Snowfalls A Big Bonus For Queenstown Festival

5 July 1999

Snowfalls a big bonus for Air New Zealand Queenstown Winter Festival

While Queenstown’s biggest snowfalls in 25 years bode well for the town’s 25th winter festival — and may have caused some problems in town — all is on track for a spectacular event opening this coming Saturday according to organisers.

Air New Zealand Queenstown Winter Festival event director Lindsay Singleton said there had been only minor delays in preparing festival sites.

He said all would be set for the first day’s events and for the float Parade and Opening Ceremony in Earnslaw Park on Saturday (10 July).

Following the ‘big dump’ during the weekend, Air New Zealand says bookings have become even heavier. Andrew Miller, Air New Zealand General Manager Domestic Airline Group, said the company had put on extra flights to cope with the rush and good seats were now available.

Despite the record snow dump, Mr Singleton said the festival had been planned so it was not entirely reliant on early snow.

“These falls are a bonus really and will help to focus attention on the event,” he said. “We’re ready in Queenstown and on the mountain so we’re looking forward to a great festival — the snow cover is an excellent bonus.”

More than a metre of snow has fallen on Coronet Peak and The Remarkables and both ski areas did great trade on Sunday after a clean-up operation on Saturday. About half the 10-day festival’s events take place on Coronet Peak.

Mr Singleton said while there was still plenty of room in Queenstown, the festival freephone number and Internet booking service was flat out handling enquiries.

The Air New Zealand Queenstown Winter Festival runs until Sunday 18 July.

ends

Issued by 141 Palace Plus for The Air New Zealand Queenstown Winter Festival

Contacts:

David Kennedy---------------Deborah Pead---------------Lindsay Singleton
Destination Queenstown------141Palace Plus---------------Pure Events Ltd
Tel: 0-3-442 7440---------------021 612 919---------------025-881 863
davidk@queenstown-nz.co.nz-----deborahp@141.co.nz---------------lindsay@pureadventure.co.nz

Sarah Hopkins
Air New Zealand
Tel: 025-737 203
sarah.hopkins@airnz.co.nz

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