reality”.The Wānaka Squash Open will begin today (Friday May 31) and run through to Sunday (June 2).Find more information at the Wānaka Squash Club website.PHOTO: Supplied