STARTJOBS ON LAKES WEEKLY PAGE 28 17th - 23rd March 17th - 23rd BULLETIN FIRST ON THE STREET No 742
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In the door The world sneezes and Queenstown gets a nasty virus. Where the COVID-19 Pandemic goes from here is anyone’s guess. Obviously, nothing is more important than good health and we will all be paying particularly close attention to that. Fingers crossed one case of COVID-19 in Queenstown does not turn into more. Economically however, it’s a whole new kettle of fi sh. From employee to employer, small business to large corporation, it’s a worrying situation. Running a business has never been easy. Admittedly at times it seems easy, but it never is, especially when the “situation” is so far out of your control it’s akin to aliens landing. Queenstown has literally been turned on its head. For the foreseeable future we are an international tourism destination no more. Is there a silver lining? You would have to stretch the bow far back to fi nd one, but yes there kind of is. Timing is everything and at least we are at the tail end of the summer season. April, May and June are not generally mission critical months for most businesses in town. The anti-growth crusaders may even With his Mum and Dad watching from the crowd, local be celebrating as sick as that sounds. I did not hear the 7am jet from Marcus ‘Hooligan’ Kool won the title fi ght at SPW’s ‘Queenstown Auckland this morning. Maybe it was cancelled along with numerous Wrestlefest’ at Memorial Centre at the weekend other fl ights in and out of ZQN. If you are one of those old school (Photo: Jodi Walters) locals who wish for Queenstown to be “the way it was in 1984”, congratulations your wish is granted. At least in the short term our traffi c congestion problems are solved, our dangerous foreign drivers are gone, replaced with tumble weeds rolling down Shotover Street. Hope of lessoning the blow now lays fi rmly at the feet of us, the locals. If we go into lock down our local businesses will suffer all the more. It might actually be quite nice to have the place to ourselves. One thing you can be absolutely sure of is your custom at a local restaurant, bar, attraction or activity will be extremely well received. If we do not support ourselves there is a very good chance this COVID-19 situation will put hundreds out of work and tip dozens of businesses over the edge. Local customers are for now back in their rightful place at the top of the appreciation tree. As alien as it might seem, this is not the fi rst time the world has gone into panic mode and time will tell if that panic is really justifi ed. Regardless, the hardest part to get your head around is nobody knows how deep and how long the COVID-19 economic cut will be. Uncertainty is business confi dence’s worst nightmare. In the last 15 years we have had swine fl u, bird fl u, volcanic ash clouds and global recession. That’s life, the smart money plans for such things. Easier said than done. Scott Stevens - Local business owner
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Discover Cromwell’s hidden gem By Marion Low, Cromwell & Districts Promotion Group
Cromwell may have changed a lot in the past few decades, but there is still one place where you can catch a glimpse of what RS & IW .W SI.C.N life was like in times gone by. The Cromwell Heritage Precinct is home to historic buildings dating back as far as the 1860s gold rush. Most of these beautiful buildings now hold restaurants and FHC GL artisan businesses, while others are preserved as museums that IoiBkry’lo¢o£O¥¦au¥ are open to the public daily. N ©ªA¬®E° (2) $3.5·¸¹ Things to see and do Y»¼y½¾eÀ½f£sÃÄouÅÆÇeÈ Cromwell – Queenstown Highway (Gorge Store) 436 Kawarau Gorge Road 1. Find your next favourite piece The Cromwell Heritage Precinct is an artists’ hub with many plying their craft on-site. There are fi ve spaces in which you will discover unique and beautiful pieces from a wide range of disciplines including glass fusing, sculpture, painting, ceramics, photography, printmaking, jewellery, knitting, and mixed media.
2. Have a meal Glass artists Ola & Marie Höglund The three restaurants nestled in the Precinct offer delicious food welcome you to their home studio gallery and beverages throughout the day. Whether you are after a quick snack or a hearty meal, you are sure to fi nd something to BLOWN GLASS JEWELLERY ART WORK tempt your tastebuds. Visitors welcome 10 - 5 daily 1767 Luggate - Cromwell Road (State Highway 6 between Wanaka and Cromwell) 3. Browse a bit Phone 03 442 7210 www.hoglundartglass.com Beautiful and bespoke – this is how visitors describe the goods on offer in the Cromwell Heritage Precinct. The wide selection of carefully curated homeware, glassware, linen, natural oils, clothes, chocolates, and more is ever-changing, so there is always something new to discover. In addition to the three permanent shops, you can also take a walk through the Cromwell Farmers’ and Craft Market every Sunday morning between Labour Weekend and Easter for the best in local produce and locally made goods. Helpful Advice Quick Service Quality Result We also stock an affordable range of giftware, framed prints & baby gear
25 The Mall, Cromwell • Phone 03 445 4595 [email protected] LAKES WEEKLY BULLETIN Page 3 Rentals by Rent me
2 Bedrooms