All posts by SouthernPR

Five Mile’s family is growing

From a new bar, to shared working spaces, and a cafe/restaurant – Five Mile Business and Retail Centre welcomes a range of awesome businesses to the precinct this year.

Their new Craigs Investment Building at the far end of Five Mile Place will be home to a diverse crew of familiar and new-to-town businesses.

Fresh faces officially opening their doors in early August include Mountain Club co-founders Jason Wilby and Chris Davern.

Mountain Club is a collaborative office space perched on the third floor of the new building. Think sun deck, boutique office spaces, high-tech design and 280-degree views of surrounding mountains.

The business duo expects to build a community of around 100 businesses, entrepreneurs and creatives, channelling ‘boutique hotel’ vibes with its furnishing style rather than a traditional office.

“It feels like Queenstown is on the cusp of a major transition from a solely tourism-based economy to one that can offer highly skilled roles in design, technology and services,” Jason says.

“Queenstown attracts some brilliant talent and we’re going to provide them with a truly beautiful space to work from.”

Mountain Club welcomes everyone from local community members to entrepreneurs and business travellers.

Memberships will include unique perks such as Supreme coffee roasted in Wellington, local craft beers and community nights, plus all the usuals like fibre-powered wifi and unlimited printing.

But wait, there’s more … welcome to the family…

New standalone pub –  Queenstown hospitality entrepreneur Pete Jefford is opening up a pub mid 2020 – details are yet to come but expect lots of brick and reclaimed timber, a garden bar pavilion, and an all-weather kids’ play zone.

Joe’s Garage Cafe – doors will swing open on Joe’s 13^th location in time for spring and summer. Ground floor space, plenty of outdoor seating and a big open fire with The Remarkables as a backdrop. Can’t wait.

AR & Associates – located on level three and opening this month the boutique multi-disciplinary consultancy provides specialist inputs across planning, project management, civil and environmental engineering.

Focus Technology Group – IT and software company – expected to open late August on level two of the Craigs building.

Ace Car Rental – setting up shop on land behind the Five Mile Centre close to the Queenstown Airport, scheduled to open early November.

For more info visit www.fivemilecentre.co.nz

A growing social enterprise founded four years ago by a young entrepreneur has been given a huge boost thanks to one of New Zealand’s top tourism companies.

Adventure tourism company Go Orange has gifted two buses to kiwi social enterprise Got To Get Out, which is on a mission to get people active and outdoors, on free hikes and bike trips organised by founder Rob Bruce.

The trips have become so popular that Rob now works full-time on Got To Get Out, driving the length and breadth of New Zealand transporting people to and from their events.

And now thanks to Go Orange it will have two South Island-based vehicles to help decrease transport costs and time, enabling Rob to increase the social impact of got To Get Out on the community.

Go Orange General Manager Luke Taylor was inspired to donate two former rafting buses to Got To Get Out after hearing Rob speak at a backpacker (BYATA) conference last year.

The 20-seater Nissan Civilian buses were officially handed over to Rob in Queenstown today (June 21).

The rafting buses were surplus to requirements as the company has invested in a fleet of purpose-built, all-wheel-drive Unimogs.

“I like the idea of there being a different tourism model in New Zealand,” says Luke.

“There are lots of New Zealanders who don’t feel connected to the environment we live in, so there’s a bit of social good in us donating these vehicles to a good cause for the next part of their lives.

“We’re delighted to support Got To Get Out.”

Go Orange joins outdoor gear store Torpedo7 in supporting the drive to help people get outdoors and enjoy being in nature with new people.

Torpedo7 last year commissioned Got To Get Out to deliver their Torpedo7 Club free experiences around the country.

Rob previously worked for a corporate marketing agency before developing the concept of Got To Get Out while on a hike to Mt Everest base camp.

After reading a quote by Sir Edmund Hillary which says “It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves”, he embraced the concept that different people have their own mountain to climb.

“I decided to use my professional skills to help other New Zealanders conquer their own Mt Everests, and now I’m on this incredible path where a social enterprise helps deliver health and wellbeing to people who may have been feeling lonely or depressed but feel so much better after coming walking, paddle boarding or mountain-biking with us,” says Rob.

“People are coming along more than once because they’ve made friends, they’ve got active and got outside, and it improves their mood and wellbeing. We’re building a genuine community in a sector of society that wasn’t being catered for.

“It was my dream to turn my passion into a full-time job, but that wasn’t quite financially viable until Torpedo7 came on board and we now have the support of Go Orange.

“When Luke called and offered the buses, I just about jumped out of my seat, I was so thrilled and just so grateful.

“Got To Get Out is arranging South Island-based hikes, ski trips, and later in the year mountain bike and paddle board outings in Nelson, Christchurch, Queenstown and Dunedin, all departing from Torpedo7 stores thanks to this new partnership.

“Up until now I’ve been driving from Auckland to Dunedin, then making the grueling1500km return trip home before repeating. It’s a hectic schedule that involves huge miles, and significant cost in ferry crossings, petrol, road user charges and time.

“The Go Orange buses will decrease those costs and time, and therefore increase our social impact by helping me focus on getting more of the community outdoors, especially in the South Island.”

The Got To Get Out online community has now grown to 15,000 people.

With volunteer help and additional vehicles Rob can now run simultaneous trips in both islands.

Thousands of people and 34 unique light installations filled every nook and cranny of the Queenstown Gardens for LUMA’s light festival over Queens Birthday weekend.

LUMA Light Festival Trust chairman Duncan Forsyth said visitor numbers were slightly up on last year, with well over 50,000 people exploring the free multi-sensory event, illuminated by lights, gnomes and a little bit of magic. 

“We were just stoked with everything from the performance pieces to the signature installations; it was another incredible year full of diversity,” he says.

LUMA Southern Light Project’s new initiative ‘Adopt-a-Gnome’ provisionally raised over $25,000, which will fund an emerging artist to create an installation for next year’s festival.

Thirty beautifully crafted fibreglass-concrete gnomes were transformed into mini works of art by some of New Zealand’s top artists.

They were an extremely popular feature on display in ‘Gnome Alley’ during LUMA and were auctioned on Trade Me.

Bidding on the gnomes intensified throughout the four-day event and culminated in the highest bids being made for Mossy Gnome by Dick Frizzell at $3010 and Elemental by Jenny Mehrtens at $2700.

Duncan says the 250 people involved with the festival’s delivery worked tirelessly, with many LUMAteers being first-year helpers. 

“We rely heavily on funding and volunteers to bring LUMA to life, and although we deliver an amazing event it’s hard work for everyone involved.

“We wouldn’t be able to do it without the help of our incredible community, partners, community funding and donations.”

Crowds were greeted by an Angus Muir Design installation called ‘Tilt’ which saw a geometric themed lit up colonnade luring spectators into the wonderful world of LUMA.

There were lights around every corner, lining the footpaths, in the trees, along branches and even in the water.

An installation by ‘Creature’ gave viewers a look into what could be beneath the cold depths of the Queenstown Gardens’ pond with ‘Monstrum Marinum’.

Moving images of a Taniwha, Loch Ness Monster, Jaws and more were projected onto the water’s surface.

Among the installations around 40 performers dazzled crowds, from fairies to gold miners and tree dancers – it was nothing short of a spectacle.

“The performances added one more piece to the puzzle for us and it’s something we intend to continue with, we’re not sure in what fashion, but we have plenty of ideas already,” says Duncan.

LUMA would like to thank its principal partners including Queenstown Lakes District Council, Central Lakes Trust, Mainfreight, Tom Tom, SILO, Summit Events and Angus Muir Design.

From fairies to gold miners and tree dancers – around 40 performers will dazzle and delight during Queenstown’s LUMA as the festival evolves its sensory experiences.

 The festival’s Performance Director and Curator Emma Vickers, says the introduction of more performance aspects will “engage the audience on another level”.

“If visitors can connect visually, emotionally and physically with live performance, it enhances the overall performance of the festival.”

She speaks from experience – her performance and production work has taken her all over the world with management jobs in prestigious events such as Splore Festival, Tuki Festival and Rhythm and Alps.

Choreographer Amber Stephens, who boasts an eclectic resume across several visual and kinetic genres from dance and choreography to film, music, painting and photography says audiences will be taken on a “magical journey”.

“We’re excited to present another dimension to experience and to include local community groups and schools,” she says.

“Expect to be surprised, to be delighted, to see the Gardens in a new perspective, to see the rose gardens in a new, fresh way; there’s a little spiritual element to it too.”

Festival Trust Chairman Duncan Forsyth agrees that LUMA is ‘upping the ante’ with performances at this year’s event, being held over Queens Birthday weekend (May 31 – June 3) in the Queenstown Gardens.

“Every year there’s something new because we’re changing and evolving, we’re upping this year’s performance levels, everything from theatre to dance, as we evolve into more of a full sensory arts festival.

“It’s like launching a new art gallery each year that’s always going to be different.”

There will be two distinct performance zones within the Gardens, bringing together visual and aural installations.

The Rose Garden area or ‘Fairy Wonderland’ will feature Millie Begley from Flame Entertainment with her fairies, Theresa Swain’s young ballerinas from the Wakatipu Conservatoire of Ballet and young contemporary dancers from Amber Stephens Dance Collective – perfect for the kids.

The ‘Forest Zone’ is a nod to Queenstown’s gold mining past and the characters who lived during that time. Dancers are set to invoke the spirit of the forest including animals and elements of land and lake. 

Performances in this zone are choreographed by Amber for her own dance collective and The Remarkables Theatre Group, Chloe Loftus for her Arboreal Dancers, alongside a collaboration of Auckland’s Nocturnal group and Plant Contemporary Dance bringing multi-sensory design art.

It also features live, original music from local busker AJ Hickling and Mike Hodgson alongside a sound score including music by Paddy Free and Richard Nunns – iconic New Zealand electronic and Maori instrument sound artists.

“People need to make sure they go on a journey to all the different places, dress warm, bring children along and because there’s so much to see even plan to come on a couple of different nights. Don’t rush it,” Amber says.