Queenstown Winter Festival, It's Snow Time in NZ
Celebrate the Start of the Ski Season in Queenstown New Zealand
May 18, 2009
Queenstown, a premier international tourist destination, lies on the shores of Lake Wakatipu in New Zealand’s South Island. From Friday 26 June to Sunday 5 July 2009, Queenstown hosts a ten-day extravaganza of theatre, entertainment, street parades, food, wine, arts, cultural, and sporting events. The aptly named Remarkables form a stunning snow-capped backdrop for this annual winter festival. The chosen charity for the 2009 festival is the Bruce Grant Trust.
Night Events: Masked Ball, Mardi Gras and Intergalactic Party
Saturday 27 June the Millenium Hotel on the corner of Frankton Road and Stanley Street hosts the Lindauer Diamond Masquerade Ball complete with cabaret-style entertainment, fine wines and sumptuous cuisine. Tickets can be booked online for this glitzy event where masks, dancing and glamorous gowns are mandatory.
Queenstown streets come alive on the evening of Tuesday 30 June as the Festival Mardi Gras wends its vibrant way through town. Music and entertainment, light, fire and the magic and drama of costumes and masks make the Latin-inspired Mardis Gras a festival highlight.
An intergalactic murder mystery game presents an intriguing way to spend the night of July 2nd when the Star Ship Skyline celebrates the launch of its new banquet room. Also at the Skyline mountain-top complex, is the 4th July Festival Jazz Night featuring the cream of New Zealand’s jazz performers including Nathan Haines, Frank Gibson and CatchSix60.
Live music and entertainment will be on tap throughout the ten-day festival. Acts include Groova, The Oystermen, Jason Schmidt, Little Green Men, Te Radar and Brett Strachan.
Sports Events: Ice Hockey, Dog Derby, Retro Skiing, Aerobics and Fun Runs
Families are bound to enjoy watching thrills and spills on the ice hockey field when local team Southern Stampede take on Dunedin Thunder. Other battles on the ice during the week feature the Auckland Admirals and the Botany Swarm.
Skiers dressed in their favourite gear from bygone decades take to the slopes of Coronet Peak during ‘American Express Ski through the Decades’ on 29 June. The clothes might be retro but the skiers demonstrate all the pizzazz of today, hurtling down the race course at breakneck speed.
A pack of high-country farmers heads hilariously off down the slopes with man’s best friend in tow at the Speights Dog Derby on 2nd July.
Fitness opportunities abound throughout the festival including mountain biking in the snow, retro aerobics in the park, international football, Frisbee golf and a 5k or 10k fun run/walk.
Getting to Queenstown New Zealand
Air New Zealand makes regular international and domestic flights into Queenstown, with daily connections from New Zealand’s four main centres. The Air New Zealand Fast Fare Finder is a great way to find good travel deals. Major car rental and taxi companies operate at the airport and there is a regular shuttle service running the ten kilometers into Queenstown.
Info-Bites for the Queenstown Winter Festival
- Dress warm–average maximum Queenstown temperature in winter is around 7º but weather conditions can change rapidly. Be prepared for colder weather.
- Secure, central parking is available in Man Street Car Park.
- The Festival is a Zero Waste event with rubbish minimized and recycling maximized.
Chosen 2009 Charity is the Bruce Grant Youth Trust
Former Queenstowner Bruce Grant died in 1995, after reaching the summit of K2 in the Himalayas. The Bruce Grant Trust preserves his legacy and recognizes the efforts of young people who have a similar passion for life and a desire to achieve. The Queenstown Winter Festival, amid its spectacular mountain setting, presents a stunning forum to celebrate the life and achievements of Bruce Grant: Olympic skier, adventurer, and mountaineering great.
 |
 |
