Stunning Queenstown home wins Southern Supreme House of the Year

by July 24, 2018

A Queenstown building company renowned for quality standards in workmanship and ‘ultimate pride in the job’ has struck gold, again. AJ Saville Builder Ltd was named Supreme House of the Year Award winner for a Queenstown home at the Southern Registered Master Builders 2018 House of the Year gala dinner this weekend (Saturday July 21)….

The multi-award-winning company had a second home in the awards, which also won Gold and a GIB Show Home Category awards for a Millbrook Country Club property.

Arrowtown-based owner and founder Allister Saville says the seven awards are testament to the hard work and dedication of his team of over 35 tradesmen, sub-contractors and suppliers.

“It’s a winning result for everyone involved,” he says.

“The immaculate detailing and craftsmanship of the Queenstown home won over the judges, and we’re delighted with the feedback.

“This project was a ‘once in a lifetime’ build for our tradesmen and subbies, delivering a home with this level of bespoke requirements.

“The client, builders and designers all worked in harmony, and it’s demonstrated in the immaculate finish of this four-year build.

“Both projects demonstrate consistency in our work and it’s hugely rewarding for our staff to be recognised for their hard work and quality craftsmanship.”

The substantial 802sqm four bedroom, four-plus bathroom Queenstown home is a collection of different building types, functions, cladding and internal finishes, all centred around a sunny courtyard.

The judges were most impressed with the immaculate detailing of curved glass galleries linking stone buildings to the kitchen, lounge and living areas.

The project was constructed in keeping with historic buildings of the Queenstown Lakes district, using local stone and steep-pitched slate and iron roofs.

The energy-efficient Millbrook Country Club show home, designed by Mason & Wales Architects, exudes modern class and a subtle French feel with all the charm and character of a traditional Central Otago cottage.

Allister says the show home is a timeless design that epitomises the sophisticated rural elegance and character that is world-class Millbrook Resort.

“A show home demonstrates the very best standards in your work and I’m honoured to work in partnership with Millbrook Resort to deliver functional, spacious and energy-efficient homes at the resort,” he says.

A total of 13 Gold Award winners from the southern region will now be judged against Gold Award winners from around the country to identify the National Gold Reserve finalists.

Those finalists will go head to head at the Registered Master Builders Supreme Awards for House of the Year and Renovation of the Year on November 24 in Auckland.

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Huge snow dump delivers epic powder day at Treble Cone

by July 12, 2018

Wanaka’s iconic Treble Cone ski area is revelling in the white stuff, after receiving over 45cms of snow in the last 24 hours. Snowstorms over the past few days have delivered wall-to-wall coverage across the ski area, with clear skies overhead conditions are shaping up to be “all time”. General Manager Toby Arnott says the…

“Everyone up here is having a great time,” he says. “There were guests already waiting in line when staff turned up this morning, they were that keen.”

With Australian and New Zealand school holidays in full swing, the timing couldn’t be better.

“Half of Wanaka and all our school holiday visitors are up the mountain today having a whale of a time,” says Toby.

Treble Cone safety teams worked around the clock to ensure their renowned bowls, chutes and natural pipes could be open to riders as early as possible.

“We’ve had no less than 15 ski patrol members out on the mountain this morning undertaking control work. We even called in a helicopter to ensure we could open the Saddle Basin as soon as possible,” says Toby.

The Saddle Basin was cleared by ski patrol and opened by mid-morning.

“We have the highest elevation with the most diverse terrain in the area and when we receive such a huge dump in a short amount of time, avalanche control is essential to guarantee the safety of our staff and guests,” says Toby.

With over 1500 keen skiers and snowboarders hitting the slopes at Treble Cone today, the access road has been closed to uphill traffic to assist with car parking and traffic management.

Free shuttle buses are running flat out from the bottom of the access road to transport visitors to the base building.

With all lifts open and a base depth of 95cms in the Home Basin and 130cms in the Saddle Basin, Toby says skiers and snowboarders can enjoy epic, uncrowded conditions across the whole ski area.

“We have 550ha of skiable terrain, even on our busiest of days it’s rare to stand in a lift line or compete for fresh tracks,” says Toby.

“It looks like it’s going to be a hell of a winter.”

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Mt Cook Alpine Salmon appoints Sir Bill English to board

by July 12, 2018

Mt Cook Alpine Salmon has announced the appointment of Sir Bill English to its board of directors, effective August 1 2018. Board Chairman, the Rt. Hon Jim Bolger says Bill’s profile is obviously well known throughout New Zealand. “His recent retirement from politics gives him the opportunity to apply his talents and unquestionable belief in…

Mr English is delighted to be joining the board of Mount Cook Alpine Salmon.

“I am looking forward to joining a southern company producing a world-class product that is doing extremely well in high-value export markets, and I hope to contribute to its ongoing success,” he says.

Mr Bolger says the continued success of Mt Cook Alpine Salmon depends as much on the performance of the organisation as it does on the product.

“I am confident that Bill’s strong relationships within New Zealand, along with his developed international experience, will prove invaluable as we continue to expand our business,” he says.

“I very much look forward to his contribution.”

About Mt Cook Alpine Salmon

Mt Cook Alpine Salmon operates its aquaculture business in the heart of the Mackenzie district at the foot of the Southern Alps and sells its Freshwater King Salmon to high-end customers around the world including Australia, UAE, Singapore, Hong Kong, China and the US. The company operates two hatcheries; has a primary processing plant in Timaru along with a secondary plant in Christchurch where it produces its popular Aoraki smoked brand. The company employs 175 staff.

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Ray White Queenstown celebrates re-opening following car incident

by July 12, 2018

Two months after a car ploughed into their real estate showroom, Ray White Queenstown owners Bas Smith and Cam Reed have finally re-opened the doors. The ground-level office and showroom in Church Street was extensively damaged when a local worker finishing a night shift accidentally drove into the building around daybreak on April 19. Staff…

The space now has a new, modern look and feel including a lounge area, and upstairs areas have been remodelled to enable staff to remain there.

The new-look showroom opened as Bas and Cam celebrate ten years operating the Ray White franchise in Queenstown, and Ray White marked the 25th anniversary of its presence in New Zealand with an Auckland celebration in late May.

“We’ve always been in Church Street, and as the town has grown we’re thrilled to be in such a vibrant area which is fast becoming the lynchpin of downtown,” says Cam.

“When we started ten years ago it was just the two of us, and now we’re an efficient, cohesive team of 15 agents and staff.

“Bas and I made a decision when we opened up that we would commit to the town and our business and we’ve certainly seen plenty of change in the past decade.

“We’ve raised our families here and we’re proud to support local community groups that mirror our own family values as well as those held by Ray White, which has had four generations of the White family at the helm over its 115-year history in Australasia.

“When the car smashed into our premises, our only reaction was one of relief that neither the driver or any of our staff were injured.

“As a result we’ve finally got a new showroom that’s bigger, better and brighter than ever before, showcasing our listings to visitors and passers-by and complementing the online and social media sales and marketing work carried out by our team.”

There are over 1100 Ray White offices in Australasia including over 165 in New Zealand. Ray White has a national market share of close to 20%, and local strength in Southern Lakes with offices in Queenstown, Arrowtown, Wanaka, Cromwell and Te Anau.

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