There was a collective sigh of relief, or was it a collective shout? The ski areas are open and here now for the season!

The snow has arrived just in time for Winter Festival. We woke up this morning to snow falling at lake level — winter is in the air! Chat with our Insiders live!

I feel it's important to put visitors in touch with some of the finer things in Queenstown. As quality serviced apartments become the accommodation of choice for groups of Aussie skiers and boarders, using the kitchen facilities provided is a great way to keep costs down. However, this doesn't have to mean subsistence living, or frozen pizzas — far from it. Enter my favourite food shop, the Mediterranean Market.

This is an excited Trent blogging here in the town fit for a queen. The lifts are running! Coronet Peak has opened.

Blue skies and constant snow-gun action has provided the perfect start for an early season social catch-up for local folks, complete with silly costumes. I can feel it in my bones — it's going to be a good season…

This is my seventh year of backcountry missions in and around Queenstown. There are so many places just out of the public view, but no more than 30 minutes from the centre of town. They may require a bit more effort than some of the better known tourism experiences, but as with many of the good things in life — the more you put in, the more you get out. And free is the best price!