Queenstown NZ: Airport Madness

Posted 13th June 2018 to the Otago Daily Times Newspaper Dunedin NZ

Re your Story:
It is hard to understand Queenstown planning concepts at times
I cant see why anyone would want to battle all the consents from landowners to get a Gondola from the Airport to the CBD.
I would say the low hanging fruit would be a Ferry Service across Frankton Arm to Queenstown Bay via a short tunnel from the terminal building to the waters edge.  Also a good opportunity to build a retro Victorian Era Ferry reminiscent of Queenstowns past heritage.

Besides all this, most future hotels will apparently be built in the land around Frankton...
And also a ferry would be very handy in the event of a strong earthquake if services have to come from the Kingston quay. 

Queenstown NZ Tourism Revolution needed

Posted 11th Dec 2017 to the Mountain Scene Newspaper Queenstown NZ.

I look at Queenstown these days and I sense despair for the future.. Every thing is hanging on direction for people of great wealth and power coming in from far away to fix Queenstown with a bundle of cash and good intentions. 
The sad fact is there are way to few Paul Brianerds out there to come in and save your bacon.

If people wish to live and work in a place like Queenstown they will need to pull together and form cooperatives.
The Government is too weak and greedy private enterprise are not going to help.

In economic terms you are in a DEAD END unless you pull together.  
As UK leader Jeremy Corbin says there is now no real alternative.

Our property speculation bubble will POP one day and nobody has a plan that I can see
And a lot of our benevolent rich people will turn out to have feet of clay when that happens.  
   
A strong co-operative is unbreakable! 

50 years of Queenstown's Gondola NZ

Posted 21st November 2017 to the Otago Daily Times Dunedin NZ

When I first saw Queestown’s Gondola in action it was only 4 years old  but I thought those little M&M coloured French designed cable cars made Queenstown feel like a magical place. I suppose they also gave the town an International flavour, a taste of things to come. Now that its been around 50 years I don’t suppose those old 1980s Dopplemayer Cars that replaced the stylish Pomagalski 30 year ago are due for a make over ? So Philip Chandler, why not as a sign of respect to Hylton Hensman’s vision paint them the original candy colours because those old cars WHERE legends and style wise it’s just not the 1980s any more.

Leaky Mini Mansions of Queenstown NZ

Posted 8th October 2017 to the Mountain Scene newspaper Queenstown NZ

I have done a bit of building in my day, I had a grandfather who was a professional carpenter and I was looking at all the modern buildings
In last weeks edition showcasing architecture.

I was surprised to see a large proportion of expensive buildings have deliberately flawed roofing designs that require constant maintenance
making them likely to leak.

Roofs are not rocket science in an area with snow fall loading one must consider the traditional alpine style roofing that protects the building
From harsh weather.. but also excessive sunlight deterioration in summer.

So home builders you might want to ask your architect if common sense is right for you.

Remember in the 21st century, waste IS a terrible thing.

Dinky Swiss Buses for Queenstown ?

Posted 29th September to the Mountain Scene newspaper Queenstown NZ

When reason prevails and cars & coaches are kicked out of Queenstown we might want to look to Zermatt Switzerland where they use a fleet of tiny E-Buses to service there bustling Tourist Industry.
That is if Queenstown wants to keep up with the Big Boys and hold on to a bit of charm.