Fears of a cooling economic climate sure haven't put a damper on local construction, as evidenced by the newest crane to jut into the Queenstown skyline. It remains business as usual here in Queenstown, despite Mother Nature raining on Coronet's opening celebrations. Coronet gets yet another mention in this edition of the Queenstown.com Weekly, and we also discuss the latest development in the battle over bar closing times. Also mentioned is the latest controversy to hit town regarding planned airport landing times, and we congratulate Vudu Cafe for winning the best cafe award in the Southern Lakes.

Seeing that it's now June, I can officially welcome everyone to winter in Queenstown. The chilly temperatures are keeping everyone honest and rugged up, while poorly insulated houses are keeping people's electricity bills up too. The skifields haven't opened yet, but this is set to change on Saturday with the opening of Coronet Peak. In this edition, I'll mention the advantage Coronet Peak has over the other local fields regarding opening dates, as well as the pricing disputes surrounding Queenstown's Alpine Aqualand. And lastly, a brief look is had at the Council's submission process and why it can be viewed as inconsistent at best.

The quiet season in Queenstown is continuing along as per usual as we head into the winter months. But not uneventfully, as something always seems to be happening in this town of ours. Destination Queenstown has come out with warnings of a softening tourism market and a request for an additional $1 million in funding, while the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce call for some form of relief in what the've termed as 'the perfect storm'. Despite the gloomy economic forecasts, approval has been granted for the first gondola to access a New Zealand skifield, which came accompanied with the announcement of a new ski resort for the region.