Summer with the Mayors: Glyn Lewers

An active summer is on offer in the Queenstown Lakes District as the alpine town transforms into an outdoor playground. 

Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Glyn Lewers tells Tim Beveridge bookings are up 6% in the area compared to last year, and airport passenger numbers are higher than pre-Covid. 

To attend every event on in the region, Mayors Lewers would be stretching himself thin with major events like Rhythm & Alps, Wanaka Rodeo and the Glenorchy Races all taking place over the holiday season. 

Athletic types may enjoy the Ruby Swim or Challenge Wanaka. 

And for those who prefer to relax with a beverage in hand, the Arrowtown Gin Festival is perfect. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks. There'd be
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
And Queensland Lakes District. Mad Lynn Lewis is with me. Now,
good morning, Good morning, So how's things looking in Queenstown.
Is it looking like it's going to be pretty busy
this the summer?

Speaker 3 (00:29):
Certainly does. I think we're six percent up and for
bookings from the previous time last year where the let's
say in New Zealand hotspot for extra flights, I think
it was over a good two hundred thousand coming into
a fine district over the summer break, So people are

(00:51):
coming down to enjoy the lake sun and the alpine environment.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
How's that tracking compared to previous years because there was
a you know, of course, a bit of a rebuild
in terms of tourism to everywhere in New Zealand. How
are you guys looking?

Speaker 3 (01:05):
Yeah, look, we're actually if you just looked at airport
passenger numbers coming through Queenstown Airport, we're the only airport
in New Zealand that has higher numbers than pre COVID
and as I said, we're looking at higher numbers during
the Christmas New Year period then this time last year,

(01:25):
so we've come back quite strongly, especially in the international market.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
You've got plenty of events on tell us about a
few of them and are you going to all of them?

Speaker 3 (01:39):
I can't stretch myself that thin, especially when there's a
couple that are on the same day. But we've got
Rhythm and Alps, one of Corodeo glen Orkey Races. She
had make a visit, the La Cage Amp Show, the
Gibston Valley Concert. If you're one of those athletic types
you can go for the Ruby Swim and if you're

(02:02):
a Gin connoisseur like myself, is the Arrowtown Gin Festival,
another this one Challenge Wanaka and the New Zealand Golf
Open of course, as well as a new event, the
Natural Selection, which is a new bike jumps and all
sorts of.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
It's not a bike officient you're not participating in that one.

Speaker 3 (02:28):
No, no, this is this is like we've attracted some
of the most famous bike athletes when it comes to
the jumps and all the tricks and the aerials and
all that are coming to Queenstown. And this is the
first time and I'm really looking forward to that.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
One that sounds I love the title for it. Next,
Natural Selection sounds kind of brutal, doesn't it.

Speaker 3 (02:53):
Darwinism?

Speaker 2 (02:56):
Hey, how does summer compare with winter?

Speaker 3 (03:00):
Some is our believe it or not, is our busiest period.
We have more visitors in our fine district than we
do in winter.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
Do you ever have a quiet time? I remember going
there you twenty years ago and it was in January.
It was actually quite quiet. The times have changed, haven't they.

Speaker 3 (03:17):
Yeah? Post COVID, we've started to see a bit of
seasonal they come back and we probably had a bit
of a shoulder in that May time period. And look
in the end of October early November this year. But
as we build up and as that domestic market starts

(03:39):
to build up, we'll start to see that flattening out
of it. But we'll always have a peak in winter
and summer.

Speaker 2 (03:46):
One of the challenges that you guys have got ahead
in twenty twenty five because obviously you always want to
have people get to get around the place fairly easily, roads,
all that sort of thing. How are you going.

Speaker 3 (03:58):
Yeah, Look, we have an influx of visitors during summer,
So if you're on holiday, take your time planning yet,
but we've put on extra parking in town, opened up
the primary school here in Queenstown and other areas and
over in Wanica, so there's parking available and then past
six o'clock pm it is free, so come and get

(04:20):
into the CBD of both centers and enjoy the hospitality.

Speaker 2 (04:24):
Lots of great ways to spend your money in Queenstown.
When it comes to just the simple pleasures, what's your pack?

Speaker 3 (04:31):
I do like just jumping into the lake if you
can handle just the slight dropping temperatures. But if you're
like a warmer pool, the Aero Town Pool is open
well past summer and it's slightly heated. And that's an
old built with a war memorial pool, so if you're

(04:52):
keen you can use that. And there's more pools over
in Kelly's Flat. Oh sorry, there's lots of trails and
tracks if you're inclined with into biking, and obviously it's
the scenery as well.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
I always love hauling myself over sorp At Gully just
to get the blood pumping.

Speaker 3 (05:14):
Yeah, I probably have to lose it a little bit
more weight off this carc seriously attack that. But but
there's there's plenty of to do outside and engage with
the natural environment here. So yeah, and that's all free.

Speaker 2 (05:27):
By the way, are you sticking around or are you?
Because where do you go when you're living in this
my stunning destination of New Zealand arguably.

Speaker 3 (05:35):
Well it will surprise you. Actually, I do get out
of Queenstown, bring the mirror of Queenstown Lakes. You can
get stuck into the bubble. But I will be hitting
East Coast North Island. It's a great part of New
Zealand as well, and I am looking forward to stopping
off in Central Hawks Bay, Napier Hastings in Christmas Day

(05:55):
for me as in Gisbone.

Speaker 2 (05:56):
Hey, thanks so much for your time. Learn really appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (05:59):
No problem.

Speaker 1 (06:02):
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