|
OPINION: Queenstown’s council has hypocritically pushed its way on to the overcrowded virtue express train 5 with its recent declaration of a climate emergency.  Lake Wakatipu: By Mark Wilson
 Congratulations to Labour and the Greens for wooing Winston and forming a new government.
I’m picking the yoga lessons taken in opposition helped keep your hamstrings flexible enough to accommodate the bending required to meet Winston’s demands? While myself and 59 per cent of our electorate who voted for National will be disappointed, I appreciate equally there will also be many locals ecstatic with the outcome. One group that won’t be dancing a jig at the result are our foreign workers on temporary visas and those wishing to work their way towards residency and one day call themselves a Kiwi and eventually after a few more years a local in the Wakatipu. Another group equally unhappy will be those who employ them.  Speight's Dog Barking Competition, WinterFest Tonight we mark the opening of Winterfestival (sort of) but are we also marking the beginning of the end of an era?
I’m a creature of habit, a traditionalist and recidivist attendee of certain events. I rarely miss a Southland Stags home game, love the Glenorchy Races and you would have found me fossicking around Waimahaka at our Mai Mai the first Saturday in May since 1993. Another of my annual traditions has been Winterfestival.  Credit ODT A recent delegation to Aspen has highlighted a growing emphasis by community and business leaders to learn what we can from other resort towns that have experienced or are still experiencing growing pains on their journey to maturity.
We live in an amazing part of the world. Queenstown's natural capital has been augmented over time by innovative and inspirational people, who had the courage and creativity to challenge the accepted norms.  Credit: ODT
On Friday I spoke in support of my less than glowing submission on the QLDC’s draft transport strategy.
I felt it lacked a vision for Queenstown, was not comprehensive enough and was more wishful thinking than reality. To sum it up for those who haven’t read it. A well intentioned QLDC meritoriously wants to take 20% of our vehicle movements and redistribute them to walking, biking and bussing by changing the rules around car parking. This will avoid the need to spend any money on roading infrastructure to after 2030 maybe even 2040.
  When you have fallen off the wagon climbing back on can be daunting particularly when it comes to health and fitness. We have all been there, looking up from the bottom of a deep hole desperate to climb out.
Many succumb to the latest fitness craze throwing themselves obsessively into a cataclysmic lifestyle change. Inevitably some don’t make it through the first few weeks. Other’s trawl the internet for quick fixes and miracle cures throwing money away like tipping notes at Calendar Girls. Whatever you do it needs to be compatible with your lifestyle and sustainable in the long term. It can be as simple as moving a little more and consuming a little less for sustained period of time.
 It may seem semi-detached from reality but I have no plans for the advanced years of my life.
Firstly, with the rate my memory is malfunctioning (possibly due to the accumulation of quiet ales) coupled with excessive levels of joint degradation, my ability to function into old age will be minimal at best so it would be remiss of me to plan years as a silver fox golfing and tending to my petunias.  Emerging from the scratcher a little dazed and confused after a rather decent session on the soda pop the day before was the easy part of my event preparation. Rescuing my mate’s Foxy-cross Jose from a year of fine dining and couch living was the hard part.
Jose thought his Winter Festival duties were complete after his obligatory appearance in the Air New Zealand Kia ora magazine and a cheeky wee photo shoot for the Otago Daily Times the previous week.
|
AuthorMark Wilson 
TAGS
All
Subscribe to updates below
|
RSS Feed