Back in 99, a poll showed a huge majority of Queenstowners did not want a casino in their town. But the licensing authority bizarrely said, "You're getting two."
It stayed that way for years, then the smaller casino on Steamer Wharf stopped trading when Covid hit. Now Sky City is relinquishing that gambling license which is non-transferable to another location.
NZ has one less casino. Our society just got a tiny bit better.
Since Kevin Carlin died just before Christmas, receivers have been running the Carlin Hotel business.
This week a number of staff members were laid off without notice. They've been told that the hotel will not be paying out their annual leave or notice period.
These people need a union, now.
The Carlin six-star Hotel is still trading and the story confirms that KC was an arsehole to work for.
Tourism Minister Matt Doocey was in Queenstown today.
"The Minister spoke of the need to avoid “over-tourism” in certain areas and spread people around the country so they are not concentrated to one area at one time."
Sounds sensible, given international flights into QT are up 27% on pre-Covid figures.
Doocey then gave $5m to Queenstown tourism from the "regional event promotion fund".
Take glucose monitors off kids, give $5m to the QT crew.
Sure is a good thing #NZ got a ton of tax revenue from the capital gains on #Queenstown property sales in the last 30 years to easily fund water treatment plant upgrades so they don't spend months under a boil-water notice.
"What grates me is that [National’s] housing policy is just so shallow and made up of sound bites that don’t actually address this very serious issue."
On the way home yesterday we stopped at #TenEyckBrewing in #Queenstown, #Maryland to stretch our legs and grab a pint. I got a delicious pour of Four Lights, a 10% ABV foeder aged imperial stout collab with #BreweryFire. I don't come here enough, but it truly is a perfect stopping point on the way to or from the eastern shore from #Baltimore, especially if you travel with dogs. #ItsAlwaysStoutSeason@beersofmastodon
Queenstown tourism company Ultimate Hikes don't appreciate their staff.
You can work for fourteen hours & get paid for eleven, workers have to provide most of their own PPE and are even expected to purchase additional clothing for any ill-prepared clients.
Crux continues to dig into Queenstown slum landlord James Truong's murky business arrangements.
Despite 30 odd people living in the house, QLDC "inspections" in 2019 and 2022 failed to notice the absence of smoke alarms or the fact that the electricity supply had it been tampered with.
Now QLDC is hiding behind the LGOIMA when they should be taking a lead role in stamping out bad landlords.
Yesterday we made a quick stop at the #Queenstown#BigTruckFarms to grab a pint and stretch our legs on the way to the ocean. They have four beers on tap and ample outdoor seating. I grabbed the Crewcab IPA. #Maryland@beersofmastodon
I’ve been using landscape photos from my travels as desktop backgrounds for years now and decided to share with the FediFamily. I’m posting 1 picture per week. This week you're getting an atmospheric shot of sunset over Lake #Wakatipu in #Queenstown#NewZealand. Just one of many beautiful views on the South Island. #Landscape#Photography
Lake Wakatipu from Bennetts Bluff (📷1&2) & Twelve Mile Delta Campsite (📷3&4). At 80km NZs longest lake. At 291 sq km NZs 3rd largest. At 380m NZs 3rd deepest (surface at 310m elevation, so goes below sea level). 5 rivers in, 1 out. Level oscillates (a seiche or standing wave) due to unique shape & differential effects of wind/ atmosphere on “restrained” parts. #Queenstown
Kawarau Suspension Bridge (📷1) was completed in 1880. The current bridge, built in the 60s (📷2), saw it retire after 82 yrs of service (now part of #Queenstown Trail). Since 1988 AJ Hackett Bungy have encouraged thrill-seekers to plunge towards waters in the Kawarau Gorge (📷3) below it, tied—hopefully well—to an elastic cord (📷4). There’s also now a flying fox option (📷2).
Nova Zelândia: tudo sobre Auckland, Queenstown e Milford Sound (curitibaeparanaemfotosantigas.blogspot.com) Portuguese
Nova Zelândia: tudo sobre Auckland, Queenstown e Milford Sound