Well it certainly hasn't warmed up any as last weeks temperatures illustrate, with the average temperature being around minus 4 at 8am in the morning. In this week's edition, we link to the first movie trailer available for 10,000 B.C. which had parts shot locally. We discuss Mayor Geddes's biodiesel fixation, and we discuss the elderly bedding shortage.

To all the locals that took part in the filming of Roland Emmerich's (Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow) latest offering, 10,000 B.C., the first trailer is finally available and features as this weeks Movie Trailer of the week. Parts of this movie were shot locally on the Pisa Range. The trailer looks rather good, and I'm looking forward to the movie coming out in 2008 sometime.

This time last week, Crude Oil prices hit an 11 month high to sit at US$76.27 a barrel, and despite this, local petrol prices are hardly affected. Local prices have sat in the $1.50 - $1.65 per litre mark since the cessation of last year's conflict between Israel and Lebanon. During the conflict, Queenstowners were paying up to $1.84 a litre at BP, so why have the local prices remained largely unaffected for a change? You have the high Kiwi Dollar to thank for this.

"Not only were motorists protected from price rises by the exchange rate, but they also benefited from competition between oil companies which kept prices down." AA General Manager of Motoring Affairs, Mike Noon - Source

Although this is good news for our car loving culture, local tourism operators have confirmed that visitors were limiting the number of their activities. Luckily, there hasn't been a drop in tourist numbers, yet, but just the amount of money that they are willing to spend, and this has been confirmed by Destination Queenstown chief executive, David Kennedy.

So, is there anything being done in regards to protecting the region from high oil prices? 'Yes' would be the answer if you asked Queenstown Mayor, Clive Geddes.

Queenstown Mayor Clive Geddes is keen to see the Lakes district powered by canola crops (Biodiesel) by 2011 to help protect its isolated economy from rising fuel and oil prices. "The Lakes district was particularly vulnerable to energy constraints because it relied heavily on fuel", Queenstown Mayor, Clive Geddes - Source

Could Biodiesel help Queenstown if oil prices rose further? Um, the last time I checked, you couldn't fly internationally or power jetboats on canola oil. Where would Queenstown's tourism industry be left if oil supplies were to become extremely Tight in 5 Years, and if theories like Peak Oil are true?

And lastly, a quick word on the elderly bedding crisis that is plaguing the region of late. Is it an example of ageism or is it an example of Queenstown just being Queenstown? You be the judge.

Nathan - Queenstown.com Editor.